Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Edfringe

Arkle Theatre Company’s community production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of Shakespeare’s most iconic comedies, takes place in the opulent Hepburn Suite in the Royal Scots Club. The rather grand yet still intimate setting almost gives the impression that the audience has been invited to a private court viewing of a performance by the original King’s Men. Given the sparse sets (another similarity to Shakespeare’s era), this is a production that feels authentic to the original play, despite being set in our modern time.

The cast handles the Bard’s language competently, and there are some standout performances. Particularly commendable is Gracie Roxburgh, who delivers a fantastic and very endearing comedic rendition of the lovelorn Helena, easily drawing the eye when onstage. Similarly funny is Phil Barnes as Bottom, playing a bad actor with the skill of a good one and using entertaining facial expressions to highlight Bottom’s bemused way of muddling through life. Calum Rosie makes a charming Lysander, breathing life into the character through the use of numerous small moments and subtle looks that make him very likeable, right from the moment he smiles proudly as Hermia’s father accuses him of singing beneath her window and ‘filching’ her heart! Finally, Alison Porter as Puck is lively and merry, and she and John Lally (Oberon) play well off one another. All of the actors are able to make their voices heard in the venue space, even without microphones. 

The production value is also high. Although the set is fairly minimal, it allows for plenty of room for the actors to move around and make use of the various levels it allows, while the simple lighting design (by Rob Shields) assists in the differentiation between Athens and the forest. The costuming is great – the fairies’ costumes in particular are stunning, especially the ethereal makeup. The sound design is perhaps a little odd: while this production is set in the modern world, the use of bouncy modern music for very brief snatches between scenes doesn’t really enhance it (and is especially jarring after scenes that are intended to be emotionally fraught or those involving the fairies). 

This is an entertaining rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – to the point that it actually gets away with not having an interval, despite the one hour and thirty-minute runtime. A worthy (if unusually loyal by comparison!) addition to the Edinburgh Fringe’s collection of Shakespearean shows.

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Judith Walker
Produced by Arkle Theatre Company

A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays at The Royal Royal Scots Club until Saturday 16 August