Birmingham Rep – until Sunday 24th May 2026
Reviewed by Nadia Dodd
4****
The Birmingham Rep’s riotously inventive A Midsummer Night’s Dream, co-directed by Joe Murphy and Madeleine Kludje, feels less like a polite stroll through Shakespeare and more like being swept into a neon-lit fever dream you never quite want to wake up from. Touted as the first professional theatre production to stage the play entirely in modern dress, this version leans gleefully into its contemporary setting—and the result is chaotic, colourful, and very, very funny.
Gone is the traditional moonlit forest; in its place is a glowing urban playground splashed with neon lights that pulse and flicker as if the entire stage is in on the joke. Lovers don’t so much wander as collide, text, and spiral, while the fairies seem like they’ve just stumbled out of the world’s strangest underground club. It’s bold, a little bonkers, and exactly the right kind of energy for a play built on confusion and mischief.
At the centre of it all is Adam Carver’s scene-stealing Puck, who doesn’t just enter the stage—he practically owns it. Dressed in a series of vibrant, eye-popping costumes that look like they were designed during a particularly inspired sugar rush, Carver’s Puck is pure theatrical mischief. Like a hyperactive master of ceremonies who’s having far too much fun stirring the pot. Comic timing is razor-sharp. It’s a performance that sparkles as brightly as the set itself.
Not to be outdone, Omar Malik delivers a comedy masterclass as Bottom. Leaning fully into the character’s glorious absurdity, Malik’s Bottom is a wonderfully overconfident performer who treats every line as if it’s the most important speech ever written. Malik has that rare ability to make even the smallest moment hilarious, whether it’s a perfectly timed pause or an exaggerated flourish that goes just a bit too far—in the best way possible.
The rest of the cast matches this playful tone with gusto. The young lovers are suitably dramatic and delightfully ridiculous, capturing the emotional whiplash of falling in and out of love at high speed. Hermia played by Isabel Adomakoh Young and Lysandra played by Evie Ward-Drummond plus Helena played by Charlotte Wallis and Demetrius played by Qasim Mahmood.
Murphy and Kludje’s direction keeps everything moving at a brisk, energetic pace, never letting the madness tip into confusion. There’s a real sense of joy running through the production, as if everyone involved is in on a shared joke. Even the more tender moments sneak in gently between the laughs, giving just enough heart to balance the hilarity.
Ultimately, this Midsummer Night’s Dream is a bright, buzzing celebration of comedy, creativity, and controlled chaos. With neon lights blazing, costumes popping, and standout performances from Adam Carver and Omar Malik, it’s a production that doesn’t take itself too seriously—and is all the better for it.