A Midsummer Night’s Dream

When I booked tickets to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I scarcely knew the title would be a literal advertisement for the event. Set perfectly on an August evening in the hidden grounds of St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, Iris Theatre’s promenade production of this classic Shakespeare play was a delicious success.

A bumbling Bottom began proceedings under a canopy of leafy trees and then led us to the steps of the church where we met the Athenian lovers, before venturing to the dark depths of the forest to frolic with the fairies. This play lends itself naturally to the setting, and every time the audience were instructed to move we leaped up excitedly, thirsty to explore the next scene.

The luscious Lysander (Andrew Mullan) says ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’, and sadly the same can too often be said of the theatre – but this production embraces that. The play is interrupted to move everyone around the grounds, the actors battle with the street performers of Covent Garden to have their voices heard and the willing involvement of audience members is heavily relied upon, yet it is these factors that contribute so significantly to the charm and magnetism of the play.

I was enthralled from the start. While the four lovers take a while to warm up to each other, Bottom (Matthew Mellalieu) is heart-warmingly cheeky and Peter Manchester’s Oberon is powerful and smouldering. The boundlessly energetic David Hywel Baynes stole the show as an endearingly repellent Puck, who sniffed and snorted like the dirt was his drugs.

There was a delightfully ominous moment when Titania lovingly awoke to an ass-headed Bottom as the church’s clock chimed eight; when Oberon relieved her of her trance and she noticed her flirtatious folly, the clock struck the next hour. I am still unsure whether this was purposefully timed, but it produced a wonderful effect.

Neither the actors nor the costumes were flawless, but they were grimy and glorious. For a bargain £12 (£10 for concessions) it was an evening well spent – one gets the impression Shakespeare would have quite enjoyed it.

The play ended with actor and audience member alike sitting in the church, laughing and cheering together before a rumbustious standing ovation. If that is what church is always like, where do I sign up?

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was performed at:

St. Paul’s Church
Bedford Street
Covent Garden
WC2E 9ED