Welcome to the fabulously mad world of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Mannequin Challenge from BHHS Videos on Vimeo.
Shakespeare’s romantic comedy is a rich blend of the farcical and the witty. Shakespeare riffs on the traditional plot line of two lovers cruelly separated by a hard-hearted parent with Lysander and Hermia. Then there is an enjoyable mess of complications: the jealousy of Helena and Demetrius, the awkwardness of Theseus and Hippolyta, the warring of Oberon and Titania and the ridiculousness of Pyramus/Bottom and Thisbe/Flute. Athenians and fairies mix memorably with all the magic of the love-in-idleness potion: Bottom’s transformation and both boys pursuing Helena.
Directing this play has opened our eyes to all sorts of (quieter) felicities: we think Theseus is rather jealous of Hercules and Hippolyta – what did happen on all those hunting expeditions? – and Lysander has clearly devoted more of his education to poetry writing than to map reading – he has the best sizeist metaphors Shakespeare could devise but can’t remember the way to his aunt’s house!
At Brighton and Hove High School we are proud of our team ethos and the 2016 company exemplify this wonderfully. Rehearsals have been an absolute pleasure and the energy and inventiveness of the cast, backed up by our brilliantly tolerant and organised backstage team, have built a show of which we are enormously proud. We definitely think that our cast and crew have earned their “sixpence a day” with some heroic line-learning and slapstick mayhem and we hope you agree!
