From tomorrow, the stunning backdrop of Mount Keira at sunset, Wollongong Botanic Garden will be transformed into a stage. Merrigong Theatre Company is preparing to cast a spell on audiences with a fresh take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Running from 9-26 November, the outdoor production promises to be so captivating that even Puck, the mischievous fairy from the play, would struggle to conjure it.
“When you're working in a natural environment it's completely different from working in a rehearsal room where you've got four walls around you," says director Leland Kean (As Luck Would Have it, Lost Boys).
"Suddenly the actors are challenged in a different way, physically and vocally, and with what they can do.”
In the outdoor space, the actors have had to adapt to unexpected interruptions, such as wind and wildlife. Once a brush turkey made its way onto the stage in the middle of a rehearsal. These unforeseen elements bring a sense of spontaneity and life to the performance.
“There's an incredible sense of play and fun, just in the characters naturally, and I try and keep my rehearsal spaces as free and as open as possible,” Leland says.
It’s been three decades since Leland last directed a Shakespearean play and he has enjoyed experimenting with the classic text, infusing it with a contemporary feel.
Leland has drawn inspiration from theatre companies like the UK-based Kneehigh, known for their high-energy physical theatre in outdoor settings. He also works with his actors as dramaturgs (theatre's literary advisers), giving them freedom and a voice in the rehearsal space.
“For me, this is a brand-new work that has never been touched, and I don’t have a writer arguing with me about what I can do with it,” Leland says.
The team sought to bring a modern perspective to the play by creating tongue-in-cheek characterisations that local audiences will recognise as people who live in the Illawarra. Classically trained Shakespearean actor Danielle King, who plays Puck, has been instrumental in the adaptation process.
Merrigong’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream also addresses current societal issues by reworking outdated elements of the original play, such as concepts of consent.
“There’s a lot of violence in the play and I think I’ve seen a lot of productions that have really shied away from what those ideas are,” Leland says.
Adding another layer to the production is an original score composed and performed live by Kay Proudlove. Her songs provide a contemporary response, offering commentary on the play’s relationships and themes. Live music, with Kay reacting in real-time to the action on stage, is another brilliant addition to make Shakespeare’s work more current.
Merrigong Theatre Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream stars Ali Gordon as Titania/Hippolyta and Yure Covich as Oberon/Theseus and will be performed outdoors on the Turpentine Lawn.
The two and a half hour show (including interval) starts at 7pm and is rated PG, for ages 10+, with strobe lighting, strong language and partial nudity.
Gather your picnic rug, cushion or low-back lawn chair, and a raincoat in case of a drizzle.
Book tickets and grazing platters at Merrigong's website
