A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Wanamaker 2025

by William Shakespeare

Co-production by Shakespeare’s Globe / Headlong / Bristol Old Vic / Leeds Playhouse
Directed by Holly Race Roughan
Co-directed by Naeem Hayat
Dramaturg Frank Peschier
Composer Nicola T Chang

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
at Shakespeare’s Globe

Thursday 27th November 14.00

CAST
Hedydd Dylan – Hippolyta, Titania
Michael Marcus- Theseus / Oberon
Sergo Vares – Puck
Danny Kirane- Bottom
Jack Humphrey- Egeus / Quince
Tiwa Lade- Hermia / Mustard Seed
Tara Tijani- Helena / Peaseblossom
Lou Jackson – Demetrius / Cobweb
David Olaniregun – Lysander / Moth
Pria Kalsi- Flute / Child
Dannie Harris – ensemble / fairy/ cover
Ben Lynn – ensemble / fairy / cover

MUSIC
Carina Cosgrave- double bass
Richie Hart- MD, piano, guitar
Kiyomi Seed- percussion
Alice Barron – violin

The poster … snow covered trees? Indoor? Candlelit? It doesn’t sound very summery. Then the promotion line is, ‘Expect the Unexpected.’ Yes, that’s absolutely right.

It is candlelit, but the entire Wanamaker stage has gone white. I can’t believe they painted over the woodwork, and can only assume a replica set sitting on top of the fabric of the building. It is touring after the Wanamaker so hopefully that’s the set they can move around with them.

It’s the Wanamaker Playhouse, so you can’t discuss it without mentioning the uncomfortable bench seats. Like the directors I choose the back row with a wall to lean against. We often saw directors and staff up there. That’s probably why they don’t know how bad the benches are. But, and this is important, this is the first ever Wanamaker production I’ve seen where not one person left in the interval. There are usually several because of backache. I put it down to how gripping this production is, but it is also short: 60 minutes first part, 50 minutes second.

Versions of the Dream sit upon one another. This echoes past productions. All white stage? Peter Brooks 1970. Puck in a tutu? Richard McCabe in John Caird’s production, 1989. Then there’s how it’s balanced on characters. The four lovers is what comes to mind for Peter Brooks. Helena by Lucy Briggs-Owen for the RSC in 2011. Definitely Sheridan Smith’s Titania in the Michael Grandage 2013 version. The rude mechanicals played by amateur companies in the RSC Play For A Nation in 2016. The Rude Mechanicals posing as Globe volunteers in Emma Rice’s 2016 version. The Oberon / Puck / Bottom interaction for The Bridge Theatre in 2019.

This also follows the Oberon / Puck / Bottom trio as its main theme, but add that this is the most violent Theseus part I’ve seen. It’s high comedy violence too, and I would bet the inspiration is partly the role of Czar Peter, played by Nicholas Hoult, in the dark comedy TV series The Great.

How do I review it without removing the shock of the unexpected? Without revealing the jokes? I despair of “democratic” Globe alphabetical lists of creatives which put Carpenters and Deputy Head of Props above Director and Dramaturg, but for starters the “Dramaturg” role needs to be right at the top. Lines are switched between characters. Lines appear in different places. There are heavy cuts, not least in the long Titania / Oberon speeches as they enter the forest. Yet Bottom’s last forest speech includes bits that are usually cut. Bottom is free (as clowns should be) to add stuff. Lines are even simplified ‘a voteress of my order’ has become ‘a devotee of mine.’

The Indian child is now a girl, and instead of being a bundle of clothes representing a baby, is now a character (who finishes both parts). That incidentally, adds more creepiness to Theseus / Oberon.

*Pria Kalsi as the Indian child (with Tara Tijani as Helena)*

So it opens with Puck (Sergo Vares), in tutu and tail coat coming on, sitting on the table and slowly and thoughtfully eating a banana, before doing an opening speech (from elsewhere). Then a cast of uniformed servers (Downton Abbey style) set the table, before the Executive Chef places a suckling pig on the table.

Scene 1: *Heddyd Dylan as a scornful Hippolyta*

Hippolyta (Heddyd Dylan) runs on and hides beneath the table, followed by a furious Theseus (Michael Marcus), and all mayhem develops including a violent Hippolytya / Theseus confrontation during their speeches. When Egeus (Jack Humphreys) comes on to demand that Hermia marry Demetrius or be put to death, we see how volatile Theseus moving from violent to cheerful in seconds. Egeus is now ‘stepfather’ which may make more sense.

There are only three rude mechanicals. Bottom is the executive chef (Danny Kirrane) and Pria Kalsi is the waitress, Flute, as well as the Indian child. Jack Humphrey doubles as Egeus and Quince, though Quince is now the head waiter role, and in Act V, Bottom gets some of his lines.

*The first rehearsal: Jack Humphreys as Head Waiter Quince, Pria Kalsi as Waitress Flute, Danny Kirrane as Executive Chef Bottom*. *Bottom demonstes Hercules*

How do they manage it? Puck has the ability to freeze the cast at will, and can then step in to the scene as an extra Rude Mechanical, so Starveling in the first scene. Later Puck will come in as Wall (a major role. I’ve done it). Every time he unfreezes them, Danny Kirrane gives a loud expletive of shock at seeing him. Yes, it works. Quince does The Man in the Moon, nips off and comes back and does Lion. You don’t feel any lack.

*Danny Kirrane as Executive Chef Bottom*

The Bottom transition to Donkey is done very simply. Puck pulls off Bottom’s shoes and replaces them with wobbly heels. No ears are used, and Puck goes on and off doing the “Eee Aww” noises. Danny Kirane’s Bottom as Executive Chef is a tour de force, and one of the biggest laughs was when he broke the fourth wall to berate the audience. No line spoiler. Another great moment is when Titania asks to hear his sweet voice and Danny Kirrane does a full-on unaccompanied version of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs.

The fairies: Titania(Heddyd Dylan) lounging on piano, Lou Jackson playing and singing, Dannie Harris as lead dancer.

The fairies are in black tutus (everyone doubling) though we have two specialist fairies and Dannie Harris as ‘fairy / cover’ deserves a rather better credit as it must be her who does the proper ballet dancer on points `at the centre of the balletic scenes. Titania’s bower is the top of a glossy black piano, which Lou Jackson plays and sings to in fairy scenes.

Titania is in a black dress, but Oberon has white ballet tights with a “Prince” ballet jacket on top. Their interaction remains fiece and it is his visible part that gets twisted by her.

*Sergio Vares as Puck, with Heddyd Dylan as Titania*

Sergio Vares burly Puck is also free to add stuff at will. Given his ability to freeze people with a spell, he commands the stage, though one of the funniest moments is when an angry Titania zaps him sending him sprawling headlong to freeze.

The four lovers scene start off with an incredibly vigorous rough and tumble between Helena (Tara Tijani) and Demetrius (Lou Jackson). They’re cast young, a given.

Tiwa Lade is Hermia, and David Olaniregun is Lysander. Very good lovers, though maybe the verse is not their strongest feature. Lysander gets a bit stuck in static positions, which I think is deliberate to make him look diffident.

*After the wedding: Hippolyta (Heddyd Dylan), Hermia (Tiwa Lade), Lysander (David Olsamiregun)*

Bottom pulls down a sylvan scene backdrop for the final act. The thing is, everyone comes in from the wedding, and they’re all bladdered. Pissed paralytic. i.e. as in modern weddings. The duality of the Hippolyta / Titania and Theseus / Oberon roles are played to the full. Bottom as Pyramus in Roman dress stirs odd memories of what went on in the woods (look out for the emergence of Bottom at the start of the second half) for Hippolyta / Titania, invoking jealousy in Theseus / Oberon!

*Jack Humphreys as Quince playing The Man in The Moon*

The shock ending? Well, I’ll tell you one thing. It is extremely radical. No spoilers.

*It ends where it began with Sergio Vares as Puck.*

How do you rate it? It’s a cast of twelve on a small stage. That means you can’t compare it to the really huge productions: John Caird on a rubbish heap in 1989, Emma Rice at The Globe 2016, RSC Play For A Nation 2016, the Bridge in 2019, the RSC 2024 … all five star versions. On comparison to that scale, I’d have to say four stars. Yet if we confine it to compare with small cast / small stage productions which tour, it’s a five.

**** / *****

*And in the end. The stage after the finish*

TOUR

The production runs from now until the 31st January at the Wanamaker Playhouse.

This production will be going on tour to Shakespeare North at Prescot, Lancashire (4–7 February), Leeds Playhouse(14–28 February), Bristol Old Vic (4–21 March), and Oxford Playhouse (24–28 March).

PROGRAMME
Three decent essays which is good. No credit for three songs which isn’t good. I recognized all three but can only name War Pigs. The essays are somewhat ‘Globe’ though I read them with interest, but I really don’t believe that the climate crisis and slavery are major themes of the play!

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
Seen and written before the critics got there.

LINKS ON THIS BLOG

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

HOLLY RACE ROUGHAN
Small Hotel by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Bath 2025
The New Real, by David Edgar, RSC The Other Place, 2024
The House Party by Laura Thomas, Chichester 2024
A View From The Bridge, Chichester 2023
Hedda Tesman, Chichester 2019

HEDYDD DYLAN
The Merry Wives of Windsor, Globe 2019
The Shoemaker’s Holiday, RSC 2015

SERGO VARES
The New Real, by David Edgar, RSC The Other Place, 2024
The Winter’s Tale, Wanamaker / Globe 2023 (Leontes)
Hamlet, Cumberbatch, Barbican 2015 (Fortinbras)

MICHAEL MARCUS
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, RSC 2014 (Valentine)

DAVID OLANIREGUN
Romeo & Juliet, Globe 2025

TARA TIJANI
The Merry Wives of Windsor, RSC 2024 (Anne Page)
The School for Scandal, RSC 2024 (Lady Teazell)

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