Review of A Midwinter’s’ Midsummer Night’ Dream, at Ilkley Playhouse

Review by Beatrice Rennoldson

A ‘MIDWINTER'S Midsummer Night’ Dream was presented at Ilkley Playhouse by the young people from the popular Greenroom classes.

The unseasonal setting provided a sparkling opportunity to create a magical winter wonderland of a set, with Christmas trees and snowflakes in which the fairies frolicked and the mechanicals threw snowballs.

The talented cast took advantage of the diversity of the characters in Shakespeare’s best loved comedy to explore different styles.

The lovers, Helena and Hermia, were played passionately and with great energy by Martha Baldwin and Chloe Slater, who added delightful comic touches to their performances. They were well matched by Matt Paul and Lucan Campona as Lysander and Demetrius who managed convincingly to be besotted by their partners and then tease and mock them as the fairy’s mischievous spell takes hold.

Led by Tom Ward’s masterful Oberon and Ellen O’Keeffe’s fragrant Titania, who flitted effortlessly between worlds, fairies abounded in all sizes and guises; from the tiny, skipping, frothy haired sprites to the grumpy, disaffected black-clad goths, better suited to mosh pits than enchanted dells – the combination was hilarious.

Elsa Duxworth played Puck with spirited leaps and tricks, weaving her mischief between the lovers and the mechanicals with a great lightness of touch.

Fiona Cram played the buffoon, Bottom, powerfully and with great comic timing, yodelling brilliantly between a bray and a song when turned into a donkey. The mechanicals did a super job at making the most of every comic opportunity; Rueben Baldwin’s timid Lion, Oliver Balaam’s cheeky Moon and Toby Brennan’s Wall with his most amusing chink, were capped off with Joseph Button as the entirely feminine (if hairy and 6ft +) Thisbe, complete with exotically flowing wig and flowery frock.

Together they conspired to bring the house down and they did.

The enjoyment of the cast was matched equally by that of the audience – well done – you spirits have certainly not offended!