Birmingham Rep presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream this spring - and doing so, brings Shakespeare’s magical comedy to the heart of the city. Co-directed by the Rep’s Artistic Director Joe Murphy and his deputy Madeleine Kludje, the production features hints of cabaret, gives the course of true love a bumpy ride, and takes a trip to the Rag Market. It's a tangled web of love, madness and mischief, with a distinctly Brummie flavour.

One storyline follows Hermia (Isabel Adomakoh Young) and Lysandra (Evie Ward-Drummond), who are deeply in love, in spite of Hermia’s father - who has plans for his daughter to marry Demetrius (Qasim Mahmood), even though Demetrius has previously pursued Helena (Charlotte Wallis). It’s quite the romantic pickle, so Hermia and Lysandra make a bid for freedom, swiftly followed by the other two. 

They all unknowingly stumble into a positively fairy-ridden forest - their romantic escape is complicated by mischief-maker Puck, played by Adam Carver, aka cabaret legend Fatt Butcher. Puck makes a habit of breaking the fourth wall, and keeps the audience on their toes with occasional musical numbers - with both original settings of Shakespeare’s words (composed by Carver), and a few jukebox numbers thrown in for good measure. 

Nearby, a troupe of wannabe actors are rehearsing a play, taking time away from their hands-on (but increasingly obsolete) professions - there are big bucks in store if their play is chosen for performance at the wedding of Theseus (Haydn Oakley) and Hippolyta (Ellena Vincent). 

The star of the play-within-a-play is Bottom, the Weaver (Omar Malik), who exudes main character energy, even when he finds himself on the receiving end of another enchantment - courtesy of Puck, naturally. Bottom’s combined joy and terror when confronted by a troupe of overworked fairies is delightful. The plot continues to thicken until the Queen of the Fairies Titania (Ellena Vincent) steps in to sort everything out.

Eagle-eyed fans of the Bard might realize that the tale is even more convoluted than usual - with a few roles played cross-gender, and plenty of Brummie exclamations added for good measure. The changes work neatly, bolstered by excellent performances all around - particularly from the four young lovers who extract every ounce of comic potential from their surreal situation. It’s all the more impressive, given that Charlotte Wallis and Evie Ward-Drummond are making their professional stage debuts. 

A lot of thought has gone into finding relevance to the modern day - often the twists and reinterpretations were a resounding hit, but sometimes the threads of the production get lost, wanting a grand finale to tie everything together. However, there is plenty of silliness and lots of big laughs, and while the production has wide-reaching appeal, it feels as though it has been created with Midlands audiences in mind - half the cast are actors based in the region. 

Whether you’re brand new to Shakespeare, or keen to see a new spin on an oft-performed tale, the Rep’s neon, cubist magical forest (designed by Carl Davies) is the place to be. Just hope that Puck’s super-soaker doesn’t fall into the wrong hands…

Five Stars

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was reviewed by Jessica Clixby on Wednesday 29 April at Birmingham Rep, where it shows until Sunday 24 May