At the heart of the production is the now-iconic role reversal between Titania and Oberon. This switch gives the play a fresh pulse. Susannah Fielding’s Titania is magnetic — playful, powerful, and sharp as a whip. JJ Feild’s lovestruck Oberon, meanwhile, leans into the ridiculousness of enchantment with charm and self-awareness. I was absolutely obsessed with his troop of attendant fairies who entwine and swoop around his four-poster bed (it’s giving ‘sugar rush at a sleepover after one too many Maoams’ energy).
David Moorst returns as Puck with the same anarchic brilliance he brought in 2019 — part trickster, part host, part aerial sprite — hooking the audience into the chaos like an over-caffeinated wedding DJ. He’s impossible to look away from; imagine a drug-fuelled Daffy from The Beach doing his creepy “bedside hover,” only with his delicious Northern drawl. Loved it.
Emmanuel Akwafo is a new standout as Bottom, bringing warmth and hilarity to the role without ever overplaying it. The lovers bring their own brand of delightful disorder — all tangled limbs, jealous outbursts, breathless declarations and slick comic timing that mines every laugh from Shakespeare’s tangled web of affection and rejection.
Visually, the show is a marvel. Bunny Christie’s design, Bruno Poet’s lighting, and the use of music and movement all combine into something more like a fever dream than a traditional play. It’s loud, glittery, and unafraid to turn Shakespeare into a late-night party.
This isn’t a dusty classic poked awake for summer. It’s a lively, buzzing romp that pulls you in and keeps you on your toes. Whether it’s your first time or you’re returning from 2019, it’s a night you won’t forget.
P.S. Being grabbed on the arm by Lynn from Alan Partridge (Felicity Montagu) and shepherded into the ‘Midsummer moshpit’ to dance at the end of the show is how I want to spend every Thursday night, please.