Opera North’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Nottingham Theatre Royal

A captivating performance of a Shakesperare’s play with fairies and kings and queens through the magic of opera.

Opera North’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream staged at the Nottingham Theatre Royal resulted in a magical performance that wove magic into every note, every word, and every scene.

Based on Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy, the operatic adaptation brought the forest of Athens to life with a mix of charm, chaos, and no shortage of theatrical magic.

The atmosphere, enhanced by inventive lighting and minimal yet expressive staging, created a dreamlike quality that perfectly suited the otherworldly nature of the story.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a mixture of three worlds — fairies, mortals, and a group of amateur actors.

Oberon, the fairy king argues with Tytania, his queen, over a magical boy and seeking revenge, Oberon enlists Puck to enchant Tytania with a love potion.

Chaos begins as Puck mistakenly uses the potion on a quartet of mortals, tangling their romantic desires.

On the other side, the amateur group of actors rehearse a play, only for their leader, Bottom (Henry Waddington) to be transformed into a donkey and captured by Tytania’s enchanted affection.

Eventually, after chaos and love, the spell is lifted, and harmony is restored, blending love, comedy, and magic.

The production directed by Martin Duncan skillfully balanced the opera’s playful and darker elements, bringing a contemporary life to Shakepeare’’s classic themes of love, jealousy and change.

Despite being a long performance with two 50-minute acts and the last one being 55 minutes, the time flew by as the story, music and vocals were o captivating that it was impossible not to be engaged.

Musically, the production was brilliant, conductor Garry Walker led the orchestra with finesse, creating the perfect balance with the singers. Having an orchestra perform live really adds extra points to any performance.

When it comes to the vocals, the cast shone. James Laing delivered a hauntingly beautiful Oberon, his voice was a combination of purity and control.

Daisy Brown as Tytania, brought both regal elegance and emotional depth to her role.

The mischievous Puck, played with energy and charm by Daniel Abelson, stole many scenes with his impish antics, making the audience laugh over and over again.

The fairies were a particular highlight, with their hauntingly delicate movements and ethereal vocal lines, giving me the chills with such beauty at times.

The quartet of lovers —Hermia (Sian Griffiths) Helena (Camilla Harris), Lysander (Peter Kirk), and Demetrius (James Newby) —were perfectly pitched, their tangled relationships and comedic misunderstandings.

The mechanicals were pure joy, with their bumbling attempts at theatre and dramatic play within a play, had the audience giggling.

This opera was super engaging, funny, and full of heart, whether you’re a Shakespeare fan, an opera lover or simply in search of an evening’s escape and a good laugh, Opera North’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream delivered on every level. — MT