Hello world! Welcome back to another blog! Today now that everyone is now back at school, I will be taking you through some shows I went to see throughout the summer holidays! DISCLAIMER: MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS.
A Midsummer Nights Dream:
The first show I went to see was on 27th July and it was A Midsummer Nights Dream at Newark Castle performed by Immersion theatre:
As stated on the website Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust, the plot is as follows:
"Four Athenians run away to the forest only to have Puck the fairy make both of the boys fall in love with the same girl. The four run through the forest pursuing each other while Puck helps his master play a trick on the fairy queen. In the end, Puck reverses the magic, and the two couples reconcile and marry."
The actors all did a great job at multi rolling each part, as it’s not an easy skill to do. And you can clearly see the contrast in all of the characters. Here are three of the actors that stood out to me. The actress who played Helena, Snug and Titania did just that, as her portrayal of Helena I so related to on so many levels, and her innocence of snug was adorable to see! And finally her portrayal of Titania was clear as her authoritative gestures she did shows you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her!
The actor who played Puck/Egeus/Snout was also a delight to watch. Again you can clearly see the contrast of each of the three characters, from the cheeky mischievous of Puck, to the stern and quite frightening Egeus, to the timid and yet hilarious Snout! And when I praised him on how good the show was he was so lovely in his response. It just goes to show that not only were they good on stage, but the general feel for the group itself was fantastic!
Another actor who I thought did brilliantly was the actor who played Demetrius and Bottom. And once again I thought he did a fantastic job! The contrast of both characters really came across well and there was abit of an immersive moment where the actor as Bottom shook my hand. Normally I would be abit agitated by this kind of stuff but this time I wasn’t. I don’t know if an immersive world helps autistic people but it definitely made me feel calmer. And despite bottom dropping his weapon due to it slipping from his costume, I thought he recovered well from it!
The actor who played flute and Lysander also had some lovely contrasting moments. These included trying to impress Hermia and also being lovey dicey, but also when portraying Flute, it was funny seeing him being a man “acting female”. So essentially he was playing a character imitating another character, which I thought was genius. He also played one of the fairies to Puck, and the staid of that as a camp individual was also a nice modern touch to a classic piece that is Shakespeare.
I can see why they’re called immersion theatre as they interact with the audience quite a lot! I especially got it when the actor who played Bottom/Demetrius came to me, gave me a handshake and said something along the lines of “I think I’ve seen you on tv before”. Now that was clever
The scenery itself was beautiful. Yes the set up may look simple, but the way they used it all and also going into the audience of the castle was fantastic. It really felt like we were in the play and also got to know the characters.
My only downside of the play is that they didn’t have a programme therefore I could tag the actors as well as the company on my socials. Which is a real shame but I hope the company will pass it onto them to show their token of appreciation!
Overall, I would give the show a 4.95, which I’d good for a Shakespeare piece. It was funny, it had a modern touch to it, and the used of immersive theatre was a crowd pleaser.
An Officer and A Gentleman:
The next show I’m going to talk about is An Officer and A Gentleman which I saw on 31st July 2024
Synopsis
I’ve already done a full review of the show going into more depth of my favourite moments, but I’ll give you my brief thoughts before I share the link to the full review. Based on the award-winning 80s movie, here is the synopsis below taken from the official website of the musical itself:
"This timeless story of love, courage, and redemption will make your heart soar and leave you breathless, longing for more. Be part of the emotional journey of Zack Mayo, a fearless young officer candidate, and the captivating Paula Pokrifki, whose fiery spirit matches his own. Their encounters ignite a spark that transcends boundaries, awakening a passionate love that defies all odds."
What I liked about this musical is that it’s from a timeless film back in the 80s. And whilst I haven’t seen the film, I wish I had. But one scene I did know about was the end one, and for those who don’t know, it’ll definitely “lift you up”.
I think my only downside of it was the seating area. But be sure to check out the full review to see what it was I didn’t like about it, but I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying a wonderful night of entertainment.
Overall I would I give the show a 4.95. It was fun, full of nostalgia and a soundtrack that got me growing and having songs I now can’t get out of my head. Please see the link to the full review of the show here to find out which actors stood out to me in particular: https://www.theautisticactress.com/post/an-officer-and-a-gentleman-the-show-that-lifted-me-up-where-i-belonged
Much Ado About Nothing:
The final play I saw was online, which is the National Youth Theatres Rep Company's production of Much Ado About Nothing, performed in 2023 but I could stream it from home.
As stated on Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust, the summary of this play is as followed:
"Count Claudio falls in love with Hero, the daughter of his host. Hero's cousin Beatrice (a confirmed spinster) and Benedict (an eternal bachelor) are each duped into believing the other is in love with them. Claudio is deceived by a malicious plot and denounces Hero as unchaste before they marry. She faints and is believed dead, but recovers to be proved innocent by a chance discovery. Benedict wins Beatrice’s love defending her cousin’s honour, and to his surprise, Claudio is reunited with Hero, who he believed dead."
Normally I find Shakespeare about tricky to understand, but after seeing this play once and reading the book I am slightly getting my head around it. And how they adapted the characters to give it a more modern spin on it was genius. These included making friar Francis the host, Leonato as chief executive and Brachio being seen as a player who’s only on it for the money. Not forgetting Hero and Claudio as everyone’s favourite couple to win.
What I also liked about this show is how they set it in the modern day using a well known tv show as the plot from the cast amour to the main villa that is messina, but also keeping the language of Shakespeare. And when they enter the diary room I thought using it for their monologues/soliloquies was also a great idea.
I also liked the idea of having Oatcake and Seacoal, as the runners of the show trying to find some juicy gossip to prove hero’s innocence (which Brachio did in order to win the prize money) and having hero’s fate as a bombshell was fantastic. I also liked the comedy moments where they had the tweets to give it the modern element to it.
I think my only downside of the piece is that it didn’t have the cast list of which members were playing what (so their real names). But with a little bit of research, I’m sure I can reach out and personally message them to congratulate them on this wonderful piece
Overall I would give the show a 4.95. I liked the idea of a modern twist to a classical piece and for those who find Shakespeare abit tricky it was a brilliant way to explain the story better.
And those are my reviews of some of the shows I've seen over the summer. Let me know if you've been to the theatre this summer, and what shows you have seen. And also keep an eye out for more reviews of tv shows, and stage shows I've seen for you to read!
See you soon for another blog. Until next time...
This is The Autistic Actress Signing off :)
댓글