A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare. Holy Cross College Senior School Drama. Directed by Shelly Miller. New Norcia Building, Holy Cross College, Ellenbrook, WA. July 17-20, 2024

Holy Cross College Senior School Drama present A Midsummer Night’s Dream in their nicely appointed black box theatre. The Bard is a challenge for actors of any age, and these young performers approach the task with enthusiasm and gusto.

Holy Cross is lucky enough to have a Drama Teacher who is well respected in Community Theatre as an actor, director and especially a lighting designer. Shelly Miller directs this production with care, and also provides a dynamic lighting designer. Also responsible for set and costume design, we have a friendly forest setting that has been constructed and decorated by a combination of adult community members and students. Costumes are Elizabethan with a woodsy feel and makeup design, by Hannah Sorensen sets the fairy folk apart.

Mya Phillips steps into breaches to play Theseus, Duke of Athens, with quiet authority, nicely paired with Felicity Newton as a gentle yet opinionated Hippolyta. Louie Lambert brings maturity to Egeus, making an impressive recovery on a line slip early in the show, while Indiana Sirolli is nicely centred as Master of Revels Philostrate.

Great team-work and clear camaraderie between the quartet of lovers. Ronan Barltrop and Bradley Fisher face off well with lovely bluster and passion as Lysander and Demetrius. Sheridan Spencer is a lively and intelligent Hermia, while Isabella Gethin brings great feeling and strong understanding to Helena.

The Mechanicals are a lively team. Luke Chappell clearly relishes the overt theatricality of Nick Bottom, while Kitty Dennis brings authority and leadership as Peter Quince. Tammin Dobby plays Victor/Victoria with style as Francis Flute reluctant to portray a woman, while Eason Lam and Harrison Cory work nicely as Snout and Starveling. Karrali Palm comes into her element when her character Snug is somewhat reluctantly playing a Lion.

Joana Peixer-Coral has excellent characterisation and loads of energy as Puck, lighting up the stage with each appearance. Jack Johnson’s Oberon feels more cruel than most, leaning into the Fairy King’s evil side. Haylee Dye is elegant and regal as Fairy Queen Titania. Titania is served by a quartet of fairies that are very multi-racial, which feels very right for fairies, played by Aliyah Deng, Arianne Loy, Margo Gomez, and Cordelia Jolley.

Kieran Ridgway has provided an original composition for Titania’s lullaby.

Great to see a cast clearly loving what they are doing, and a lovely opportunity to expose a whole school community to one of Shakespeare’s most accessible and most fun plays. Well done to all involved.

Kimberley Shaw