Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
I'll confess: when I heard that Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was to be performed in the Barn, I was apprehensive. My concerns were threefold - could such a big production be contained to such a small space as The Barn? Wasn't the cast far too large? And surely it would be too long? Thankfully, this weekend’s Drama Barn offering has proved me absolutely wrong. You should know that this is not something I admit to often.
With 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', director Rosie Fletcher has produced an almost pantomime-like performance, pushing for laughs and filled with energy. The cast seem nigh-on unstoppable; churning out Shakespeare's text whilst cavorting across the stage and barely stopping for breath as they move from one high-octane scene to another.
Max Tyler and Hannah Higton do a sterling job of doubling up on their roles as Oberon/Theseus and Titania/Hippolyta, respectively. Tyler manages to believably showcase Oberon as an anxious but well-meaning Fairy King, who creates a night of mischief, simply through the desire to win his wife back. This allows Edith Kirkwood as the wide-eyed and knowing Puck, to follow through with his demands, and gleefully oversee the repercussions.
The fickle and bickering lovers (who are subject to many of these tricks), are admirably performed, with Ela Gaworzeska presenting a delightfully shrill and desperate Helena - the antithesis to James Soldan's oh-so-cool and oh-so-self-involved Demetrius. Helena Clark and Tom Vickers portray an endearing and romantic couple in Hermia and Lysander, who are swept up into a bewildering turn of events, with Clark's reactions eking humour out of every line of her performance.
If any of that doesn't tempt you, then go simply to see the 'play within a play' performed by Bottom and The Mechanicals. As the irrepressible and dim-witted Bottom, Sam Briggs expertly hams up his performance to absolute fever pitch, much to the audiences' delight, whilst The Mechanicals, each as charmingly clueless and clumsy as the other, are performed to perfection with Justin Stathers as a well-meaning yet tightly-wound Quince attempting to keep order.
Of course, there are some minor flaws. The performances are clearly the driving force behind the production. With no scenery save the golden branches painted onto the walls and floor, this is not a fully immersive experience, and there is a heavy reliance on the cast to carry the audience through. The impressive technical design doesn't quite meet the challenge of creating this unique world, though it is used to great effect in depicting the magic that flows through it. Some of the lines were lost in their delivery, and finally, the 1930s/40s-style costumes seem to have been an afterthought, more of a brief nod to a modern day style which allowed the use of Ella Fitzgerald music without it seeming out of place.
Producing a Shakespeare play, particularly on such a small scale as is offered at the Barn, could have been a risky endeavour. However, the cast and crew have brought a youthful and exuberant energy to the play which should be commended. Fletcher's production is hilarious, silly, touching and nothing short of a joy to watch.
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