Review by Barry Hill
“Playwright Ken Ludwig is to contemporary domestic stage comedy what Arthur Miller was to the dramatic theatre of his time.”— Contra Costa Times
The Adelaide Repertory Company brings Shakespeare to the masses with their latest production of Ken Ludwig’s Shakespeare in Hollywood.
Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and winner of The Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play of the Year (the MacArthur Award), Shakespeare in Hollywood combines one of the bard’s greatest works with Hollywood royalty of the 30s and 40s
Set in1934, Shakespeare’s most famous fairies, Oberon and Puck, have magically appeared on the set of the Warner Brothers movie of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Overcome by the glitz and glamour of show biz, the two are cast to play (who else?) themselves. With a little help from a magical flower, a blonde actress and a movie mogul, the results are hysterical.
Director Jude Hines is no stranger to comedy having directed the bitter sweet new version of Mother and Son last year and the highly successful Jersey Boys for Therry Theatre in 2024.
Hines has gathered a talented, highly enthusiastic cast of sixteen, many who play multiple roles. Her blocking is meticulous and the production is ‘slick’ with particularly well-rehearsed scene changes. Her knowledge of the 30s Hollywood period is detailed as is her knowledge of A Midsummer’s Night Dream; essential if they are to be seamlessly blended.
Her vision is enhanced by Gary Anderson’s set design dominated by a large tree that could have come straight out of Camelot or Brigadoon, Ian Barge’s lighting with its beautiful contrast of a brightly coloured fairydom complete with magical smoke, the more austere studio lighting and the striking downlights for the phone call scenes and Sandy Whitelaw’s evocative costumes. (special mention to Oberon’s crown by John Duval and Ushmo Prem and Bottom’s head by Aryahna Tyree).
Stephen Bill’s Oberon is everything we would want the king of the Fairies to be, mysterious and with immaculate diction. He is the lynch pin to the production and carries the mantle of leading actor with ease.
Emily Burns’ Puck is mischievous, bold, and a worthy accomplice to Oberon. I loved her repetitive exit line, straight from Shakespeare.
Ben Todd’s Jack Warner is suitably boisterous and demanding and a great foil to his assistant Daryl and Max Reinhardt. He commands the stage in all of his scenes.
Sam Wiseman’s Max Reinhardt reminds us of the conflict in Germany during the 30s and strikes more than a comparison to the current head of the USA. I loved his scenes with Will Hays.
Adam Schultz’s Will Hays is narrow minded, pedantic and the enemy of Hollywood film of the time. His scene when becoming the ass from Pyramus and Thisbe is hysterical.
Leah Lowe’s Olivia Darnell is a character we can all sympathise with, a young star who is uncertain of her talent. Her scenes when she falls in love with Oberon are moving.
Jasmine Duggan’s Lydia Lansing steals anything not nailed down with her over the top performance as the blond actor with more determination than talent. She is a pleasure to watch.
Penni Hamilton-Smith’s Louella Parsons is suitably loud and pushy all wrapped in gorgeous gowns.
Malcolm Watson nails every laugh as Joe E. Brown/Groucho Marx and Harry Warner. His version of Thisbe brought the house down.
The cast is completed by Kieran Drost as the bumbling Daryl, Matthew Thompson as Dick Powell, Tom Adams as Jimmy Cagney/Sam Warner, Nicholas Elborough as Tarzan/Albert Warner/ensemble and Mike Leach, Esther Burnett and Wendy Peecock making up the hard-working ensemble.
My only slight reservation with this fun-filled production is the length of some of the blackouts of which there are many. Devising some business to cover the changes would have kept the pace at a consistent level.
Shakespeare in Hollywood is a welcome escape from the woes of modern day and makes Shakespeare easy to understand for the novice. This is a large cast play and a credit to Jude Hines, her cast and crew and the Adelaide Repertory!
