A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - Southwark Playhouse (22/09/25)

Latest in-house production brilliantly reimagines beloved Shakespeare comedy

It has arguably become one of the greatest challenges in theatre to interpret the works of William Shakespeare to be engaging, even remotely intelligible, to the modern audience, but particularly when it comes to those who are discovering the works of the great bard for the first time. And it's exactly this, the reimagining of these centuries-old works of theatre, with the uninitiated audience member in mind, that has been at the heart of Southwark Playhouse's mission to bring Shakespeare's work to new audiences.

This latest foray into his archive of work, the enormously popular "A Midsummer Night's Dream", sets the scene in a children's playroom, complete with rocking horse, dolls house, and a functioning piano, all of which are used at various points during the play. We have six siblings, all depicted as young children, who are trying to stage a play for their nanny, and it's during this expositional pre-play section where we are introduced to the characters of the main body of the action. This is wonderfully inventive, as it helps put younger viewers in particular into the shoes of these performers, in addition to helping ground us and provide us with character backgrounds, the like of which we don't usually receive when entering into the world of Shakespearean theatre.

Andy Umerah and Dewi Wykes (credit: Charlie Lyne)

In addition to introducing the characters to us, the cast of six also give subtle nods to the notions of multiroling and genderbending, whilst maintaining the child-like wonder of the six sibling's perspectives. The presentation of the actual play does well to draw us in, with its mix of Shakespearean language and more modern parlance, and the interludes between scenes and passages of dialogue, though do somewhat break up the flow, do serve well to contextualise what we're experiencing. And though the main body of the play is heavily abridged, with the whole performance totalling around 90 minutes, it is still presented with great clarity and cohesion.

Our six performers (Daisy Ann Fletcher, Fintan Hayeck, Lara Grace Ilori, Andy Umerah, Dewi Wykes, and stand-in Oliver De Rohan) all excel in such multi-layered depictions and characterisations, especially since I don't think we have ever experienced this work as a "play within a play within a play"; there was a plethora different characters being portrayed across our presentational and representational action, and all of them deserve a terrific amount of credit for their respective ability to easily differentiate between the siblings and the characters whom they portrayed.

The company of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" (credit: Charlie Lyne)

What was perhaps most impressive though was the fact that, through playing the characters of A Midsummer Nights Dream, it felt like we were given a balance between their own personal interpretations, whilst also throwing in elements of how they imagined the children would also portray them; and they tell the story with such a wonderful sense of fun and whimsy, fully embodying the fantastical nature of this beloved comedy.

Whilst those who are new to Shakespeare's work will undoubtedly gain a great deal from these abridged, condensed and reimagined stagings of his work, there is also plenty to love for audiences of all ages and experiences, as director Toby Hulse doesn't fall into the trap of underestimating his audience. This may not be Shakespearean theatre as you know it, but this charming, delightfully magical adaptation is sure to give you a fresh appreciation and enhanced comprehension of his work.

★★★★☆

"A Midsummer Nights Dream" runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough until the 27th of September

{PR/Gifted ticket}