It is not difficult to realise the immediate contradiction of the promotional phrase “festive Midsummer Night’s Dream” used for this unique version of the Shakespeare comedy by the Whole Pack Theatre Company. Setting a play so entrenched in the tradition of an enchanting summer, in the festive season, was an intriguing choice which made me a bit apprehensive as I took my seat in the Town and Gown. My intrigue was piqued further when I heard the tune of a familiar Christmas carol build up, as the actors entered the stage as fairies, establishing the magical atmosphere of the show.

Who I first thought to be the fairy ensemble in fact turned out to be three of six female actors impressively multi-roling all the characters within the play. At one moment Demetrius, played by Anna Stallibrass, was scorning Helena, the next she was wearing socks on her hands, part of the fairy chorus dancing around in a slightly GCSE drama physical theatre-esque style.

“I very quickly began to find myself wholly wrapped up in the wintry setting of the enchanted forest”

The sheer novelty of the production made the start feel a little slow, and difficult to follow. Whilst the singing of all the actors was genuinely entrancing, their voices blending together perfectly harmoniously, at the same time the costuming felt a little distracting. Since the vision wasn’t quite fitting together in my head, the corporate power suit worn by Hippolyta seemed just too different to the flowing green garb worn by Titania. Especially towards the beginning, the acting was slightly jarring in its over-the-top nature, particularly in the cases of women playing male characters. Whilst the physical commitment was impressive, Libby Boyd’s shenanigans as Lysander felt a little too melodramatic, even for Shakespearean comedy!

Yet, this slightly unsettled feeling quickly dissipated as I surrendered myself to the sheer joy of the production. Perhaps it was the fairy lights decorating the stage, or perhaps it was the cast’s mesmerising voices cutting through all the scene transitions, but I very quickly began to find myself wholly wrapped up in the wintry setting of the enchanted forest. Strangely, the addition of the singing (‘Carol of the Bells’, a favourite of mine) added a slightly eerie tone to the production – not an unwelcome tone, just one that felt very different to the extreme comedy this show is often associated with.

Throughout the first half of the first act, the energy of the various scenes reached peaks and troughs, making it a little difficult to really get into it. However, a standout performance was certainly Meghan Louise Taylor as Bottom, who was immaculate in her portrayal of Bottom’s loud personality and drunken revelry. When she emerged as an ass by wearing shoes on her hands and furry ears, I felt like I saw into the true essence of the production – genuine fun.

“If I had to describe this production in one word, it would simply be: whimsical”

The second act took the highlights of the first act and ran with them, delivering non-stop laughs and gags. From the pulling out of a Dairy Milk advent calendar, to Bottom breaking out into ‘I Will Survive’, I suddenly felt transported directly into a stand-up show, yet the plot and emotion of the dialogue was in no sense lost. The physical humour of the scene in which both Demetrius and Lysander are pursuing Helena whilst Hermia watches on in shock was nothing short of perfection. From Lysander dipping Helena and then accidentally dropping her, to Demetrius and Lysander rolling around on the floor play-fighting as a spritely Puck, played by Megan Carter, looks cheekily on like a puppet master, the whole scene was alive and energetic. The action didn’t stop there – this hilarious chaos stayed consistent all the way until the ending. In the so-called ‘epilogue’ of the travelling troupe’s performance of Pyramus and Thisbe, nothing could’ve prepared anyone in the audience, for their rendition of the ‘12 Days of Christmas’, with simple yet incredibly effective choreography such as dancing around in a ring (yes, for the “five gold rings”). It felt like the optimal conclusion to the production.

If I had to describe this production in one word, it would simply be: whimsical. The pure whimsy and creativity of the direction meant that even the most audacious choices – such as a very sudden direct address to the audience by Bottom – still worked. It speaks a lot that I left the show genuinely beaming, having had an experience that combined the warmth of a Shakespearean summer with the cosiness of wintry weather. I commend the creative vision of director Jessamy James.

To place such a quintessential summertime classic in an entirely different context, and for it to all to mesh together so well, is no small feat (and neither was the amount of costume changes!) For me, this production stands as an example to inspire people to take risks with their performances – to take plays even with a huge theatrical tradition and to subvert them. Not every choice will quite work, but that is okay. Because they have the potential to create a completely new experience for their audience, just as the Whole Pack Theatre Company did with this performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.