By: Labeena Hanif
Photography By: Soryoung Han
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of my favourite plays by Shakespeare. I’ve seen it played out in a lot of variations, but the LSESU Drama Society’s production may have been the most innovative version I’ve seen to date, from the staging to the directorial choices and exceptional acting. From the get-go, the entire auditorium was transformed into a stage, with the audience seated in the middle of the action. We didn’t just watch the play, we experienced it, craning our necks this way and that, watching the action unfold — at times — bare inches away from us.
The directorial choices worked brilliantly with the text to craft new narratives, illuminate the characters, and bring to light the spirit of the play. Complete with denim-on-denim, drugs, and anti-war posters, the 60s flower-child staging was a delightfully appropriate choice for a play that is whimsical and earthy but underpinned by omnipresent military violence and conquests. The opening scene of the Athenian military hunting down Puck — conceived of by the directors — was tense, tightly choreographed, and totally not what I was expecting. The tone it established brought to light the discomfort that we (as a modern audience) have with Queen Hippolyta’s status as a war prize and the misogyny that underlies the Lovers’ interactions with the King and each other. Not only that, but it opened the extra-textual possibility of the humans’ awareness of, and interaction with, fairies — a concept that shifts the power dynamics between these two worlds. I loved the way these choices played out and made me think. My only gripe: this extra storyline was too compelling. I wanted more!
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention what a phenomenal job the actors did: from the menacing stage presence of Arnav Raje as Theseus to the utterly sincere, sympathetic, and hormonal Lovers, to the inhuman insanity of Sam Eaglesham as Puck. Another special mention goes to Soryoung Han’s portrayal of Titania and Hippolyta; her portrayal of the two very different queens brought out the characters beautifully and often nonverbally. And then there’s Nick Bottom (portrayed by Kosta Burgess), who utterly stole the show. Burgess’ version of Bottom was charismatic and deeply human: Bottom — armed with a surprisingly stylish donkey mask — is a pompous ass who takes himself too seriously and we love him because of it.
This play was screamingly hilarious (with some well-placed extra lines and expletives) and just an all-around good time, alongside everything else I’ve just gushed about. I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard at a production in a long time. LSESU Drama Society, you’ve got a diehard new fan — I cannot wait to see what you do next.

