Review: A Midsummer Night's Dream, at the Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescott

One of the most exciting stories for the North West this year has been the opening of Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescott, Merseyside. The aim of this new space is to "make Shakespeare great again" and to be a beacon for the local community. 

This is the first Shakespeare production this new space has produced, and its first co-production too, being with Warrington-based company Not Too Tame, for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. 

Not Too Tame has a belief of theatre for all and isn't afraid of pushing boundaries; that's if this production is anything to go by. I'm not going to give away all the surprises don't you worry, but it is certainly not what you would expect. 

To an extent, this Dream is more like a Nightmare. 

Mainly coming in with the fairy kingdom scenes, this Midsummer Nightmare is a dark, sexual Neil Gaiman-esque fantasy. 

Titania was more like a chilling leader of a coven of witches than Queen Tinkerbell. The woods were set as dark and scary, rather than a Neverland full of magical adventure. David Morrisey's voice boomed over the space, as if only he was this telepathic being. And the other fairies' costumes, were downright terrifying. 

And I do think this interpretation works well in this space, in the round with no set other than a giant ring light in the ceiling and a couple of golden candle chandeliers. The Shakespeare North Playhouse is quite unique in of itself. In fact, my friend Sara who came with me, compared it to if the Octagon and Royal Exchange had a baby, and it then got it adopted by The Globe. The wooden base, and its nods to tradition, and with it being in the round, gave the feel of a witch's circle. 

So yeah, this adaptation was dark; but it was also incredibly funny. 

While I think those who get the most out of this adaptation would be those who know the play, or at least an idea of it, I hope newcomers find something in it too. 

Mainly that being very Northern and very diverse. Actors of colour, actors of all genders, actors hard of hearing including lines translated into sign language. It's inspiring to see this be the route that Not Too Tame have taken. 

A lot of this production is based off the Shakespeare North being a new theatre, and the excitement of the majority of people visiting for the first time; therefore, I don't want to say more in fear of spoiling the experience. 

However, in a time when conversations about whether theatre is becoming for the few and not the many again, then this is reason alone why I think you should go and support this production. 

It's a Midsummer Night's Nightmare just in time for Halloween. 

And I definitely hope to visit this wonderful new space again.