'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the Bridge Theatre Review by Niamh Mcalister

A Midsummer Night's Dream is the beating heart of Shakespeare’s mainstream plays. With boys falling in love with the wrong girls, girls in love with the wrong boys and a human in love with a donkey. In other words, what's not to love?  This take on a timeless classic was directed by Nicholas Hytner, an English theatre and film director. The Bridge Theatre is the perfect venue for this dream-like tale.

The play begins in morbid Athens with a reminder of the brutal gender hierarchy of that era, as four characters are about to be forced into a loveless marriage. Soon enough you are taken into the forest, which is the polar opposite to Athens, It has fairies doing ariel dancing and a childish, cheeky Puck playing pranks. I felt like the costumes were a bit basic and, dare I say, a bit homemade? The set, designed by Bunny Christie (famous for the designing of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime), made a huge impression with rustic beds and plants being used. Perhaps the biggest twist of all was how the director switched Oberon (the fairy king) and Titania (the fairy queen). This means that it is Oberon who falls in love with Nick Bottom (the man with the donkey head) and oh boy what a difference that made. It was painfully hilarious seeing Bottom and Oberon falling love to Beyoncé - Love On Top while the fairies danced around them. 

The rude mechanicals were also hilarious, and the mayhem of the play they are performing called Pyramus and Thisbe was delightfully comical. The characters are memorable and lovable, especially Bottom the weaver, played by Hammed Animashaun. 

The play has, unfortunately just finished but will be available in cinemas on the 17th of October. I would really recommend going to see it. The play was enjoyable and so funny! It had an enchanting feel and was a lot better than any other rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream I have ever seen! 

I give this play: ★★★★/★★★★★