With this production director, Mike Tweddle, sets out his stall.  This is a Dream for the present moment. Athens, in the grip of austerity, is nonetheless loved up. There is no ‘diversity’ for all is one and one is all; the people are as one and you love where Cupid’s arrow falls, regardless of the contingent factors of your birth. Lysander becomes an effulgent Lysanda (Evlyne Oyedokun) and Helena, Helenus (Joseph Tweedale). I can report that, for me at least, it worked and illuminated the script in new ways, sparking familiar sentiments with unfamiliar nuance. A few Athenian die hards – Egeus for one (Danaan McAleer) – are yesterday’s men and get short shrift. Theseus (Luca Thompson) is a tyrant and swaggers about as if he owned the place – which of course he does – throwing his weight around with the certainty of the self-righteous.

Anything diaphanous is banished from the faërie kingdom, which has more in common with a post apocalyptic recycling plant than an other-worldly Arcadia or Arden. I confess I scratched my head to fathom its relevance. The conception seemed to be a case of being different for its own sake rather than for anything illuminating it might say. That being said, Mr. Tweddle has found an interesting slant on the relationship between Oberon and Puck and seasons it with unexpected humour, whilst Kim Heron’s spring-loaded Puck carves the air as no mere mortal.

The mechanicals delight with proletarian honesty and naivety. Bottom (Heather Williams) bursting with wannabe energy is beautifully contrasted with the calm good sense of Quince (Mr McAleer again).  The ‘wall scene’ is the funniest I can remember and quite conceivably could have been choreographed by Laurel and Hardy.

With such a talented young cast, who double or treble up their roles, it would be churlish to highlight individual performances, so suffice to say there is an energy and attack about the company, which is without fault except… Some speeches, instead of being allowed to flow and reveal the crystalline beauty of the language are thrown out by the bucketful, only to sink into the sand before the audience can grasp their import. Perhaps it was the result of first night nerves, but the language must be allowed to do some of the heavy lifting.

My feeling at the ‘curtain’ was that Mike Tweddle had had his way with us, but that the experience, whilst novel, was by no means unpleasant. We wait with anticipation for when the flashes of inspiration coalesce into something coruscating and memorable. The present production is a long step and a handspring towards that prize.   ★★★★☆  Graham Wyles  27^th February 2019