by William Shakespeare
Bell Shakespeare
Company
Athenaeum Theatre 1, until June 24, 2000
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
The opening scene of
Elke Neidhardt's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream suggests cheekily that
we are in for an S and M version of this play about fairies and lovers.
The Athenian Duke, Theseus (Ivar Kants) has his reluctant
bride on a leather leash which he tugs to control her like a recalcitrant pup.
The promise of a genuinely malevolent collection of
characters is exciting but not fulfilled unfortunately. There are hints of
darkness but the initial vision is diluted and confused as the play continues.
The story goes thus: two young me , Demetrius and Lysander
(Wadih Dona, Leon Ford) love the same girl, Hermia. (Julie Eckersley). She
loves Lysander but her father demands she marry Demetrius who, in turn, is
loved by Helena. (Marta Dusseldorp)
The Duke threatens Hermia with death or the nunnery if she
defies her father. Meanwhile the King and Queen of Fairyland are feuding and
Oberon (Kants) enchants Titania (Jeanette Cronin OK) so she is enamoured of an
ass.
In the woods, a group of dopey tradesmen rehearse an
appalling play for the Duke's wedding. Got all that?
Nieidhardt makes some interesting and risky choices in
addition to the tilt toward the grim and dark rather than the cute, bright and
fairy-like.
Puck is cast and directed unusually. Frank Whitten plays him
as an old and disillusioned Alice Cooper look-alike. This works at times but is
often mistimed and awkward.
Neidhardt's other choices include portraying Theseus as a
tyrant, rather than a loving, just Duke and Titania as silly and sulky. The
stage seems to be dotted with psychopaths who do not always communicate well.
At times it is fascinating. At others it is noisy and confused.
The notion that the woods are filled initially with anger
and vengeance, but become peaceful and loving is not fully nor coherently
developed.
There are some strong performances. Dean Atkinson as Bottom
has marvellous timing and charm. and the mechanicals work well as an ensemble.
Marta Dusseldorp is a perky and engaging Helena while Eckersley is strong
particularly in Hermia's adversity.
Michael Scott-Mitchell's silvery geometric design refracts
beautifully Rory Dempster's lighting and Jonathon Maher's music is the most
effective atmospheric element.
By Kate Herbert
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