Essay: An Audience Review at The Globe’s Midsummer Night’s Dream

Critical Response
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Globe
29th September 2019
6:30pm
Performers discussing: Jocelyn Jee Esien, Peter Bourke, Billy Seymour
If you were planning to see a classical, authentic performance of this Shakespeare classic, this is not the performance for you. This version of the Elizabethan play contains contemporary references aside to the iambic pentameter; a golf buggy and even a bicycle powered jukebox! With a jazz band thrown in and many uses of audience interaction, the production continually smashed down the fourth wall.
For the most part, the audience interaction enabled me to stay connected and engaged with the performance, however the actions of Jocelyn Jee Esien (Bottom) made me disconnect with the performance completely. On several occasions the on-stage volunteer reacted in a way which was very amusing for an audience member. However, would Bottom really find the wall’s chink so humorous? Would Bottom really feel the need to announce the hilarity of the situation? Esien’s constant corpsing throughout the play completely withdrew me from the world in which she, and the rest of the cast, had created. I suddenly found myself back in a theatre, exposed to the elements, instead of inside an Athenian house. On one occasion, the recovery from this cackling fit was so long, I had no idea what was happening in the rest of the scene. She managed to completely dominate the scene with her laughter upstaging important characters in the scene who were delivering crucial plot information. In my opinion, I believe Bottom’s main objective should be to perform a main character in Quinces play, rather than to comedically entertain. This character choice completely detached me from the performance and caused a complete lack of character arch in Bottom’s character. The presentation of Bottom at the beginning of the play was identical to the exhibition of Bottom in the final scene. Despite this, once Esien put on the donkey’s head, the characterization of Bottom was greatly improved. The posture, gait and general movement of Bottom when turned into a donkey was changed completely and had many similarities of movement with a real donkey. Another positive from Esien’s performance would be her energy, which was constantly high throughout the whole production; at the beginning, with a donkey’s head or in the final scene at the weddings.
I would have loved to say the energy in the rest of the actors could be as constant, however the performance from Peter Bourke could not have had more contrast. Whether playing the character of Theseus or Oberon, there seemed to be a million different things that Bourke would have preferred to be doing. The constant lack of energy translated into poor character decisions. Theseus is a heroic duke, but there was no sense of power in Bourke’s vocals or his movement. Oberon is meant to be a king! How would a king gain any respect from his fairy subjects if he genuinely looked like he’d rather be tucked up in bed! From the dialogue, it is clear Oberon has a deep feeling of revenge towards Titania, his wife. Bourke’s lack of energy made Titania’s dialogue fall flat on its face. The line, “What, jealous Oberon!” made the feeling of a pantomime even more evident.
The bright and colourful costumes involved in the production were very eye-catching and helped differentiate between the different characters. Unfortunately, the incredible costumes on Bourke managed to destroy the illusion of an Athenian world. As a duke, wearing military outfits should be the norm for Theseus. Oberon would be used to wearing impressive outfits. However, Bourke managed to make it seem like the costume was wearing him, rather than the other way around. Looking uncomfortable in the costume, Bourke managed to detract from the world they had created, forcing me back to the 21st century. However, I should give Bourke credit for his outstanding focus in the final scene. Bourke showed constant focus and engagement to the scene, without over exaggerating his reactions. This was in sharp contrast to Faith Omole (Hermia) and Ekow Quartey (Lysander) who did not seem to realise that when stood in plain sight on a balcony, the absence of lines does not mean that the audience cannot see you. Bourke also performed well in bringing the character of Theseus back, despite the quick change from Oberon. His performance would have been improved however, if Shakespeare’s text could have been heard. The lack of articulation and projection made understanding the dialogue rather difficult for an audience member, leading to confusion over the plot developments.
Billy Seymour did not have this issue. His vocals were clear no matter where he was on the stage. No matter if he was Flute, Mustardseed or Puck every syllable was sharp and distinct to the ear. Another positive was his sense of ensemble. In the final monologue from Puck, Seymour showed very generous ensemble skills; rescuing the other actors on stage when things went a little astray. Although the focus Seymour showed when he was not the main character was a little disappointing. When at the back, Seymour seamed distracted and disconnected with the rest of the scene. I presume he was pondering the content of his glass after the show instead of listening intently to the developments in the play. This was exacerbated when he made his way into the audience to observe the exchange between the protagonists. He became completely distracted by an audience member and the flat cap he was wearing, so when he entered back onto the stage explaining what he had just seen, I was in disbelief. How could he have witnessed an exchange in the woods near Athens, if he seemingly time travelled to 2019 to steal someone’s headwear?!
To sum up, with the majority of the actors trying to be the centre of attention wherever they could, and the remaining actors more curious about the evening’s supper, this performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is something I could not praise. There were some aspects of a very accessible Shakespearian story, but the portrayal was deeply disappointing. If you wanted to see an amateur pantomime, I could recommend many regional performances of Snow White which could tickle the spot much better.