After a successful run at the theatre in 2012, the Lyric and Filter’s production is revived – but is it as good as ever?
WhatsOnStage: **** Holly Williams thought that: “It’s gleefully irreverent towards the text, and knock-you-sideways funny.”
The Telegraph: **** Jane Shilling wrote: “this production never loses sight of the text as the lodestar to which it constantly returns from its wild wanderings.”
British Theatre Guide: Howard Loxton found : “the cuts are considerable, but The Dream is a play revived frequently, so there is a place for a production like this that lets its hair down so enthusiastically. It’s a hoot!”
Curtain Up: Lizzie Loveridge said: “I’m not sure what the school parties will have made of this idiosyncratic Dream, especially if they hadn’t read the play first but the message surely will be that Shakespeare is fun!”
The Stage: **** “raucously enjoyable.”
Overall Verdict: this extraordinary production proves that Shakespeare doesn’t have to be boring or traditional for audiences to enjoy. Well worth a watch.
As there are only a few reviews so far for this revival here is a few thoughts from critics who saw it in 2012:
The Telegraph: **** Charles Spencer found it difficult not to give anything away in his review saying: ” I have rarely seen a Dream that made me laugh so much, or one so full of startling ideas and excellent new gags. But it is absolutely packed with ingredients that would lose their impact were I to describe them in detail.”
The Guardian: Michael Billington wrote: “It may be a Dream best enjoyed by those who know the play backwards, but it miraculously captures the madness at the heart of Shakespeare’s comedy.”
Evening Standard: **** “This condensed interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is joyously unorthodox.”
The Independent: Paul Taylor commented: “Uncharacteristically, the show feels pleased with itself out of proportion to its comic discoveries.”
Londonist: Belinda Liversedge thought: “this Dream is a whirlwind of fun and entertainment and offers a genuinely new and surprising interpretation of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare has never been so funny.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs at the Lyric Hammersmith until the 19th March. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://www.lyric.co.uk/whats-on/production/a-midsummer-nights-dream/.