REVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Opera North, Newcastle Theatre Royal
REVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Opera North, Newcastle Theatre Royal
Opera North opened their autumn account in Newcastle with A Midsummer Night’s Dream – unseasonal, perhaps, but welcome all the same.
Martin Duncan’s 2008 production, revived under the directorship of Matthew Eberhardt, takes Benjamin Britten’s 1960 opera back to that exuberant decade with its particular vision of the future.
The set’s all transparent curtains and corrugated Perspex while giant bubbles contribute to the bathroom vibe.
The young lovers in this groovy plastic landscape wear swirling psychedelic patterns while Puck, with his magic potion, responds to Oberon’s command by sending them on a bad trip.
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The music’s trippy, too, establishing the necessary aura of magical weirdness with much slip-sliding up and down the scales – or glissando as the music buffs call it.
Oberon, with his shiny, Barbarella-style armour flashing in our eyes, is sung by the muscular counter tenor James Laing who sweeps his fairy queen Tytania (Daisy Brown, elegant and equally shimmering) up into his arms after she’s awakened from her bad dream.
She’d fallen, of course, for big Nick Bottom, sung with comic relish by bass-baritone Henry Waddington, equipped post-potion with a really weird ass’s head – furry ears and transparent plastic muzzle.
The mixed up lovers entertain, particularly rival ladies Hermia (Siân Griffiths) and “painted maypole” Helena, one of my favourite insults in Shakespeare aimed at the excellent Camilla Harris, a Durham University graduate making her Opera North debut.
In one scene they’re required to sing operatically while lying down. How hard must that be!
Puck, the only character who doesn’t sing, is played by actor Daniel Abelson, cavorting around in red shorts while uttering guttural imprecations.
But if he’s alarming, what of the fairies?
They’re played here by a magnificent troupe of children, impressively schooled by Opera North and exuding confidence both vocally and performatively.
Which doesn’t mean they aren’t unsettling with their identical blond wigs and black wings and their regimented parading about the stage.
The programme alludes to Village of the Damned, the British sci-fi horror film released in the same year as Britten’s opera and an adaptation of John Wyndham’s The Midwich Cuckoos. Bang on!
But to counter it there’s winning comedy from the ‘Rude Mechanicals’ who get their chance to perform their rubbish play (if you want to see an operatic ‘wall’ on legs, this is the place) and everyone ends up happy.
Remarkably faithful textually to Shakespeare’s play, which Britten loved, this is a production with much to enjoy. And how nice to see Opera North’s fine orchestra back in the pit. Live music always makes a difference.
Opera North are at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday with performances of Ruddigore and The Magic Flute. Tickets here.