Musical : Shakespeare 4 Kidz A Midsummer Night's Dream
Venue : Weymouth Pavilion
Review by : Mario Cox

SCHOOL groups flocked from all over the county and beyond to enjoy performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as conceived by this wonderfully innovative professional company whose efforts deservedly brought ecstatic cheers from the young audience.

Billed as a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy, this colourful knockabout version would have delighted the Bard himself with its crazy characters, great musical score and masses of magic.

The plot is unchanged and there is even some of the original dialogue in the text though not enough to hold up the action of wild goings on around Athens as fairies and mortals collide in a fantasy world where magic potions can make you fall in love with the most unlikely people.

Top of the bill is a brilliant Paul Parris in the role of the accident-prone Puck whose splendidly athletic circus skills and comic timing bring a whole new dimension to his fun in the forest with a bunch of lovesick mortals.

Of course it comes as no surprise to see that the play-within-a play scenes with the Rude Mechanicals are given full comic rein and Sean Luckham pulls out all the stops, including a wickedly wayward wig, as the buffoon Bottom the Weaver, ably supported by a superb cast who are clearly having a great time in this panto-style production.

But since when should this be regarded as a show strictly for children? With its outrageous wit and marvellous performances, this is live theatre at its best, suitable for all ages, easily standing alongside Joseph’s Dreamcoat as a family show not to be missed.