MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

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Hello!

Being the person commissioned to follow arty stuff on our blog, I thought I would start off by covering the Mount Albert Grammar School's AMAZING production of Midsummer Night's Dream. I attended on the night of Friday 23rd and as you can see from the flyer below, it was the 3rd show and right in the middle of the production run. To me this is the best time to go see any play because the actors are comfortable with everything and of the crush of must see parents have already been. Anyway onto the show.

I was seated in the back left hand corner with my two friends. At first I was a little disappointed and thought we might miss things from this vantage point, but no - the characters often travelled to the stage from the rear aisles, so we had great seats.  At some points during the production the players seemed to use the WHOLE theatre.

The night started with a very warm welcome as we were greeted by well dressed, smiling prefects a few random characters and the obligatory teachers. Walking through the foyer gave us a sense of happy anticipation. It didn't feel like I was going to a play more like I was going to see friends preform and I was their guest of honour. 

The characters of Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena played by Mackensie Clayton, Callum Lees, Fraser Polkinghorne and Isabella Kerridge-Temm, respectively, all looked stunning! With matching costumes, you could clearly see who was meant to be with who, even if Egeus (played by Joshua Ewington) did not agree.

The stage design was influenced by the landscapes of painter Zeke Wolf and looked ultra hip with rows of dangling ropes and swings that the fairies sit on. Their swinging reflecting their almost angelic feel. Each fairy had cool makeup - UV lights making their faces glow. Two of the fabulous fairies can be seen below (Jenna Ackerman and Fia Jones). They are just stunning. The blue branches painted on their faces - yes, they really do glow!

Jenna and Fia, along with 3 others wrote and sang an original song for the production. This was used to sing the Fairy Queen, Titania (played by Derrian Godfrey) to sleep, before Oberon (played by our head boy, Liam Ferguson) came along with an enchanted flower to make her fall in love with the wrong guy - poor Bottom (played delightfully by Matthew Butler). All this after a lovers' spat over a little Indian boy (played by Oliver Mathisen ). Such a complex story but somehow the cast and their talented director pulled it together and we enjoyed a seamless Shakespearean experience. 

Don't they look amazing

The character of Puck was skillfully shared by twins, Alex and Emma McShane, one would run off to the left and the other would enter right, making Puck seem a more cheeky and effervescent character.



Anyway with one revolving stage, 100+ rehearsals, five amazing nights and over 100 people involved; not to mention a multi-tasking head boy, studying in the Green Room between his turns onstage and identical twin pucks, I think Mid Summer Night's Dream deserves 10/10. Full marks! 
Well Done to everyone who took part and made it happen. 

Hannah Rose x


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