Directed by Tatty Hennessy, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will play across London’s private squares and gardens, opening at Arundel and Ladbroke Gardens on 25 June and will run until 11 July.
Transplanted to 1920s Britain, Shakespeare’s wild play of love and magic demonstrates a country bruised by battle and economic hardship.
The lovers chafe against the constraints and conventions of an older generation and seek to find freedom in the forest, where they stumble upon a riotous world untouched by time, still reveling in illusion. Within an oppressive world, moonlight suffuses this drama, bringing romance and a touch of madness.
The Artiscape spoke to Riad Richie about his role as Demetrius/Snout and bringing this production to squares across London. His theatre credits include The Show in Which Hopefully Nothing Happens (Unicorn Theatre), Timon of Athens, Tartuffe, Tamburlaine (RSC), Macbeth, Frankenstein (Ovalhouse), Romeo and Juliet (Theatre Royal Bath) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (Tower of London).
What are you looking forward to about performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
Richie: I’m most looking forward to being immersed in the world we have built – along with the audience.
How does this production differ from other Shakespearian plays you have performed in?
Richie: This production feels quite analogous to how older touring companies would tell their stories. This is very pop-up Shakespeare and there’s an endearing and magical quality to that to which I can’t wait to experience.
There have been several iterations over the years of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This version is set in the 1920s. What are the challenges you face in presenting your character in a new and refreshing light for an audience today?
Richie: The time period really shakes things up. You’re in a post-World War 1 situation with a generation of young people that have a sense of guilt and hunger for the opportunity. How that world influences the choices of the characters is really exciting.
What do you think an audience will enjoy about this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
Richie: It’s a non-stop train ride of close-up spectacle, laughs and surprises. We treat the audience as a company member so they are just as involved as we are in every scene.
Opening at Arundel and Ladbroke Gardens on 25 June the play will run until 11 July.
