Midsummer Madness

Priory Players. Act I 64m. Act II 64m.

Priory Players' latest outdoor version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (or "A Midsummer Night's Grease" as I preferred to call it) had everything I expected of it: a wonderful ensemble cast, a typically energetic and enthusiastic performance by Andrew Jeffers as Bottom, and plenty of camp, outrageous touches by director Ian Amos, not least of which the idea of making Oberon and the other fairies Teddy Boys and rock'n'roll dancers.

I'd heard over two years ago about Ian's idea to go 1950s for this play (apparently the Mercury Theatre in Colchester asked him to postpone in 2006 because they were putting on a rival production), and had my misgivings (and quietly opted out), not least the losing of Felix Mendelssohn's atmospheric music (composed for the ballet version and the 1933 film) which to me makes "The Dream" the magical experience that it is. Sadly, much of the magic and mysticism seems lost from this version, as well as some of the lovers' wistfulness - although having said that, Claire Warden makes for a beautifully forceful and vindictive Helena. What a loss she and Alex Fletcher (as Puck) are going to be to the local drama scene when they move across the pond to America next month.

The crassness of some of the later scenes put me off after a while, but never let it be said that audiences weren't wowed by it, many of whom had probably seen countless versions of this play before, so they were ready for something different. The energetic dance to the (1960's) hit "Nut Rocker" by the entire cast (and nothing at all to do with Shakespeare), is an abiding memory.

d: Ian Amos
s: Andrew Jeffers, Scott Sophos, Alex Fletcher, Chrissie Kettle, Claire Warden, Heidi Mussett, Will Parrick, David Elliott, Robin Warnes, Paul Reed, Martin Rayner, David Wenden, Nigel Worland, John Flint, Maggie Brush, Brian Butcher