A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Leeds Grand

The journey to Leeds across the M62 saw far from midsummer weather – gusting winds, driving rain, whirling leaves – but once inside the Grand Theatre and Opera House a much warmer welcome awaited.

Opera North’s revival of Martin Duncan’s production is directed this time by Matthew Eberhardt.  Johan Engels’ set is minimalist but very effective – translucent Perspex pillars signify the trees of the forest, whilst the canopy (or are they dream bubbles?) float high above the stage.  These pillars then take the colour of Bruno Poet’s subtle lighting design, which contrasts beautifully with the 1960s-flower-power-style outfits of the lovers, Helena and Demitrius, Hermia and Lysander.

And setting this production in the swinging sixties, when the work was first performed, with its famously psychedelic substances creates clear parallels to the magic potion which Puck disastrously applies to Tytania, the Fairy Queen, and the wrong lover-boy in the human realm.

This play is one of contrasting groupings – the fairies, the lovers, and the village cratsmen’s am-dram group.  Britten gives each of them different styles of music, whilst costume designer Ashley Martin-Davis provides a contrasting wardrobe for each.

King and Queen of the fairies, Oberon and Tytania, are superbly played by James Laing and Daisy Brown, and dressed in some sort of Pharonic Flash Gordon garb.  The role of Oberon was the first operatic lead written for a countertenor voice in centuries and would have been an unfamiliar and other-worldly sound to original audiences at the unassuming Jubilee Hall in Britten’s home village of Aldeborough on the Suffolk coast.  If Alfred Deller created this role, then James Laing put his own marker down as a 21st-century star countertenor equally at home in the baroque and modern repertories.

The lovers, played by Camilla Harris, Siân Griffiths, Peter Kirk and James Newby, exhibited great passion and humour, with the highlights being Griffith’s Hermia and Newby’s Demetrius, both rich in tone and full of expression.

The village players, led by Dean Robinson as an increasingly exasperated Peter Quince, are reminiscent of the concert troupe in “It Ain’t Half Hot Mum” and brought brilliant humour to the production.  Britten’s music introduces and highlights the humour in their scenes, with Snug’s deep-voiced preparation to play the lion (Frazer Scott), and Tom Snout’s wall (Colin Judson) particular highlights.  But it’s Henry Waddington’s Nick Bottom who steals the show-within-a-show, both as the ever-keen and supremely confident actor, and as the donkey-headed object of Tytania’s affections.

There are three stars left to praise.  First, the outstanding (and full-time, we are again reminded!) Opera North orchestra, which took Britten’s varied sound worlds and crafted a beautiful accompaniment to the action.  And not just an accompaniment, a particular highlight being the introduction to Act 2 with its sumptuous solo cello, clarinet, and oboe parts in particular.

Second, the mighty impressive children’s chorus, excellent actors and singers who were a tremendous foil to Tytania’s machinations and Puck’s mischievous misbehaviour.  Particular kudos go to Kitty Moore, Dougie Sadgrove, Lucy Eatock and Jessie Thomas for their solo roles.

But, finally, the star of the show, weaving his chaotic magic around the whole world, was Daniel Abelson’s magnificent anarchist Puck.  It may seem counterintuitive to have a spoken role as the focus of the production, but he was, in one word, brilliant; a superb physical actor who held the audience in the palm of his hand and who could make them laugh out loud with the way he bounded across the stage, raised an eyebrow, or twitched his silken-panted rear.

There’s something for everyone in this riotous comedy, and whether it’s your first opera or hundred-and-first, go see it or miss out.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is performed at the Leeds Grand Theatre before going on a very limited tour to Newcastle Theatre Royal, The Lowry at Salford Quays, and the Theatre Royal in Nottingham in November.  Check out the Try it ON or Under 30s schemes for reduced-price tickets. https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/a-midsummer-nights-dream/

Reviewer: Mark Humphreys

Reviewed: 12th October 2024

North West End UK Rating: