A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Southwark Playhouse
4- 28 February

For the Southwark Playhouse’s annual Shakespeare production, director Jonathon Man utilises the classical Japanese dance genre of Kabuki in this ambitious re-imagining of romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The play is centred around the wedding celebrations of Daimyo Theseus and Hippolyta, and is comprised of three overlapping plots: Hermia elopes with her lover Lysander, threatened with death by her angry father Egeus at her refusal to marry Demetrius, who follows them, chased by his first love Helena, who is still infatuated with him; Oberon, the king of spirits intervenes with the help of his servant, Puck, whose mistakes lead to some dangerous consequences, not to mention love triangles; Meanwhile, the ‘Kaga Craftsmen’ are rehearsing a comic tragedy to be performed at the wedding, drawing some interesting parallels between characters, regardless of their sizable class-divides.

The production opens with a chorus of seven singing players performing a classical Kabuki song with handclapped accompaniment, which leads into both Japanese and English dialogue, with a strong commitment to the original script. The formal Japanese dance is too much for some audience members though, as I become slowly aware of a girl shaking as she bites her fist in an attempt to contain her sniggering.

However, the second half sees a transformation in Watanebe, whose more animated physical performance as Oberon is a million miles away from his somewhat awkward playing of Theseus. He is particularly strong in the scenes where he is commanding and scolding Puck (played by the versatile Jay Oliver Yip, who also plays Egeus and Quince) and ad-libbing; when a member of the audience interrupts his singing in Japanese, he responds with an “Eh?” and carries on seamlessly. The audience erupts with laughter, but this time the sniggering is with, rather than at the performance.

The first half is much harder to follow overall, with the Japanese-English language mix just a little too disjointed. Again, this is resolved in the second half, where we are treated to a wide range of spectacles, from an elegant fan and mask dance to a truly hilarious rendering of Pyramus and Thisbe, the play-within-a-play.

The stars of the show are Hermia (Nina Kwok) and Helena (Julia Sandiford), whose comically violent physicality and witty grasp of the script (respectively) stand out above all else. Matt McCooey (Lysander and Bottom) also has a wide-eyed optimism and innocent charisma that is a pleasure to watch.

-Patrick Coyle

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Don’t get caught in the fairy crossfire!

Southwark Playhouse re-imagines Shakespeare’s most magical play in Samurai Japan, bringing the mysticism of the East to the atmospheric cellars beneath London Bridge Station.

Inspired by the delights of Japanese Kabuki dance, the grace of Noh theatre and the comedy of knockabout Kyogen clowns this Midsummer Night’s Dream will create a world where the charmed and the charming co-exist.

Packed into 90 minutes this production will combine vibrant verse, striking physical imagery and ensemble performances to breathe life into this most mischievous of plays.

Directed by, innovative British Chinese director Jonathan Man, this year’s winner of the Better Bankside Shakespeare Award.

Post-show talk – Thursday, 19th February 2008

"Southwark Playhouse’s annual Shakespeare production is a credit to the most theatrical of boroughs"
Time Out

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First thanks you to everyone for their messages and welcome notes!!  I haven't visited enough but will be checking in more regularly.  I was in HK for 2 months but now m back in London.  So cannot shake it with the best of you at the Halloween party! .....:s   There will be a next time! Thought it would be interesting to include some of my old headshots.  I had to cut off my hair last year so that I could play a boy on stage.  We were all in the rehearsal room and was called one by one to take the cut  ..........dramatic sigh***  the sacrifice one makes for one's art..........***  

err... actually there were no tears -there was no drama.  It was rather fun!  Such a relief to not have to look after so much hair.  No straighteners, no curling irons. just wake up , mess it up and out the door..... But I think on the whole it is better to audition with long hair.  It's what people mostly expect in the UK when they cast a Chinese girl. 9 times out of 10 they imagine the character with long hair.  So it helps if they are able to visualise in the audition.   So now...I am growing it allll back. Yes all of it.  It will take years  .....sigh..........