Review by David Evans
To imagine characters from a Shakespearian play being magically brought to life hundreds of years later and appearing in a film production of ‘A Midsummers Night Dream’ sounds improbable. However, through the writings of the amazing playwright Ken Ludwig the impossible happens and we are presented with a play that comes to life by The Adelaide Repertory Theatre.
The cast is led by Stephen Bills as the quintessential Oberon with his outstanding stage craft and understanding of what the role requires. He is supported by the impish Puck portrayed by Emily Burns who has her stage exits and entries down to a tee plus her transformation to the 1930s with clever costumes.
The show opens with Penny Hamilton-Smith as Louella Parsons broadcasting with details of some of the stars and getting interviews but is very reticent in giving up the microphone. Her performance when entering the ball with a fabulous costume and her interaction with others gave her the opportunity to show her ability on stage.
The Warner Brothers heavies led by Ben Todd as Jack Warner, Sam Wiseman as Max Reinhardt and Adam Schultz as Will Hays give an insight as to the workings of the theatre in the 1930s. They bounce off each other with some tense encounters but were able to have their own piece such as when Will Hays falls in love with himself. Kieran Drost as Daryl the ‘yes man’ was the unwitting person that tried to escape amorous advances and underplayed this role to perfection.
The wannabe serious actor role, Lydia Lansing, was portrayed by Jasmine Duggan. She has her own ideas of how a Shakespearean script should be acted by reciting it backwards. Her over the top actions and at times exaggerated American accent gave her the opportunity to show her remarkable stage ability.
Oberon’s love interest, Olivia Darnell, cleverly portrayed by Leah Lowe, gave a performance requiring her to show her various abilities such as nervousness when trying to remember lines, confidence when it mattered and an aspect of love when with Oberon.
The other six actors had multiple roles to play all of which were at a standard we have come to expect from the Rep and put together by the Director Jude Hines.
The production team had their moments with the timing of the light flashes right on cue. The costumes sets and props were not overdone but very relevant to the whole play.
To get the full impact of some of the Shakespearian one liners this show must be seen. A credit to all involved at The Rep.
