A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare's Globe ★★★★

Known for co-producing Best of Enemies, A View From The Bridge, and most of all the highly acclaimed People, Places and Things, Headlong returns to the candlelit stage at the Globe to take a darker approach to Shakespeare’s famous comedy. In this bold new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the company dares to challenge the audience’s expectations in more ways than one.

Set in Athens, the play follows two young couples – the lovers – as they escape into the forest to free themselves of the marriage expectations put on them by their elders. There they fall victim to the magical tricks of Puck, a mischievous fairy. Meanwhile, the king and queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania, are in the midst of their own lovers’ quarrel, using an amateur troupe of actors who have ventured into the forest as pawns in their fantastical game.

There is something distinctly Nordic about the atmosphere of this production, even while we are still within the confines of the Duke of Athen’s palace. Between the white-painted stage and the muted-coloured costumes, Max Johns’ design gives the Shakespeare play an Ibsen-tinged veil. Setting the play helpfully named A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the dead of winter might raise eyebrows at first but is surprisingly easy to go along with – and masterfully justified by Titania and Oberon’s weather-affecting feud. The transition to the snow-laden forest is particularly breathtaking – especially impressive, given how few set pieces are actually moving. The live-performed score, brilliantly composed by Nicola T. Chang, plays a crucial role here, putting a frosty spin on the sounds of the mystical woods.

The performances further this aesthetic, leaning towards dark comedy, with Heddyd Dylan giving her Hippolyta a sardonic, Hedda Gabler-esque edge. Sergo Vares’ Puck is a creepy delight, a fairy punk creature with questionable morals. David Olaniregun stands out among the four lovers, with both tenacity and impeccable comedic timing elevating his Lysander. A Quince with a heart of gold (Jack Humphrey) and an earnest Bottom (Danny Kirrane) offer far more depth here than the usual comic relief.

Although the play reaches in between the lines, sometimes subverting the commonplace understanding of the original text, it’s sure to be enjoyed by everyone but maybe the staunchest of Shakespeare purists. It treads the line between classic and modern in a thoughtful way, offering a darkly fresh perspective – and an ending that will surely stick with you.