A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is literally a masterpiece! A co-production of Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Canadian Opera Company, and presented by Adelaide Festival in association with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, this production heralds a return to full scale opera after a long Covid hiatus.
The excitement was palpable in the foyer and auditorium of the Festival Theatre. Even masks and spaced seating did not dampen spirits, in fact it encouraged a new fashion statement, ‘evening masks’ - shiny, glittery, printed, high-tech designs, they were all there. I felt quite under-dressed in my standard paper mask!
However, even ‘evening masks’ could not compete with Neil Armfield’s sublime production of Shakespeare’s classic tale of fairies and misplaced love, A Midsummer’s Night Dream.
Neil Armfield’s direction ensures that the text adapted by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears with music by Britten is given new life and disproves the flawed assumption that opera singers can’t act. His direction takes us to an ethereal faeryland and reminds us ‘What fools these mortals be!’.
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Paul Kildea, tackles Britten’s tricky score with ease. From Oberon’s harp and celeste accompaniment, to Puck’s trumpet and snare-drum, to the parody of nineteenth-century operatic style of the Pyramus and Thisbe play in act three, they excel.
Dale Ferguson’s costumes are lush, stylish, period and stately, particularly Tytania’s amazing blue train that seemed to extend for miles. Denni Sayers’ choreography imbues Puck with a sense of devilry and athleticism. Damien Cooper’s lighting completes the illusion of enchantment.
The opera is set in a forest of translucent drapes, painted with trees and insects with a central panel that moves up and down seeming to ‘breathe’ and give the forest life. Its inhabitants are faeries, or faery children who link scenes and provide the forest’s fleeting shadows. Young Adelaide Voices directed by Christie Anderson are to be congratulated for their polished performances.
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen’s Oberon is counter-tenor perfection, floating over the stage for most of the opera. Rachelle Durkin’s Tytania commands the stage with a soaring coloratura. Mark Coles Smith’s Puck is the spoken voice narrator of the opera. Amazingly athletic, he runs, jumps, dives and uses the scenery to swing from and climb. He is endearing, mischievous and conniving all in one.
The cast consists of the faeries, the lovers, the mechanicals and the royalty.
The child faeries (Cobweb - Eliza Brill Read, Peaseblossom - Luca Shin, Mustardseed - Daniel Milton and Moth - Jonathan Siow) perform their roles confidently as the leaders of the faery chorus.
The lovers (Lysander - Andrew Goodwin, Hermia - Sally-Anne Russell, Demetrius - James Clayton and Helena - Leanne Kenneally) each give us a different version of the definition of love, and their quartet after waking is superb.
The mechanicals (Bottom - Warwick Fyfe, Quince - Douglas McNicol, Flute - Louis Hurley, Snug - Pelham Andrews, Snout - Norbert Hohl and Starveling - Jeremy Tatchell) provide the majority of the humour and their production of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ is one of the stand-out moments of the night. Hurley’s Flute as Thisbe is a riot and Fyfe’s Bottom is a highlight, the ultimate buffoon.
Finally, the royalty (Theseus - Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Hippolyta - Fiona Campbell) top off a stellar cast adding diginity and social comment to act three.
A special mention should go to Snug’s dog (Lock Armfield, a relation of the director maybe?) who steals the show when misplaced by Snug.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a delight in every sense and a welcome return of full-scale opera to Adelaide!
Barry Hill
Photographer: Tony Lewis
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