A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sale)

Venue: Walken Gardens
Where: Sale

Folksy Theatre Company perform and specialise in Open Air Shakespeare and Theatre in Education. It seems fitting then, that they choose this classic which kicks off a ten day tour to some of the country’s loveliest smaller gardens.

Director/actor Tom Hardwicke has chosen the Roaring Twenties to present this new production and with boaters doffed and Charleston dresses flapping throughout the opening scenes with lovers Lysander (Ben Jewell), Helena (Lee Hardwicke), Hermia (Sarah Feathers) and Demetrius (Rick Bithell), this show opens with a wallop.

There’s also some lovely audience interaction and an hilarious entrance from The Players. Peter Quince, also Bithell is somewhere between an archaic West End Producer and an enthusiastic amateur with Bottom as an actor with ideas above his actual talent – a dangerous game for a director starring in his own production – but thankfully, it’s a success. Puck (Seth Bathurst) is a delightful ‘Artful Dodger’ and Oberon (Adrian Bouchet), looks like an extra from the film 300 and has audience’s eyes popping.

The whole cast has a clear understanding of the script which makes following the story easy. With fight sequences and fallings-out, the last scene of Act One is brilliantly funny, in the tradition of a seventies TV farce and a highlight of the whole production.

There are occasional vocal issues having to contend with passing sirens and planes overhead and, rather than ignore them, it might be better to see the actors either interact with the noise or raise the volume to accommodate. It’s the pitfall of playing outdoors and, having director as actor, this may go unaltered. The scene changes are sometimes tardy and once or twice there’s a dead-stage but these minor issues can easily be fixed for future shows.

Folksy’s Midsummer is an assured and enjoyable production with talented actors, clever direction and a refreshing realisation of the popular play.

– Lucia Cox