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Adaptor: Julian Chenery & Matt Gimblett after Shakespeare
Music: Matt Gimblett
Lyrics- Julian Chenery & Matt Gimblett
Director: Julian Chenery and Joseph Fowler
Reviewer: Cathy Crabb
The Public Reviews Rating: *** 1/2

Shakespeare 4 Kidz have married A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Panto, and with the whole auditorium chanting for Bottom to die in the end scene of Pyramus and Thisbe (the play performed at the triple wedding when all is well in the world), I think it worked wonders. You aren’t going to come out with your children appreciating the intricacies of the original work, but with simple tales and silly characters, I imagine it is very close to the bard’s initial intentions- to let the audience enjoy the fun and topsy-turvy of an unusual evening.

A lot of the story was set to music composed by Julian Chenery and Matt Gimblet which was a tad cheesy for my kids but very well received.

The mismatched heights of the lovers added a physical humour. Gawky Helena (Clare Reilly) pants and whines (literally) and begs for the love of pint sized Demetrius(Harry Smith) who isn’t interested since he is betrothed to little girly Hermia (Harriet Dobby) who is in love and eloping with Lysander (Luke Glover) – a wet lettuce on a bean pole. We laughed a lot at Harry Smith as Demetrius who was like a cartoon hero in miniature with a false bronze chest.

The working men were also great comics and as fairies wearing tutus, tights and big boots; we loved them. Sean Luckham as Bottom was a blustering luvvie, seeming to send up all I hate about how Shakespeare is performed so I really enjoyed his character. And to poke fun out of booming and self absorbed performances of classic works will set a good tone for these young minds in the audience who will hopefully then go onto to taking no rubbish once set text theatre trips begin in later school years.

But the highlight and main focus of the show was Noel Andrew Harron as Puck. Camp and naughty the kids in the audience adored him. So much so, that by the last few scenes the audience were cheering when he came back on.

I wish it was like this all the time. I’d be interested to see their version of Macbeth, I would love to have the chance to throw rotten tomatoes- let’s see how she gets them stains out!

Reviewed on the 3rd Feb 2011