MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: Shakespeare, Belgrade Coventry, till 20 October

Coventry

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: William Shakespeare
Belgrade Theatre: Tkts 024 7655 3055
Runs: 3 hours, one interval, till 20th October
Review: Rod Dungate, 9th October 2001

Something special – a bleak world full of life, love, innocence and great humour: stunning designs from Patrick Connellan

There is something special going on at the Belgrade – a striking performance of MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. The production forges as strong a bond with its audience as I have seen for a long time.

It's not only because the production incorporates the Belgrade's Shyster company (a company of adult actors with learning difficulties) though this is part of the reason, but also through designer Patrick Connellan's stunning concept for its setting.

Connellan's hard, dark set IS the centre of Coventry with its demolition and rebuilding. With a tall Coventry streetlight at its centre, this set is tortured concrete, mysterious sewer-like tunnels and hard metal: among this Mad Maxian detritus grow sparse trees with televisions their exotic and poisonous fruit.

Living in this world are the faeries – for all the world like Second World War refugees. Men in long grey coats for Oberon, girls in muted colours for Hippolyta. This faery kingdom is the dystopia caused by the marital row between its King and Queen.

However, as a marvellous metaphor for our lives, into this bleak surrounding, director Richard Hayhow brings a play full of life, love, innocence and great humour.

The lovers are cast young. They speak to each other on mobile phones, they squabble over who is who's boyfriend - straight from the nearest secondary school or disco. This does not undermine Shakespeare's language, but places his play exactly where it needs to be – in our lives today. All four play with great vigour but specially worth noting is Vanessa Dinning's Helena. Dinning has a terrific presence, an ability to make an audience laugh with just a look and the knack of letting us know exactly what she's thinking.

I knew that, one day, I would see the workers (here, Athens refuse collectors) perform their play in the way it cries out to be done – sincerely, honestly and innocently. Shysters score on every level and their play is all the more funny and touching for it. Jon Tipton is a natural as Bottom: nothing of the odious, big-head about him, this Bottom merely wants to play all the roles himself because he likes acting so much. It's Bottom's enthusiasm to solve problems which earns the laughter.

2001-10-10 10:30:02