The principal concern when approaching an adaptation of Shakespeare is that his lyrical genius remains un-bastardised. A second worry is that the modifications seem abortive attempts at creative input where none be necessary. You’d therefore think a medley of Macbeth, The Tempest, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream to be a dangerous proposal. This light-hearted mashup succeeds on all accounts. A Midsummer’s Tempest is a pocked-sized, ingeniously adapted retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Writer and director, Julia Rose Lisa, promises that the production will tackle patriarchy, women’s rights, colonialism, climate change, and queerness. One can do nothing but respect the gall to attempt so global an application of Shakespeare’s work in under an hour. Where these themes are alluded to, they are communicated through the quiet wisdom of Shakespeare’s moral instincts. It possesses none of the shouty mock contrarianism that is all too common at the Fringe.
While Rose Lisa’s motivating purpose with A Midsummer’s Tempest may have been political, it doesn’t seem so. At first glance it is art for art’s sake. This is more than evident amongst the young and able cast, who convey no sense of moral heaviness in their performances. The spirit of Elizabethan comedy remains untouched. Expect a regular chuckle.
Apropos of the cast, Puck stands out as a perfect performer. Engaging the audience with unfaltering facial expressions and bright eyes, Puck’s lines are delivered in a way that betrays total understanding of the text. This provides clarity and structure where, at times, the denouement’s one-million-mile-an-hour delivery becomes fuzzy. That is not to say that the rest pale in comparison.
The skilful interpretations of Shakespeare’s characters can, at times, distract from the text itself. While this curtails the stenography of themes confronted in the script, it provides strong comedic effect and showcases the brilliant actors. Apt and distinctive costume design, a talented cast, and confident delivery makes it easy to forget that this is a student production.
Image provided by Edinburgh University Shakespeare Society.