A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Pop-up Globe continues its six week Perth season. Dr Miles Gregory, who is the creator of this amazing concept, directs three of the four plays - Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream - which play in a temporary working copy of Shakespeare’s second Globe Theatre, housed in the grounds of Crown Perth. Perth audiences join 550,000 people who have seen Pop-up Globe performances in the past two years.

For my second and third Pop-up Globe experiences, I attended day time performances, which perhaps most accurately recreate the experience of audiences in Shakespeare’s time. Like its namesake, this theatre is open to the elements, and uses (mostly) natural lighting. My tip is to bring sun-screen and sun glasses, which while not authentic to the experience, may help if you happen to be seated in broad sunlight.

While I managed to avoid the sun, my seats for A Midsummer Night’s Dream were at the side of the stage, a unique experience in itself, and one I highly recommend to regular theatre-goers, as it provides a fascinating perspective. Seats proximate to the stage not only allow eye-contact and interaction with the actors, but allow you to appreciate the sumptuousness and detail in the costuming, and let you see the reactions and engagement of the audience. At the performance I viewed, I could see the joy of one of Perth’s most eminent Shakespeare scholars in the front row of the groundlings, and also watch her husband bravely cower behind her to avoid being splashed from the stage.

Performed by Exeter’s Company (who also perform Twelfth Night), this production draws on Pop-up Globe’s New Zealand origins with a Fairy Cast who speak in Maori. Beautifully acted by Anatonio Te Maioha as Oberon (he also plays Theseus), Eds Eramiha as Puck and Renaye Tamati as Titania (and Hippolyta), the acting is so strong and the intention so clearly telegraphed, that not being able to understand is not a disadvantage (although I am sure it is brilliant for Maori speakers). 

The Lovers are a wonderful foursome, with Harry Bradley a charmingly fickle Lysander, Rebecca Rogers a powerful and strong Hermia, Ruby Hanson an understandably unhinged (and fabulous) Helena and Simon Rodda a very likeable Demetrius. Wonderfully physical performances with a lovely camaraderie.

The Mechanicals are a delight, working for a uniquely named company (which I am loathe to spoil), and clever modern switches of occupation. Peter Hambleton might have been born to play Bottom and Jonathan Martin shows comic mastery as Snout, doubling beautifully as Egeus. Excellent work from Travis Graham (a super keen Quince), Johnny Light (a lovely Flute) and Sophie Wright (a loveable Snout). I did not realise until towards the end of the (second) performance that Sheena Irving is performing on a broken foot, which makes her excellent performance as Starveling (and Olivia in Twelfth Night) even more impressive (and explains why she is not dancing).

While I recommend seeing any of Pop-up Globe’s performances, this is my pick for young audiences, for seeing as a groundling and for our Kiwi expats. A fun night, or afternoon, or morning at the theatre that would be hard to beat as a theatrical ‘experience’.

Kimberley Shaw