REVIEW - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bunten Productions, Grimsby Central Hall, 23rd August 2025 - ***.5

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for those of us who studied it at secondary school, may haunt or mesmerise us in equal measures; it's a play that has been reimagined countless times, but Bunten Productions’ recent staging at Grimsby Central Hall demonstrated that, in the right hands, its blend of magic, mischief and mayhem can still feel wonderfully fresh. This was a production marked by imagination, buoyant energy, and a willingness to embrace both comedy and spectacle.

The Cast of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (c) Bunten Productions

The setting was deceptively simple. A stripped-back stage, comprising of four standalone trees, uplifted by stark but vividly coloured lighting, which shifted the atmosphere with impressive fluidity — one moment ethereal, the next playful. The lack of elaborate scenery proved no hindrance; instead, it placed emphasis firmly on performance and pace.

And pace there was. From the outset, the production adopted a delightfully frenetic rhythm, driving the action forward with a sense of urgency that never tipped into chaos but kept the audience alert and engaged. This momentum complemented the play’s tangled plotlines and heightened its comic energy, and creative costuming across the ensemble of very talented actors also belied the company's modest beginnings.

Among the performances, two stood out as particularly memorable. Michael Parker’s Bottom was a triumph of comic invention, performed with a commanding exuberance. His transformation into the donkey-headed lover drew sustained laughter from the audience. Jack Pudsey’s Oberon carried an equal unapologetic relish. His performance was marked by grandiose poise, blending wit and control to compelling effect. Together, they anchored the production and demonstrated the company’s ability to balance broad comedy with moments of real theatrical weight, matched also in the warring mismatching couples of Helena (Jade Pike), Hermia (Jade Priestly), Lysander (Charlie Henderson) and Demetrius (Charlie Walker). The raw physicality of each of these performers brought some of the biggest guffaws, with each drawn strongfully different, and, above all, likeable, despite their the characters' obvious and many flaws.

The ensemble as a whole leaned into the play’s whimsical and comedic spirit. There was a conscious effort to modernise delivery and gesture, giving the production a contemporary ease that made Shakespeare’s language more accessible. At times, though, the hall worked against them: the diction of some of the members of the cast was sacrificed to pace, with certain lines lost in the rush of delivery. While the energy was infectious, a little more precision in articulation would have allowed the text’s poetry to shine through more fully.

The decision to perform without an interval proved more questionable. Though the lively staging carried much of the audience with it, the play’s length (two hours) was certainly felt, and an interval would have provided welcome respite without diminishing momentum.

Yet these reservations did little to detract from the overall impression of a show that captured the essence of Shakespeare’s comedy with warmth and invention. The grandiose performances, frenetic pacing, and imaginative design combined to create a staging that was as playful as it was ambitious. The laughter that rippled through Central Hall throughout the evening was testament to its success, but the Mechanicals, despite their fine efforts (performed brilliantly by Louth Riverhead Theatre's 'Great British Bake Off: The Musical' alumni Bella Hanley, Katherine Lowe and Freya Young, joined by the boisterous, scene-stealing Isla-Rose Hanley as Quince) , struggled to bring the production to an almighty farcical close, for an earnest audience that was reluctantly flagging by this point.

So Bunten Productions’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream was not flawless, but it was certainly spirited, engaging, and memorable. In paring back staging and leaning into performance, the company allowed the text’s enduring humour and humanity to take centre stage. It was a production that entertained heartily while reminding us of the timeless joy in Shakespeare’s most mischievous play. At an extremely affordable rate (only £5 per ticket) this is a bold enterprise, both supporting local performers and encouraging theatregoers. Bunten Productions is already a theatre company to look out for.