A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Bridge Theatre: A Magical Night Out

You know that feeling when you walk in somewhere in one mode and walk out completely transformed. That is the function of all art, to take you on a journey where you are temporarily, sometimes forever changed. Walking into Bridge Theatre, I was bubbly with anticipation but also irritated after a dinner where the restaurant failed to bring my friend’s meal on time (tsk tsk Vapiano Tower Bridge). However if there’s one play that’s guaranteed to melt all your cares away and put you in a fantastic mood, it’s Nicholas Hytner’s 5-star production** of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The last Shakespeare play I’d seen was the glorious, show-stopping Much Ado About Nothing starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell. I thought it would be hard to top that, but this production is equally up there as one of the most magical nights I’ve had at the theatre.

I have a soft spot for Shakespeare’s fairy-tale comedy as it’s one of the first shows I watched as a child with my mother. It was an outdoor performance in the park. I’ll never forget the sensation of flying on our picnic blanket through time and space, as Shakespeare’s characters and poetry weaved their spell around us.

The story begins in Athens where young lovers Hermia (Nina Cassells) and Lysander (Divesh Subaskaran) are planning to elope to avoid her having to marry Demetrius (Paul Adeyefa), her dad’s choice of spouse.

They wind up in the forest where fairy king Oberon and his queen Titania are having a spat. In her annoyance, Titania asks her sprite Puck to find a flower called Love-in-Idleness that can be used on Oberon as a love potion. Anybody who receives this potion will fall in love with the first living creature they see. This sets the stage for much confusion and hilarity, especially when an amateur drama troupe of mechanics shows up and Puck turns one of them, Bottom, into a donkey. As soon as Oberon sets eyes on Bottom, he falls ass-over-heels in love.

Meanwhile, the mischievous Puck uses the potion not just on Demetrius but also on Lysander and eventually on Helena and Hermia. It’s a comic carousel of crushes that Titania will have to stop turning before it gets out of hand.

If the plot sounds confusing, don’t worry. My niece tried to cram it in Sparks Notes before the show as she’d never read the play, but it was only seeing it come alive in the theatre that the chaos made sense. Despite a few changes (e.g. it’s Titania who falls for Bottom in the original), the story is easy to follow. This is especially thanks to the brilliant and joyously diverse actors who are perfectly cast.

Puck (David Moorst) looked like he’d been plucked from fairy land to perform his elfish games. And Emmanuel Akwafo was by far the best Bottom I’ve seen on stage, provoking actual hee-haws of laughter throughout much of the night.

I was bewitched by Susannah Fielding as Titania from her costumes to her stage presence and JJ Feild as Oberon in love pretty much stole the show with his dance moves. I also have to praise the supporting cast, from the eclectic theatre posse to the fairies dancing on aerial silks. The staging is spectacular with clever use of platforms, trap doors and lighting adding to the sense of enchantment.

You have the option to sit or stand and be immersed in the show. It must be fun walking amongst the performers, but I’m glad we sat so we had a clearer view of all the action. By the end, everybody was on their feet anyway, clapping and stomping as the music turned up and the players mingled in the crowd. My guests and I left on such a high that we were still buzzing the next day. 

’I’m telling everybody I know to come and see this and I’m going to bring my daughters to see it too,’ my friend Rachel said. It was that kind of show. A dream that we didn’t want to end. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2SG (London Bridge tube/rail, Tower Hill tube). Age guidance 5+ (younger ones not admitted). Under 11s must have a seated ticket, under 16s must be accompanied by a ticket holder aged 18+. Shows at 7.30pm (Mon-Sat) & 2.30pm (Thu & Sat); £19.50-£135 (until Aug 20)

**press review, thanks to Official London Theatre for the tickets