A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

UKZN drama students present entertaining fun-filled exposure to one of the most popular of Shakespeare's plays. (Review by Maurice Kort)

Shakespeare wrote his plays about four hundred years ago in the vernacular of the time to appeal to the masses, which indeed they did. Mervyn McMurtry and Tamar Meskin, the directors of this student production have used this premise in this ninth instalment of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Annual Shakespeare Festival student production featuring a large multiracial cast of students from various years in the Drama and Performance Studies programme.

In this very modern scenario, therefore, do not be surprised to see contemporary culture of hip-hop, rap, break dancing, Bollywood musical spectaculars, cellphone camera evidence and so much more. The result is a most entertaining fun-filled exposure to one of the most popular of Shakespeare's plays and, although often performed, this is a very different imaginative production which certainly serves its purpose of introducing the Bard to a whole new and diverse young and most enthusiastic capacity audience showing him in a vibrant and exciting new light.

As most people will know, the play involves the lovelorn adventures of Hermia (Noxolo Malimba) who is in love with Lysander (Grant Jacobs) but her father wishes her to marry Demetrius (Chris Tobo). Meanwhile Helena (Hannah Mangenda) is desperately in love with Demetrius whom she chases relentlessly. He cannot abide her. Hermia and Lysander decide to run off into the woods. However Oberon (Lance Newton), the King of the Fairies, wishes to obtain the Changeling Boy (Calavanie Govender) away from Titania (Tamika Sewnarain), the Queen of the Fairies, and by the use of a magic flower bewitches her and she is most enamoured of Nick Bottom who has been magically transformed into an ass.

As if this isn't convoluted enough, Demetrius and Lysander are also bewitched by Oberon's assistant Puck (Xolile Gumede). As a result both pursue Helena, the object of their love, leading to much acrobatic rivalry. A comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream might be, but it is brought to a new level approaching farce with the antics of the four lovers rushing around the stage, assisted in the shenanigans by, invisible to them, Oberon and Puck. Farce needs to be well done to be effective and the producers have succeeded well. This scene of Helena being pursued by her two suitors was very well done.

Titania and Oberon handle their roles well, especially as he leaps about the stage, as did the four lovers Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander and Helena. Their diction and delivery were very good. This applies to most of the cast with a couple of exceptions, rather disappointing in a cast of drama students. Much attention is required in a couple of cases.

The scene stealers are, of course, the performers of the play within the play, i.e. Nick Bottom (Farai Gwaze) as Pyramus (a truly magnificent performance), Francis Flute (Jason Barber) as Thisbe, Tom Snout (Siphesihle Khwela) as Wall, Mrs Snug (Mbali Nguse) as Lion (nice casting), Robin Starveling (Brandon Moulder) as Moonshine (lovely moments) and Peter Quince (Verne Rowin Munsamy) as the “Producer” and The Prologue. They all fall into their characters and their roles in the "play" very well. This is the epitome of bumbling amateur dramatics and their antics are highlights of the production.

Added to the enjoyment and quirkiness of the production is the use of very appropriate songs and music. Indeed the performance starts with a chorus of school girls singing very apt songs such as Mr Sandman and I Have a Dream. Their "under rehearsed" movements are hilarious. However the background music was in most cases far too loud and drowned the dialogue on stage.

The set is functional and the cast takes full advantage of the whole theatre for their entrances and exits and are indeed interspersed in the audience as well. The very colourful costumes are a mixture of styles and periods and on the whole they blend well.

Purists, like me, need not be frightened away, as this A Midsummer Night's Dream is very well enacted and remains true to the spirit of the play. Kudos to the directors, Mervyn McMurtry and Tamar Meskin - it is a very enjoyable production, most imaginative and the humour of the play is brought out extremely well. They have extracted excellent performances from the cast. There are alternates in the leads and the crowd scenes are most disciplined, quite a feat with a cast of about 45 students.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be seen at the Pieter Scholtz Open Air Theatre, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus until May 24 at 18h30. Booking at 031 260 3133. – Maurice Kort