The Martlet

Dreaming of a break from midterms?

No matter how tired you may be from the stresses this time of year brings, there is no sleeping through the Victoria Theatre Guild’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

This particular rendition of the classic Shakespearean play (directed by Valerie Chatterton) is especially ripe for comedic panache. The antics of James Roney as the man-turned-ass, Nick Bottom, were exceptionally chuckle-worthy. The ease with which he generated laughs was particularly endearing; for better or for worse it seems he was made for the part.

The cast is comprised of a healthy number of UVic students: Phoenix Theatre’s own Graeme Nathan plays the spritely yet chiseled Puck, and Ryan Say plays the initially irritating, yet ultimately endearing Demetrius.

Shakespeare’s works are known to be riddled with double entendres, and this play is no exception.

A naughty joke that might go under the radar when read on the page becomes clear on the stage, and the chemistry of the four young lovers makes the dialogue pop.

The set is visually intriguing, and only serves to enhance the actors’ performances.

Most of the play takes place in a masterfully created forest that serves as both the lovers’ platform for wooing and shooing, and the fairy kingdom’s lush playground.

Lighting and smoke effects create an overwhelming sense of mischief, which underscores the dabbling tendencies of the fairy king in his life and the mere love-stricken mortals who are playing cat and mouse in his forest.

As is expected in a comedy, all loose ends are tied in a knot and the story closes with the happy marriage of the lovers.

But it’s not over until the fat lady sings, or in this case until an overweight man, dressed as an unsightly excuse for a woman, who squeals in a high-pitched voice to end her life.

A play within the play put on by Nick Bottom and his crew of misfits raucously finishs A Midsummer Night’s Dream on one good note.