The setting is so on‑the‑nose it’s almost funny: an enchanted forest play, staged in a park, with trees, birds and the occasional bug. As the performance moves through daylight into dusk and then into nighttime, the sky joins the cast, adding another element of wonder. The simple set works so well because you’re already in the forest; it relies on the park rather than competing with it. It’s an idyllic arrangement, bringing an element of perfection to this particular Dream.
From the first cheeky face of Puck, played by Georgia Bruce, peeking through the curtains, the show draws your gaze and holds its energy throughout the 2h 40m run time. Somehow, time evaporates through raucous laughter and giggles rippling through the audience. Bottom’s introduction, played by Nadeem Islam, is a genuine hazard to self‑control. His physicality steals the scene.
The whole cast crackles with passion and chemistry. Puck gives the play its supernatural backbone, feeling like a chaos engine in human form, darting in and out of scenes with the confidence of someone who knows they’re about to cause trouble and fully intends to enjoy it. Olivier Huband and Jenny Rainsford form the show’s royal core: Huband moves from the wise Theseus to a wild, scheming Oberon, while Rainsford’s Titania and Hippolyta refuse to fade into the background. Her presence is commanding, funny and sharp enough to suggest she knows the perfect balance of ridiculous regality.
Their tangled lives sit alongside the young, inexperienced and confusing love tangles of Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena. Played by Misia Butler, Hiftu Quasem, Terique Jarrett and Mary Malone respectively, bringing a frantic energy to the lovers’ storyline, with Butler in particular capturing the breathless, almost hysterical intensity of young love. Malone and Jarrett nail the bruised ego and stubbornness of being the ones who don’t quite get what they want. It’s messy, earnest and very entertaining. The troupe of actors adds another layer of comedy: their earnest attempts at drama are gloriously undermined by their own limitations, yet they remain oddly endearing.
What lifts the production into something even more magical is the fairy world’s live music. The folky score gives the whole night a pulse, turning sections into something almost pure, and it suits the trees and twilight perfectly. The choice of song and the presence of live music stop the play from ever going flat, delivering repeated injections of spark just when attention might be drifting, pulling the audience back every time. The costume design by Tomás Palmer quietly does some heavy lifting, helping you keep track of who’s who in a story that joyfully ties itself in knots, and blending modern touches with older shapes so nobody looks like they’ve escaped from a museum.
What’s most surprising is how recognisable everyone feels. The diversity of looks, accents and styles makes Shakespeare look and sound like real London, not a historical piece written over 400 years ago. It’s like watching a group of friends on a night out, failing spectacularly at love, then redeeming themselves with equal enthusiasm. Each of the actors stands out on their own, and as a company they feel unusually cohesive – like a group that genuinely enjoys sharing the stage.
Director Atri Banerjee shapes all of this into a rendition that deserves to be remembered. There’s a confidence in how the chaos is handled, a sense that every joke, song and glance has been chosen to make Shakespeare feel immediate rather than important. This has been my favourite thing to watch in a long time: a night where everything lines up to create something genuinely special. If you’re convinced Shakespeare isn’t for you, this production will prove you wrong in the first 10 minutes, then keep going until you’re laughing too hard to argue – the kind of Dream whose magic lingers long after the play is over.
NEED TO KNOW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until 18 Jul 2026
