SHAKESPEARE’S classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream got a Glasto twist this week when Roedean pupils reinterpreted the woodland tale as if its characters were at a music festival.
With aural blasts echoing around the school theatre from some of the famous festival’s past headliners such as Adele and Beyonce interspersing the scenes, Insta selfie-taking fairies were equipped with glow sticks, Peter Quince and his band were surrounded with amps and headphones and the lovers chatted in tents while Titania and and Oberon were pulled about the stage on festival trolleys decked out in flowers. Even Hippolyta wore mud-repelling green wellies with her ballgown.
Director of drama Susan Woodbridge said: “The girls really enjoyed setting the play in the context of a music festival as both co-director Lucy Sellers and I thought it was important to create a contemporary version of the play that would give our years 7 to 9 actors and invited primary school audience a familiar setting.
“We also wanted to focus on how the women in the play take control of their narrative – Helena pursues Demetrius, Hermia goes against her father and Titania stands her ground against Oberon. The music festival theme also allowed us to celebrate the handful of female artists who have headlined the mainstage at Glastonbury!”
Sorcha Chapman played the comic lines of Bottom for all they were worth, much to the delight of the audience, while an energetic Charlotte Mounsey playing Puck handled her powerful supernatural role with a lot of maturity. Watching the ethereal fairies coo The Cranberries’ Linger as Titania drifted to sleep was a soothing treat too.
Added Ms Woodbridge: “We hope the audience loved the magic and the music and felt the same joy watching the play as we did creating it.”
Categories: Roedean School School News
