It was brilliant. I often don't understand a lot of Shakespeare because I am uncultured but this performance made me laugh a lot and I enjoy laughing. I've watched Shakespeare comedies before and wondered what was funny about them. Not this time.
It was an olympic themed performance. The set included a horse jump, a medal podium and a gigantic olympic torch, knocked on it's side. The characters were dressed in red, white and blue to tie in with a Jubilee year. The fairies were flames from the torch.
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| The Mechanicals - dressed in red white and blue |
Puck was played like a wickedly enthusiastic teenager (not bad for a mother and teacher), completely believable and so much fun to watch. Oberon, next to tiny little Puck looked every inch her boss. Oberon has been part of Mac Theatre's cast for every show I have seen and he is always a delight to watch.
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| Puck and Oberon |
Last year I made the mistake of calling someone on front of house duties with me, "bouncy Claire" in front of my son, who then went and told her. She was offended but really it was a compliment. This year she put that sparky enthusiasm into leading her group of flaming fairies. One of the fairies had a beautiful voice and sang a solo, backed hilariously by the rest of the fairies aka the Supremes.
The workmen (mechanicals) who began by building the set got excited about performing the play (within the play) to various degrees. Peter Quince, author of the play rolled his eyes so well at all their efforts. The actor playing this part has been in every one of Mac Theatre's 10 productions. Let's hope he continues for the next 10 years. Nick Bottom was brilliant. It takes great skill to act as though you are a really bad actor, when you are actually amazing. When I have seen this play before Bottom has come across as a bumbling fool but I loved this interpretation of an over-enthusiastic amateur. When he became an Ass and Oberon tricked Titania into being in love with his he was just so adorable that Titania didn't seem at all foolish.
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| Bottom and Titania |
Hermia, Lysanda, Helena and Demtrius played the love triangle really well. I was particularly impressed with Helena, whose delivery made me understand every word she said. There was no shrillness to her voice either, that you sometimes get when female actors have to raise their voices other the wind in an outdoor performance. Hermia was a little too convincing as the clingy, boyfriend-slapper I hope her great performance doesn't put future boyfriends off.
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| Hermia, Lysanda and Helena |
The Pyramus and Thisbe play was my favourite part. The Athenians had clearly studied a critical audience and their comments added even more light and humour. I confess that when my son came home and said, "I'm playing Francis Flute and I get to wear a dress," I was a little concerned. It's not every mother's wish to have a 14 year old boy who is excited about wearing dresses. However, I needn't have worried. This is not a boy who wears dresses well.
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| Thisbe |
He was so funny and cute. I know I'm biased but I think the audience agreed with me. They laughed at all the right moments and when he died a spontaneous, "ahhh" filled the ampitheatre. One of the problems of performing in the park on a summer evening is that 'cool (not) year 10s' feel threatened as their dope-smoking space is invaded. During Thisbe's death scene, one of them decided to contribute a line of his own. The result, I thought, was quite funny: "Adieu, Adieu, W****ERS!, Adieu" Luckily, Thisbe's death was sad enough for the audience to overlook it. At the end of the play the Athenians beg the Mechanicals not to perform their epilogue and so they treat us to the funniest dance, to the tune of 'I believe in miracles', whipping their pants from under their hard hats at the end.
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| You can leave your hat on |
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| I believe in miracles. |
Overall, Mac Theatre's 10th Anniversary performance was a triumph. I'm not just saying this because I am a proud mother, or because the lovely cast bought me delicious chocolates for doing front of house or because Nikki and Barrie are my friends but because I thoroughly enjoyed it as did the rest of the audience.
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