But if all this sounds somewhat worthy, rest assured. The RSC’s latest production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Other Place, the smallest of its theatres, is never heavy-handed. Performed with a lightness of touch and flooded with atmospheric lighting, there is magic in this production.

Colouring of costumes, from pastel pinks and greens to dayglo oranges and blues, is picked up in the braided ropes of Titania’s bower. Clever doubling of parts, whereby the actors who play the four lovers also play the mechanicals, makes for a lot of fun, especially as we, the audience, wait in anticipation whilst they change costumes to make the switch.

And there is fun, also, when we see that the colours of the mechanicals’ costumes reflect those of the lovers.

Puck, played by Joséphine-Fransilja Brookman, has the wide-eyed excitement of a child and uses this to draw the audience into the piece. Whilst the women in Shakespeare’s play are submissive to male authority, both Titania, played by Amelia Donkor, and Hermia, played by Scout Worsley, are feisty in their performance.

If Helena, performed by Boni Adeliyi, is at times a little too child-like to fully convince, Lysander (Kaireece Denton) and Demetrius (Shahin Rezvani) are just the right side of youthful innocence. Driven by impulse and instinct, they make compelling contestants for Hermia’s and Helena’s affections. The argument between the four lovers, as they bicker and spar with one another in the forest, is one of the highlights of the production.

The show is stolen, however, by Emmy Stonelake who plays both Bottom and Egeus. A natural comedian, her voice and her physicality play to the humour of Bottom. Her mouthing of all of the roles of the mechanicals’ play within the play (since Bottom wants to play them all) is wonderfully comic.

With a pared-back set, where side flaps are of brown chipboard, lighting effects and video projections add a star quality to the piece. Lighting turns the formality of the Duke’s court into the enchanted forest.

Locations and text are projected onto surfaces of the set in ways that surprise. Letters of the alphabet float past like butterflies on the wing. A sense of enchantment runs throughout.

If co-directors Rachel Bagshaw and Robin Belfield intended to open Shakespeare up for young people, then this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream certainly delivers the magic.

The production’s editor was Robin Belfield. Set and costume design were by Lily Arold. Lighting design was by Sally Ferguson. Video and captions were designed by Will Monks.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a co-production with Unicorn Theatre. It is on at The Other Place, Stratford until 30th August. For further information see rsc.org.uk.