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A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ballet)

May 15, 2008

Venue: The Palace Theatre
Date Reviewed: 15th May, 2008

star

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a flexible play capable of all sorts of interpretations. At first one wonders if the Northern Ballet Theatre haven’t pushed their luck and included one in-joke too many as their production begins in a ballet school with pupils rehearsing Romeo and Juliet.

Theseus, the artist director (Hironao Takahashi) makes a number of questionable decisions including compelling Hippolyta (Desiré Samaai) his principal dancer and bride to be, to retire from dancing and together with his martinet ballet master Puck (Christian Broomhall), pairing off members of the class contrary to their wishes.

The rehearsal ends in chaos and, as the company travel overnight by train towards the venue at which they are to perform, they begin to dream.

To tinker with the opening of the play is to risk confusion and annoyance. Directors David Nixon and Patricia Doyle avoid this by ensuring that the themes in their introduction reflect those in the main play. The conflict between Hipplyta and Theseus (Titania and Oberon), the loss of something one loves and the pains of unrequited love are clear even before these themes arise in the main play.

Cleverly, the dance that the players are rehearsing in the introduction replaces Pyramus and Thisbe as the entertainment which is performed for the court at the conclusion of the play. This is very imaginative but the success of the play depends on whether or not it is funny and this production is hilarious.

Matching Pippa Moore’s Helena (tiny, lovesick and almost feral) with Hinton-Lewis’ Demetrius (tall, aloof and bordering on cruel) makes for terrific comic interplay with Moore in particularly good form. The whole experience is one of tremendous fun but there are gentle emotions communicated as well.

Having seen Desiré Samaai show Hippolyta’s devastation at being denied the chance to dance it is pleasure to share her joy when, transformed into Titania, she performs again and so demonstrates to her future husband the mistakes he has made.

It is inevitable that a ballet will suffer from the loss of Shakespeare’s wonderful verse. What it gains, however, is a sense of wonder and a feeling of magic . Much of this is due to Duncan Hayler’s set design. This contrasts the stark monochrome look of the school with the vibrant colours of the forest upon which the young lovers gaze in wonder.

The main success is, however, the transformation of the studio into a sleeper train which travels across the stage and into the fairy kingdom.

In fact, this whole production works wonderfully, like a dream.

-Dave Cunningham

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