A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Matt Harrison’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the National Youth Theatre relocates Shakespeare’s original to Athens-on-Sea: a land of grab-a-bear attractions and rubbish bins overflowing with chip trays inspired by the director’s hometown of Whitby.

Using an adapted script by Kate Kennedy, which condenses the action to a short and sharp 90 minutes, the new locale predominantly influences the design of the staging rather than the storyline.

Made with creative support from Kneehigh, the show contains some of the company’s trademark quirkiness – in Camilla Clarke’s set design, the enchanted forest of Arden is represented by cutesy but carnivalesque metallic balloons, bobbing around in place of trees.

It’s probably a cliché to point this out where the NYT are concerned, but there is simply so much talent and craft on display here. Ella Dacres plays Puck largely as a serious character, forgoing the usual mischievous attitude in favour of a much cooler, detached meddling with the humans she encounters.

Of the four lovers (all performed very well) Jamie Foulkes makes a brilliant Helena, ruefully accepting his lot among the rejected, before slowing growing to acknowledge that love has come his way.

One of the many enjoyable aspects of Harrison’s staging is hearing Shakespeare’s verse spoken by performers with accents from all across the UK, but who aren’t confined to the periphery comedy roles (the RSC could well take note). But above all, the show is a whole lot of fun and a welcome injection of good summer feeling into the Christmas period.