Review: Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (21 Mar)

Photo: Sell a door

I have always been a lover of Shakespeare. I was that kid in the classroom that secretly absolutely adored studying Romeo and Juliet amongst other of Shakespeare’s works. This affection then led onto studying a degree in English Literature and I am coincidentally currently studying Shakespeare in my second year.

With this passion for Shakespeare comes a deep feeling for sticking to traditions. I detest films, plays and any production that puts a 'modern twist' on something that was created centuries ago, especially if it involves Shakespeare. For example, I cannot stand Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet, and the fact that directors are creating films out of Shakespeare's plays just seems absurd to me in the first place; Shakespeare wrote for the stage, not the screen.

However, in this instance, it was not the case. I chose to head over to Worthing today and catch A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This particular production that was put on at the Connaught Theatre, had a slightly contemporary twist to it, as the characters were wearing modern day clothing. Yet, thank God they kept to the script; when directors change Shakespeare's language, there is more or less no point staging the play. 

Photo: Sell a door

A Midsummer Night's Dream has always been so enchanting to me; from when I first picked it up, I am constantly drawn back to it and during this performance, I felt that same feeling as when I first read it. The actors and actresses on stage invited the audience into magical being of the play, through their notable ability to transform themselves into every character they played; all of them doubling up roles.

The company that staged this production was the 'Sell A Door' theatre company and as quoted in The Scotsman:“Sell a Door has gained a reputation as one of the liveliest theatre companies in the UK”, shows just how dynamic and energetic the actors and actresses were.

To find more productions from this company head to: Sell A Door. 

Click here to find out what's being staged at the Worthing Theatre's.

Jenny Lupton
Fashion/Literature Co-Editor