PROBABLY the most accessible of Shakespeare’s works, it is essentially a comedy that allows the actors to develop their individual characters, so in the case of Steve Arnold, who plays Bottom, viewers of a certain Northern soap might anticipate his costume to include a butcher’s coat and cleaver.
Not so, and his contribution was a revelation, with a masterful comic performance.
The action started with the apparent random-selection of members of the audience to join the cast on-stage.
Once garbed-up, the illusion evaporated as they were obviously part of the company, but slickly-done, as was everything about this professional show.
Richard Stride played Theseus and, with Chevin Dash as Hippolyta, they were the epitome of cool amid the increasing mayhem around them, with the exception of Margaret Coles as Philostrate, as the play within a play was enacted.
Linking every scene together was the always-impressive Jack Tutt as Puck. Lysander and Demetrius (Scott Alexander and Aaron Charles) were well up for the bickering and jealousy as they competed for the respective hands of Helena and Hermia.
Here, Leah Lloyd and Alice Osmanski were outstanding as they displayed the less than ladylike aspects of their characters. The “wall-scene” was hilarious ”.
Musical director Heather Uden is credited with creating some lovely musical interludes . With a fantastic set the audience was transfixed with the beauty of it all.
The show was sprinkled with fairy-dust.
Alan Johns
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