A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

“If we shadows have offended / Think but this and all is mended / That you have but slumbered here / While these visions did appear.” Robin Goodfellow’s famous final salutation to the audience brings a pleasant evening at Regent’s Park to a close. If not one of the most memorable adaptations of the Shakespearean comedy, Atri Banerjee’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is diverting enough.

The Open Air Theatre is its greatest asset. The tree-lined setting, punctuated by natural sounds and the atmosphere of the park itself, creates an enchanted forest around Naomi Dawson’s minimal staging, a series of wooden bleachers and a single room where the fairy band performs. While the restraint invites audiences to actively engage their imagination, more visual whimsy would have deepened the immersion in this world.

The musical ensemble of fairies stands out, with striking makeup and hairstyles that distinguish them from the mortals. Maimuna Memon’s folk interludes contribute to an otherworldly atmosphere, though the songs often lack emotional weight, disrupting rather than flowing through the action.

Significantly, the production softens a crucial element: the genuine mischief that defines the fairy world and drives the play’s darker comedy. Oberon and Puck’s chaos should create real jeopardy for the lovers and mortals under their spell. By favouring a lighter tone that prioritises easy charm, the stakes at the heart of the drama are also reduced.

That said, the cast makes the most of what they have. Jenny Rainsford and Olivier Huband have undeniable chemistry as the glamorous Titania and capricious Oberon. Rainsford’s fury in response to his jealousy is one of the most intense moments of the play. Georgia Bruce’s Puck is delightful, bringing a refreshing energy to every scene, and their meta-theatrical jokes are attuned to the troublemaker’s irreverence. Mary Malone’s Helena is also excellent. Her portrayal captures the character’s obsessive love with over-the-top physicality and committed comic timing. 

However, it is in the play-within-the-play that the production lands some of the evening’s biggest laughs thanks to the infectious silliness and enthusiasm brought on by the mechanicals. Nadeem Islam’s Bottom is particularly strong – one feels safe in his confident hands. His dynamic with Harriet Gordon-Anderson’s well-meaning Quince and Issam Al Ghussain’s Flute sustains the foolish momentum. 

While it settles for being entertaining rather than truly enchanting, Banerjee’s production is warm and frequently funny.