A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Presented by Dash Arts Productions
Review by Lizzie

In a Nutshell: If you took Grade Nine English or have spent some summer nights in High Park you probably know the convoluted plot to this one. The twist here being that all the actors are from India or Sri Lanka, and they leap into speaking Hindi, Tamil, Malyalam, Marathi, Bengali Sanskrit and Sinhala versions of the Bard without notice or surtitle translation.

You’ll Like This Performance If You Liked: The linguistic leaps and lushness of Monsoon Wedding

Indicative Quote: I could have made some feeble phonetic attempt to quote Tamil but decided to spare you my ignorance.

Highlight: Titania’s sparkling costume, the Kama Sutra-esque dances of the lovers, the lantern lit conclusion, everything that Bottom did, the haunting instrumental accompaniment, simply witnessing the fascinating diversity of Indian faces and voices.

What Was the Audience Like: A lot of impeccably dressed Indian families, made me want to go on a Gerrard Street shopping quest for a churidar suit.

Who You Should Bring: A friend who likes ballet, opera, bollywood or all three.

Verdict: A play like none I’ve seen before, this is the sort of production that will make theatre students salivate and inspire many a Shakespeare on Stage term paper to come. While the unpredictable language changes may throw you off at first, just let the experience wash over you. You’ll be transported to a dream-like state that truly captures the magical, chaotic spirit of Shakespeare’s play.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs as part of Luminato at the Canon Theatre, 244 Victoria Street. Catch shows June 11-June 14 at 8:00pm, June 14-15 at 2:00pm and June 15 at 7:30pm. Tickets $50-$70 on Ticketmaster.