THE JUNIOR RUSKIN PLAYERS' PRODUCTION OF S4K's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM RECEIVED A FIVE STAR REVIEW IN THE CROYDON ADVERTISER ... 

***** FIVE STARS 

Julian Chenery and Matt Gimblett in Shakespeare 4 Kidz have done a great service in popularising Shakespeare for the young by updating some of the language, simplifying the plots and adding music.

Directors Maureen Haley and Deborah Jordan deserve great credit for their lively presentation of this Shakespeare classic.

Junior Ruskin Players performed with verve and had splendid attack, while not losing the discipline essential in this type of entertainment.

They had a delightful Puck in petite Bethany Smiles who could also sing winsomely and Theseus the Duke of Athens (Stephen Bailey) was suitably aristocratic as was his intended Hippolyta (Rebecca Dharmpour).

The lovers Demetrius (Tim Boxall), Lysander (Cavan Gornell), Hermia (Helen Squires) and Helena (Aoife Clifford) showed admirable passion and spirit with the trials and tribulations brought about by magic potions. Their musical quartet entitled 'Argument in the Woods' was a tour de force and they thoroughly deserved the applause.

The Mechanicals were a robust group who made us laugh with the play that Peter Quince (Luke Dunsford) had written and Joshua Miller as Bottom is a find for any society; his prolonged death scene as Pyramus being one of the best. The playing of Francis Fute's (Joe Francis) Thisbe, with the high tones and the 1920s low-waist dress had the audience laughing and Alex and Harry Wild were identical twins playing Snug and Snout; though which one was the wall and which the lion, I cannot now remember but both were excellent. Timothy Cheng was Robin Starvelling and shone as the moon.

Jenny Boxall was a gracious Titania and Ben Wild a stern Oberon with a charming Indian Boy in Bhesaj Patel-Hellyer.

The fairies were dressed enchantingly and the face designs in make-up quite intricate.

Hugh Proctor was the music director and keyboard exponent and was ably assisted by the flautist Charlotte Ryan.

The feel good factor that this production engendered was very high.

Peter Steptoe