On the 22nd February 2014 I had the chance to go to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal to see Propeller Theatre Company perform a double-bill of William Shakespeare plays, A Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Propeller uses an all-male cast which provides an interesting insight into how Shakespeare, writing for a society that did not allow women to be actors, intended the plays to be experienced. However, Propeller have not hesitated to modernise other aspects of their production, such as the costumes and sets, and the overall effect is a unique and highly enjoyable performance.
The matinee showing was of A Comedy of Errors, in which two sets of identical twins are separated at a young age and are given the same names. Although I often find it difficult to follow ye olde language of Shakespeare’s plays, the cast’s expressive performance helped me cross the language barrier and I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I understood and enjoyed the convoluted plot. The music was performed live by the supporting cast and included a lot of ‘80s pop songs and sound effects, from kazoos to guitars, that provided an additional level of humour and surrealism (particularly the Conjurer’s gospel song) to the entertainment. Overall, the performance was interesting and highly enjoyable.
The evening showing was of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which the king and queen of fairies interfere in the lives of mortals, particularly their love lives. The design of this play was Victoriana, which made the fairies in particular look somewhat surreal, adding to the dreamlike quality of the production. The sound effects made by the supporting cast this time included birdsong, and that, in conjunction with the shifting lights as the ‘moon’ came and went behind the clouds, made me almost completely believe that we had been transported outside. Although the story begins almost like a tragedy along the lines of Romeo and Juliet, the comedy gains momentum throughout the play – from Puck’s playful antics, to the acting troupe’s bickering and wordplay, to the romance between Titania and Bottom the donkey, to the hilarious confusion of the mortal lovers’ argument – until the final scene, the mini-play of Pyramus and Thisbe, which had the audience in hysterics.
Both shows were excellent, energetic and well-delivered. I particularly loved how the cast could make little improvised stage directions into an integral part of the story – for example, in Errors the way that Luciana spikes her own drink adds a whole new level to the character’s internal conflicts that wasn’t in the original script. I also felt that the cast worked particularly well together, their performances so well-choreographed and natural that it was easy to forget that they were acting at all. Special mention should also go to the actors’ memory skills – most cast members had a speaking part in both plays, meaning that they had to remember twice as many lines as the actors of other plays I have seen.
Overall, Propeller’s performances of A Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream were excellent – funny, thought-provoking, unique, and masterfully done. My only disappointment was that Liam O’Brien, who sang so beautifully as Feste in Propeller’s 2013 production of Twelfth Night, has left the company. However, I live in hope that he will return to Propeller for their next tour, and would definitely like to see what they do next.
The matinee showing was of A Comedy of Errors, in which two sets of identical twins are separated at a young age and are given the same names. Although I often find it difficult to follow ye olde language of Shakespeare’s plays, the cast’s expressive performance helped me cross the language barrier and I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I understood and enjoyed the convoluted plot. The music was performed live by the supporting cast and included a lot of ‘80s pop songs and sound effects, from kazoos to guitars, that provided an additional level of humour and surrealism (particularly the Conjurer’s gospel song) to the entertainment. Overall, the performance was interesting and highly enjoyable.
The evening showing was of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which the king and queen of fairies interfere in the lives of mortals, particularly their love lives. The design of this play was Victoriana, which made the fairies in particular look somewhat surreal, adding to the dreamlike quality of the production. The sound effects made by the supporting cast this time included birdsong, and that, in conjunction with the shifting lights as the ‘moon’ came and went behind the clouds, made me almost completely believe that we had been transported outside. Although the story begins almost like a tragedy along the lines of Romeo and Juliet, the comedy gains momentum throughout the play – from Puck’s playful antics, to the acting troupe’s bickering and wordplay, to the romance between Titania and Bottom the donkey, to the hilarious confusion of the mortal lovers’ argument – until the final scene, the mini-play of Pyramus and Thisbe, which had the audience in hysterics.
Both shows were excellent, energetic and well-delivered. I particularly loved how the cast could make little improvised stage directions into an integral part of the story – for example, in Errors the way that Luciana spikes her own drink adds a whole new level to the character’s internal conflicts that wasn’t in the original script. I also felt that the cast worked particularly well together, their performances so well-choreographed and natural that it was easy to forget that they were acting at all. Special mention should also go to the actors’ memory skills – most cast members had a speaking part in both plays, meaning that they had to remember twice as many lines as the actors of other plays I have seen.
Overall, Propeller’s performances of A Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream were excellent – funny, thought-provoking, unique, and masterfully done. My only disappointment was that Liam O’Brien, who sang so beautifully as Feste in Propeller’s 2013 production of Twelfth Night, has left the company. However, I live in hope that he will return to Propeller for their next tour, and would definitely like to see what they do next.