A Midsummer Night's Dream | Southwark Playhouse Borough

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Southwark Playhouse Borough takes the wordy world of Shakespeare’s play and makes it a production that everyone can enjoy.

Directed by Toby Hulse, Shakespeare’s classic is flipped on its head, told from the point of view of six children putting on a performance in their playroom. They call dibs on their favourite characters, argue about where the story is going and find ways to keep the 430 year old production clear for all to understand.

As the show is set against the backdrop of a playroom, costumes and props that the children use are found around the room, from the curtain to a mask from the wall. Georgie White perfectly keeps the audience grounded in the playroom, having the costumes simple but using the materials around to create the whimsical costumes for the children’s play.

The show consist of six main characters, Arthur (Martin Baddindale), Nancy (Daisy Ann Fletcher), Robert (Fintan Hayeck), Joan (Lara Grace Llori), Eric (Andy Umerah) and Cecil (Dewi Wykes) who each take on multiple of Shakespeare’s classic roles. All of the children take on different personalities, especially Nancy who is clearly the leader when it comes to creating the show, with everyone following her lead.

Stand out moments are Hayeck as Bottom, who is playing Pyramus. His comedic timing is impeccable, having the whole room in stitches and applause as he throws his all into the moment. Wykes steals the show as Puck, a vast contrast from the jittery persona of Cecil he takes on at the beginning of the production. Puck is a tricky character to perfect, but Wykes nails it, embodying the mischievous fairy even when the focus isn’t on them. Wykes also delivers the famous ending monologue of the show, which is always a chillingly powerful scene.

The front couple rows of the audience can expect some possible audience participation which has the whole room reeling. It’s light hearted and silly, but there’s no pressure to get involved if picked on if it’s out of the comfort zones.

Blending modern English with the original text, it remains clear when the characters are discussing their play to acting it. Having the characters have such a defined dialect helps tell the story. Shakespeare arguably can be quite confusing for some, so having the characters themselves be confused and work out and explain everything keeps the audience understanding everything going on.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is witty, comedic and cleverly written for everyone to find some enjoyment in. It is a perfect show to introduce young people to Shakespeare’s work.

A Midsummer Night's Dream plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 27th September 2025.

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★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Charlie Lyne