Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

October 14, 2022

Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale
12 – 15 October
MLOC Productions

By Matthew Sheahan

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream centers around four young lovers who become caught up in the midst of a dispute between the king and queen of the fairies. As the lovers try to sort out their feelings for one another, they find themselves bewitched by the magic of the fairy world.

Timothy Woodfield was the standout for me as Lysander and Kirsten Taafe plays the role of Peter Quince very well and delivers her lines with precision and reality.

The costumes were set in the modern world and it did bring the story into 2022 as much as Shakespeare can. The rest of the cast included Gabi Bergman, Francesca Milde, Roisin O’Neill, James Dale, Sarah Sundstrum, Danielle Carey, Kasia Shadbolt, Robert Minahan, Pippa Asome and Finleigh Wadsworth who all play their roles well and I found them all entertaining and they worked well off each other.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most enduring and popular plays. Despite its popularity, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not without its challenges. The play can be difficult to understand, and its language can be challenging for modern audiences. I commend the actors for delivering the hard Shakespearean dialogue with ease. I’m sure it would’ve taken a long time to memorise and make it natural.

mloc.org.au

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About the Author

Matthew Sheahan is an active performer on the community theatre scene having performed in musical theatre for almost 20 years all over Melbourne. He is also a vocal coach and has also written and performed his own cabaret shows.

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