The Lovers
This must be the coolest adaptation of Shakespeare on the planet and by the buzz created at the world premiere it’s on a trajectory to be seen in theatres around the globe.
Love, Pop and Shakespeare is the mantra of the opening number sung by the six leads around a statue of the bard decorated by lipstick kisses.
The cast and creatives are bursting with their love and pride in the production that has been cooking for over a decade. They are proud because the musical is tuneful, funny, and very passionate. Snippets of Shakespeare’s original verse are blended with a delicious mix of song styles from pop to hip hop to soaring ballads.
Laura Murphy also loves teasing the audience with cheeky contemporary references. Adam Sandler's films and Taylor Swift’s lack of cool are somehow dropped into the lyrics. The audience is also urged to remember back to the times when you didn’t have to swipe right to find romance.
Some of the references are unashamedly aimed at a younger audience including a few which went over my middle-aged head. The urban slang RUDTF is tweaked to be RUDTL – Are you down to love.
The score is played by a pulsating band of four musicians under the direction of Andrew Warboys who are split on either side of the stage. It was great to see them even if it meant they sometimes had to duck for cover from flying props.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream has 20 characters of humans and fairies, but Laura Murphy made the wise decision to simplify the plot.
Fairy Oberon (Stellar Perry) oozed cool and mischief maker Puck (Monique Salle) absolutely nailed the hip hop songs. The fairies conspire to re-direct the love trajectory of the four humans who spend the night in the forest.
Hermia (Brittanie Shipway) and Lysander (Jerrod Smith) had sparks of lust flying. Helena (Natalie Abbott) carved up a pop ballad “Chasing my tail” which was a showstopper. Together with Demetrius (Blake Appleqvist) they milked bucket loads of comic relief.
It’s a beautiful looking production from Marg Howell, featuring a cheeky set of flowers, Christmas trees, swings and stuffed toys. The costumes shift between funky contemporary to Elizabethan in gaudy colours.
The musical has arrived beautifully wrapped and the opening night audience gave the world premiere an ecstatic ovation.
David Spicer
Photographer: Daniel Boud
Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.