A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ – the real version - is being boldly presented by Upstart Theatre Company, in association with PS Art Space and is produced by Tom Mueller for the Fringeworld Festival. This is very much an adult’s version of Shakespeare’s fun play.

The 80-minute, action-filled play is being performed on the ground floor of PS Art Space, 22 Pakenham Street, Fremantle. The venue only holds 50 people, so all of the tickets may be sold out. Performances are nightly at 7.30 until Saturday 23^rd February.

          We are led along a narrow, beautifully decorated dell, and find ourselves back two or three hundred years in a rough Greek tavern near Athens. We are invited to buy a drink and watch the courtyard entertainment.

          The group of performers are local ‘mechanicals’ or craftsmen. Mistress Snout - later Wall (Thérèse Cruise) is a sexy burlesque performer, exciting the men with her ‘shakes’. Her act is followed by Bottom - later Pyramus (Kingsley Judd) who, assisted by Flute – later Thisbe (Jordan Gallagher) sings a couple of bawdy songs to the music of his ukulele. The couple are spotted by a talent scout, and Peter Quince (Geordie Crawley) agrees to perform the most cruel death of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’. They are hired for the wedding party of Duke Theseus (Paul Montague) of Athens and the Amazon queen, Hippolyta (Desiree Crossing).

           Back at the Athenian castle (the only scene with a stage and chairs), Hermia (Maja Liwszyc) is fighting with her father, Egeus (Bryn Coldrick). He wants her to marry Demetrius (Jesse Phillips) who is actually in love with Helena (Chloe Flockart), and to complicate matter, Hermia is deeply in love with Lysander (Nick MacLaine). However, if Hermia does not agree to her father’s choice, she will be killed or put in a nunnery for life.

           We are then led into a corner of the surrounding forest where Oberon, King of Shadows (Paul "Werzel" Montague) and his estranged queen, Titania, Faerie Queen (Desiree Crossing) are arguing over Titania’s Indian changeling. Oberon decides to punish Titania and calls for his jester, Puck (Patrick Downes) to find magic juice which he can use as eye drops. These drops will make the victim fall in love with the first living person that she sees upon awakening.

           So starts a story of confused and magical love.

The most adventurous of directors, Garreth Bradshaw, promised the audience titillation of all of their senses and I think that he may well have succeeded. He has stripped away the sweetie-sweet atmosphere that normally surrounds this play, and given us the raw love stories.

We experience the play’s many loves, boldly depicted as one would expect from hormone laden, young couples enjoying a summer’s evening in a wood. The vicious fights between the couples protecting their loved ones, were most convincing and beautifully staged; notably the catfight between the girls as they wrestled and clawed – with the grass dust flying around, and having to lie semi-naked on the floor - I only hope that they can protect their voices from the hay fever. Perhaps an antihistamine tablet before you start.

Luna Gawler’s set designs were miraculous. The woodland wasn’t simply a couple of flowerpots, this was a massive, 300 sq metre area of very convincing forest, constructed with real vegetation undergrowth on a soil floor. Good luck with the bump-out – it will take days, but it really was worth it.

There was one other controversial, but hilarious cast ‘member’ which on a vote by some girls in the audience, was 70% false, 30% undecided.

Darryn Santana and Benjamin James’ live background music was well thought out, melodic and at just the correct level. It fitted the scenes perfectly. Their multitude of instruments ranged from classical guitar to a didgeridoo. The mood of the lighting and the atmosphere created was thanks to the director, Garreth.

The acting wasn’t ‘Bell Shakespeare’ standard, but with the enormous amount of movement around the extensive sets, the performances were still totally admirable and full of energy. Every scene gave us excitement and something totally fresh. The audience soon learned to move around within the set to find the best viewing position, and the cast skilfully continued their dialogue unhesitatingly as they did.

Bottom always wins the hearts, and Kingsley’s hilarious performance was totally uplifting. The donkey’s head prop, with its moving mouth and waggling ears was remarkable, it had all of the qualities of an expensive, specialist factory produced prop and yet it was handmade by Chloe Flockart, a true artist. Stand-up comic, Paul, showed that he could also be a fine actor, with his threatening presence. The lovers, Chloe and Maja, moved smoothly from the passionate embraces to the wrestling. This was a version of the play that made huge demands on the entire cast, but they got into the mood, genre and atmosphere and just went for it!

To quote the promotion leaflet, this truly is ‘Midsummer’ as you've never seen it, heard it, dreamt it, or felt it before. The play is all about magic and the veiled sprites added that extra enchantment.

I believe that this performance was effectively the first dress rehearsal, if that is so, no-one would ever have guessed. Brilliant.

Every actor should have a show or play that in 20 years from now they can proudly say ‘I was in that’, and for EVERY single member of the team, this is such a production. Very many congratulations on the quality, courage and invention. Truly a play to remember.