A Midsummer Night’s Dream
William Shakespeare
Directed by Justin Audibert and Hannah Joss
Chichester Festival Theatre
Star rating: 5
Photographs by Manuel Harlan
This concept could be a contrived, distorted account of what is probably Shakespeare’s most popular play. But in the imaginative hands of Justin Audibert and Hannah Joss it’s brilliant – and that is not an adjective I use very often in reviews. Moreover, hardened critic that I am, it’s a long time since I’ve shed tears of laughter in a theatre.
It’s 1994 and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act has just been passed to quell “raves” of which there were plenty in West Sussex where this take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set. But rebellious revels, then, now and in Elizabethan times are irrepressible – despite the killjoy efforts of Egeus, Chief Constable of West Sussex Police (Henry Everett). Moreover, Theseus Howard (Tom Kanji) the local MP is more concerned about his forthcoming wedding in the Cathedral. Meanwhile, not far away the local Conservative Association is trying to put on a play and a charismatic, hippy drop-out type named Oberon (David Sturzaker) is out on the downs, bickering with his girlfriend Titania (Eve Ponsonby) and manipulating people through his fly-boy cousin Puck (Shane David-Joseph). There’s plenty of weed about. And against all this, the familiar story unwinds with the added frisson of a gay relationship because Lysanda (Ellie Larkin) is female.
In many ways the star of this spectacular show is lighting designer Elliot Griggs – the set (Joanna Scotcher – lots of delightful triangles) is repeatedly relit with gaudy colours and shapes. It literally glitters with ingenuity and has you on the edge of your seat wondering what on earth they will do next. Gimmicky? Not a bit of it. It’s just gorgeous to look at and very dramatic.
There is a great deal of energetic 1990s dancing in this show – mostly by the ensemble who represent fairies and very good they are too: much rhythmic hopping and shooting out of arms. And the interpretation is full of interesting ideas including the “changeling boy” being a louche six-foot, young adult gigolo (Gavin Ramussen – good). Hippolyta, (Celeste Dodwell) wearing a very flamboyant wedding dress, gets drunk during Pyramus and Thisbe which, incidentally acquires a few extra, very funny double entendres in this show. Snug (Charlie Beck) is now a plumber and Thomasina Snout (Afi Okaidja) a police constable.
Munya Chawawa is terrific as Bottom (whose day job is running a video hire business). He uses a broad West Midlands accent and captures all Bottom’s flamboyant but vulnerable pushiness – timing every word and nuance for laughter. This Bottom is definitely a man who takes himself a lot more seriously than anyone else takes him.
The other remarkable thing about this show is the text. It respects Shakespeare’s words and the poetry is often spoken beautifully especially by Ponsonby and David-Joseph. Yet it’s also relaxed and not slavish. There are asides, topical references and a bit of pantomime-style business with a front row audience member. The occasional word is substituted either to make meaning clear to a modern audience, to make it make sense (“couples” instead of “lovers”) or to keep it wittily local: Sussex instead of Athens, for example. Despite the brief clumsiness of the opening in newly composed blank verse, the overall effect is Shakespeare for a 2026 audience of all ages and from all backgrounds. And I loved it. If it transfers to London I shall be at the front of the queue to see it again.
