Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Opera North, Leeds Grand Theatre

Martin Duncan’s much admired 2008 production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream transported last Saturday night’s rapturous audience back to those mystical Swinging 1960’s - the era of the opera’s Aldeburgh Festival premiere.

Magic, mystery, mayhem and menace served up with just a tantalising hint of eroticism, within the quartet of young lovers, inhabit Opera North’s spectacular production. This was last revived in 2013 and is directed for the current run of seven performances by Matthew Eberhardt.

Set designer Johan Engels’ 2008 translucent perspex screens and suspended giant bubbles remain as enduring as the sumptuous, shimmering costumes designed by Ashley Martin-Davies. Bruno Poet’s original lighting, revived by Richard Moore, bathes the stage and auditorium in fairytale mystery and enchantment.

Britten’s atmospheric score, wonderfully played by the Orchestra of Opera North, underpins the onstage action of fairies making fools of mere mortals. Rarely can those opening string glissandi have sounded more eerie. For make no mistake, the Fairies in Shakespeare’s play are no Tinkerbells. They are there to do Oberon’s manipulative bidding. The winged Fairies portrayed in this production by the Opera North Children’s Chorus wear identical blond wigs like those Children of the Damned movies. Fortunately for the audience they are minus the penetrating red glowing eyes.

An outstanding cast is led by counter tenor James Laing as a menacing Oberon, King of the Fairies, and sonorous bass baritone Henry Waddington as imperious weaver Nick Bottom. Both singers performed their roles here in 2008 and 2013. Daniel Abelson reprises his mercurial gruff-voiced portrayal of Puck aka Robin Goodfellow.

Soprano Daisy Brown is an alluring Tytania while the young lovers include Opera North debutants Camilla Harris as Helena, Peter Kirk as Lysander and Leeds Lieder audience favourite James Newby as Demetrius. Members of the Orchestra of Opera North play non-stop for nearly three hours. These marvellous musicians are the perennial stars of the show. ON Music Director Garry Walker lovingly nuances the kaleidoscopic colours of Britten’s score to create an ethereal magic carpet of sound.

I had a feeling of sadness during the hilariously funny Rude Mechanicals’ ‘play within a play’ because I knew the evening would soon come to an end.

Further performances at Leeds Grand Theatre on 19th, 24th & 31st October and then touring to Newcastle Theatre Royal, the Lowry at Salford Quays, and Nottingham Theatre Royal.