This quirky, entertaining show might be inspired by Shakespeare’s classic tale of love, magic and mishaps but it has a life of its own.
Taking some of the key characters from Shakespeare’s play, the show is a sharp, sexy and contemporary take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The trouble is, it is difficult to see what the point of the show is – is it to simply put a different spin on the play and its characters or is it to create a simple, entertaining hour of fun with a lot of audience participation? There is no denying there is fun to be had through the singing and dancing but it just feels as though it is lacking in substance.
However, The Donkey Show created by Randy Weiner and Diane Paulus has plenty to delight audiences, who laugh and dance their way through the evening, with performances of songs such as ‘I Will Survive’, ‘Carwash’ and ‘We Are Family’ – performed with great energy and pace by all of the cast.
Ryan McBryde’s production moves along with great energy, meaning time passes very quickly and it is a disappointment when the show eventually ends. Meanwhile Lucy Ridley’s choreography is slick and sexy, delighting the audiences and drawing them into the show to great effect.
The audience are encouraged to get involved as characters make their way through the crowd – chatting and improvising as they go along, in a way that puts the crowd in a positive and relaxed mood.
By taking all of the characters and placing them in a very contemporary nightclub setting, it does offer the audience an opportunity to get a different perspective of characters and their playful natures. Unfortunately though it feels that any sense of the story is lost underneath the music and fun.
If you enjoy seeing productions that are quirky, entertaining and sexy then you need to pay a visit to Proud Camden because it is a production that will have you laughing, singing and dancing in equal measures. It won’t appeal to everyone though as it is quirky, unique and requires audience participation.
The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night’s Disco runs at Proud Camden until the 21st August. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://donkeyshowlondon.com/.