Greenwich Theatre – until 26 May
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Lazarus Theatre end their season at Greenwich with a frenetic and freewheeling adaptation of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy. Ricky Dukes’ adaptation crams the cream of the plot into 2 hours, never allowing the ever-increasing energy to ebb.
The Oberon/Titania and Theseus/Hippolyta (Lanre Danmola and the imperious Ingvid Lakou) interactions are dealt with swiftly, and the production rightly gives most focus to the four young lovers Lysander (Max Kinder) and Hermia (Elham Mayhoub – brilliantly embodying “and though she be but little she is fierce”) and Demetrius (Jonathon George) and Helena (Saskia Vaigncourt-Strallen, giving Helena some real backbone), and the mechanicals rehearsing their play. The mechanicals are the highlight of the show, with John Slade’s Quince a wonderful caricature of a frustrated director, Zoe Campbell and Tessa Carmody making the hapless Snout and Snug very loveable, Eli Caldwell crossdressing with glee as Flute, and David Clayton’s Bottom is a joy.
The Athens scenes take place around a long conference table, creating a stark contrast between the stiff world of court and the wildness of the woods. Once we leave Athens, the fairy world and the real world are demarcated by simple tape lines on the floor, which sounds naff, but is extremely effective, with Puck (Tessa Carmody) creating more and more mayhem with mistaken enchantments and huge amounts of confetti. With saucily voiced fairies becoming lights on the end of sticks and no sign of the usual boy puppet, the fairy scenes are fun and don’t slow down the pace of the play as it builds to a climax with the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe. This is performed as a song set to an irresistible beat with the four lovers acting as the chorus, leaping around frantically and ending in Thisbe’s death, which for once outshines Pyramus’ with campness and audacity. Just bliss.
What a way to end a season – a night of anarchic fun and frivolity that makes Shakespeare’s work feel fresh and exciting.