Supernatural Shakespeare
Madingley Hall – June 2021
Review by Guy Holmes
To do one Shakespeare play as an open air production might seem moderately ambitious, especially given the reliability of the June weather and a worldwide pandemic, but to do three plays, back to back is either a sign of madness, vision, or a little of both. The three plays in question: The Tempest, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, could each, individually consume the patience, sanity and life-force of most directors. That Maddie Forester chose to do all three together, and to pull it off so well, is a testament to her foresight, ability, energy, and to the team supporting her.
To bring these works together, redacted versions of the 3 plays were distilled by Maddie keeping many of their original qualities, but also gaining a little magic in the process. Supporting Maddie and helping to ensure that narrative flowed was Nick Warburton. The resulting concentrated trilogy succeeds, holding the attention of the audience by moving quickly between scenes and by delivering the best of each. Furthermore, getting so many plays for the price of one is a popular way of nourishing a parched audience after a drought of theatre.
Outdoor productions are at their best in a spectacular setting and we were treated to a picture perfect outdoor auditorium at Madingley Hall, complete with a formal yew hedge backdrop and a naturally raised stand of pine trees (stage right). This beautiful space was well suited for each of the plays with the transition from the area in front of the hedge to the pine trees marking the boundary between the formal, natural order and the supernatural realms of Prospero and Ariel, The Witches, and Oberon and Titania. This was put to good use with the woodland setting “where the wild thyme blows” contributing a deep sense of foreboding and mystery. (Whoever planted the scenery is to be complimented on their design and foresight). The steaming cauldron with glowing embers in Macbeth was a splendidly atmospheric touch.
The action opened with the Tempest. A strong Prospero (Jeremy Lander) looking every inch the image, delivered a controlled and confident performance as he strived to correct the wrong done to him and return to his dukedom. Seeing his old foes at sea creates the perfect storm of opportunity for Prospero to unleash his magical powers. His incantation, the channelling of Ariel, the ensuing shipwreck, and arrival of the passengers was suitably other-worldly. The introduction of the various characters and the magical progression through the many twists and turns of plot and subplot were condensed into a pacey sequence of scenes interspersed with various mimes and tableaux. An indefatigable Ariel (Sarah Middle) summoned up all her powers of multitasking to derail the evil schemes of the disloyal Antonio (David Sear) and Sebastianne (Mandy Jeffery) as they set out to murder Alonso (Peter Simmons), whilst distracting the drunken madness of Stephano (David John) and Trincula (Philippa Watts), urged to kill Prospero by a monstrous Caliban. (Michael Withey, playing against type, would have made Sycorax a proud mum). But all comes good in the end. Ferdinand (Matt Bairstow) and Miranda (Gina Meahan) fall hopelessly in love, Alonso repents, and the audience sets Prospero free to return to his dukedom. This was a very enjoyable production that was well done and an excellent start to the trilogy.
From the Mediterranean Sea, we were spirited to the wilds of Scotland and Macbeth’s Castle. The evil ambition of Lady Macbeth as she persuades her husband to take the crown by murderous means in accordance with the prophecy of the three witches turns quickly from success to horror as their power grab unravels and the prophecy’s deeper truth is revealed. The action starts with the band of Macbeth and his men breaking through the yew walls, with the three witches pronouncing their chilling prophecy from their coven in the woods to striking effect. Naturally, this abridged version of the play made much of the machinations of Lady Macbeth, her manipulation of her weak and malleable husband, and their fall from high office. The revenge that MacDuff (ably played by David Sear) brings to bear for the murder of “all his little chickens” seals the fate of Macbeth and puts him out of his misery in this most formidable of plays. The shear presence and gravitas of Richard Sockett as Banquo was well matched by that of Julian Cooper as Macbeth, but Lady Macbeth (Catherine Walston in a part that could have been written for her) glowed like the very devil. Superb performances were delivered by all three. The ghostly incantations from the three witches were spine-chilling and the wonderful text that was so well delivered conveyed the absolute evil of the deed and its repercussions. Lines such as “Who’d have thought that the old man had so much blood in him” and “…false face must hide what the false heart knows…” conveyed a deep sense of treachery, which the threatening soundscape only served to emphasise all the more. Tremendous.
From the Athens of the north (well, almost) to the Athens of the East where we gate-crashed the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta and so embarked upon a midsummer night’s dream. As seems to be usual with weddings, much consternation has beset the attendees. Yet again, this was a tremendous production full of memorable images, sounds and strong performances. The reworking of the text treated the audience to the full glory of the wonderful madness. The imaginative characterisations and fresh interpretations notably by Puck (Amber-Page Moss) and Bottom (Peter Simmons) made old familiar characters seem new and original. Peter Simmons’ laugh/hiccup/hee-haw combo was a clever take on an old challenge, but I wouldn’t pay to hear him sing again, which was the point. The four lovers gave strong, competent, confident performances as the precursors to the rude mechanicals, of which very little was made. This version of the play focussed on the supernatural and not on the comedy and as a result the retelling of Pyramus and Thisbe went untold and it wasn’t missed. Danielle Padley in the role of Helena delivered a naturalistic and accomplished performance, (despite being a “canker blossom”) as she transformed from “painted maypole” to the most popular girl in the fairy forest. Gina Meahan, a “minimus of hindering knot grass”, impressed as the fiery Hermia, who proves that hell hath no fury like an “acorn” scorned. Demetrius (Richard McNally) and Lysander (Matt Bairstow) matched their better halves but in lacking the choicest lines didn’t have as much opportunity to let us see it. That they were able to make up for it with some impressive stick work is thanks to the props of Kate Crofts. In the fairy kingdom of the booming, controlling and splendid Oberon (David John), the calm of the fairy narrator (Philippa Watts) and the steel of Titania (Lucy Woodcock) looked and sounded the part. Again, these were strong performances. The costumes and makeup were spectacularly good and the end result thoroughly entertaining.
Each of the plays was a visual delight. The spectacular costumes, designed by Tracy James, were imaginative, effective, and practical. They enhanced the stylised movement of the cast without hindrance. Fairies clad in delicate gauzes of dazzling colours danced ethereally among mortals decked in period costumes that seemed to perfectly reflect their age, rank, and status. The combined effect was to create an ambiguous sense of time and place, while emphasising the separation between the real world and the supernatural, compounding the sense of mystery. This, when combined with the wonderful makeup designs of Hannah Curtis, especially of the fairies, created many strong images and striking tableaux.
As strong as the visual impact was, so too was the sound. Great care had been taken by the team of Ian Favell and Chris Hay to ensure that the players could be heard at all times, and not a syllable was missed. This is an extremely rare and impressive technical achievement for an outdoor production. The action “on stage” was accompanied by a custom soundtrack and a soundscape of effects and mood transitions, all of which were composed by Ian Favell. The result was a production characterised by its unfaltering audibility, atmospheric mood and seamless transitions between scenes.
There were fine performances all round. Notable were Prospero, the superb leads in Macbeth and the four lovers in Dream, but so too were the rest of the cast. Cue bite, pace, modulation and expression couldn’t be faulted. The elven movement and impish behaviour of all of the fairies, but most notably Puck (Amber-Page Moss) and Ariel (Sarah Middle) were imaginatively choreographed and expertly executed. The wonderful characterisations of David Sear, and the haunting witches of Mandy Jeffery, Judy Curry, and Tricia Peroni brought a wealth of experience, ability and talent to the production that elevated it more than they could probably imagine or would care to take credit for.
Purists might bemoan the editing of such hallowed texts, but Shakespeare was a pragmatic populist. He wrote plays to entertain, not just to be left on shelves and scrutinised centuries later by dusty academics. This was a wonderful evening’s entertainment and made all the better for this fresh approach. Congratulations to Maddie and her team for taking the risk and making it work. I think that the old Bard would approve.
Guy Holmes, Midsummers Day, 2021.