Theatre review: Midsummer night's dream

Published on Wednesday 19 August 2009 18:52

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

MCEWAN HALL (VENUE 25)

SOME venues detract from the performance. Others enrich it to the point where the actors and the backdrop appear to be made for each other. Edinburgh University's Victorian McEwan Hall, designed to resemble a Greek theatre, is normally now too often associated with dusty academe but here it is transformed into the magical forest of Shakespeare's comedy by the graphical wizardry of the Beijing Film Academy (BFA), which lit up the opening ceremony of the Olympics in China last year.

In this adaptation, Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies, are transformed into humans who enjoy 21st-century online combat gaming. It's an engaging commentary on the growing power of games technology to influence real life with, in the opening scene, Titania winning, but telling lovelorn Oberon that their relationship will progress no further unless he defeats her in the virtual world.

It is his attempt to artificially influence the path of true love – by introducing a "love" virus into the game with the help of his playful technician assistant Puck – that wreaks havoc with the emotions of Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena, the star-crossed lovers whose fate lies in the hands of others.

All-white traditional Chinese costumes add the necessary dream-like quality, as does the mix of dialogue in English and Mandarin. Although a baffling linguistic trial at first, the cast's compelling command of mime, choreography and martial arts moves straight from the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon stable – another BFA-developed art – overcome any shortcomings.

The comedy moments are managed with aplomb. None more so than when Titania is finally smitten with the love bug and falls for the wrong man, Bottom, with his donkey head on, courtesy of Puck. When she looks down and realises he is, well, hung like a donkey, their relationship blossoms.

All this is against a background of jaw-dropping 3D-graphics projected on the classical Greek murals at the rear of the stage. Whether a waterfall, an autumn forest or cherubs hovering, bringing the scenes to life, the effect is captivating.

JEREMY WATSON

Until 23 August. Today 7pm.