What: A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare.
Where: Hamilton Gardens.
When: February 15, 16, 18 at 7.30pm and February 20 at 4am.
Reviewed by: Hilary Falconer.
Maybe it's the fairies, or the theme of herb-induced altered states, a free night's entertainment al fresco, or maybe it's just ol' Will is as popular as ever.
Whatever the reason, Waikato people came out in force for Shakespeare in the Gardens last night, even though the riverside setting is not as acoustically or ergonomically conducive as other sites used in the past.
To repay them, the Slip of the Tongue Theatre Company stalwarts wove their midsummer magic again.
Some scenes particularly appreciated by the audience were: Tania Smeaton doing one of her love-sick fruit-loop routines as Helena, with Hermia (Alida Steemson) having their verbal catfight and Lysander (Mark Servian) and Demetrius (David Sutcliffe) highlighting the physical element in this comedy of mistaken identities.
Sophie Hakaraia made a sensual Titania and Adam Pope an appropriately punk Puck.
The final play-within-a-play struck a chord with its spoofing of tragedies and imbecilic coarse acting from Mark Houlahan (Bottom), E A J Wyeth (Snout) and Adrian Holroyd (Snug).
It was wonderful to see Maori design elements fitted so logically into the fabric of the play. We witnessed a cross-cultural interpretation of Shakespeare, as English forest fairies and Maori fairies collaborated in their magic to Irish music. And, Peter Caldwell's orchestra goes from strength to strength.