Electric Dreams
Norton Priory
After really enjoying Saving Shakespeare: Murder, Magic & Mayhem by A Place For Us CIC (you can read our review here), we were excited to see what they would do with an 80’s music filled performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, titled Electric Dreams. Held amongst the ruins at Norton Priory, and featuring classic 80’s tracks such as Tainted Love, Sweet Child o’ Mine, and Total Eclipse of the Heart, this show kicked off the Halton Pride celebrations with a bang!
As this event was held amongst the ruins, the audience were invited to bring chairs, blankets and picnics to the performance which made for a relaxed atmosphere. The weather did try to rain off the event, but ahead of the start of the performance, Kate Allerston one of the artistic directors of A Place For Us announced that should the rain return the contingency plan was to move indoors. We’re thankful that for the duration of the show it was dry (as if on queue, the rain started as the performance finished!) as we don’t think the energy and enthusiasm displayed by the cast would have translated as well to an indoor performance space.
The cast were fantastic. For the majority, this was their first role whilst studying at college, but they did an impeccable job. If this is what they are capable of whilst training, there are some very talented actors emerging.
Colin Kiyani who we saw in Saving Shakespeare played Theseus/Oberon and was outstanding. He had a natural warmth on stage and embodied every leading man quality you could want. He made use of every space available at Norton Priory, popping up in and around the audience throughout the production. The chemistry between him and Jenna Sian O’Hara who played Hippolyta/Titania was palpable. They were utterly convincing as the fairy lovers, possibly the best portrayal we have ever seen.
Adam Perot as Bottom was also wonderful. His depiction of Bottom transforming into an ass was perfect. There’s always a danger of over-playing that role, but he combined the comedy and serious confusion that the character is experiencing with effortless skill. We also loved AJ Howell’s performance as Puck. He brought what we can only describe as a Jedward level of energy to the role, and was bounding around the space with a huge amount of energy.
The actual play was updated in a very sympathetic way; the language remained unchanged, and the musical numbers were inserted carefully so that they enhanced the piece rather than being included for the sake of it.
There were unfortunately some sound issues during this production caused by the deluge of rain in the days leading up to the show. A slightly longer interval was able to address these issues, but even with the sound problems we still really enjoyed this show.
Given the rainy conditions, much of the rehearsal time wouldn’t have been within the final performance space, but you couldn’t tell. This was a slick, modern interpretation of a Shakespearean classic, and for only £15 a ticket too! If you have the opportunity, we highly recommend checking out Electric Dreams at Norton Priory. The show is on until 15th July, with tickets available from Norton Priory.
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