London Coliseum, Wednesday 14th May 2018
Robert Carson’s production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream returned to ENO with a cast of young singers whose exemplary sense of ensemble impressed throughout. This has always been an ensemble piece, though even on this occasion Christopher Ainslie’s sleek Oberon and Saraya Mafi’s seductive Tytania could not help drawing attention to themselves. The young lovers were well characterised without ever resorting to caricature and the rustics brought us highly individualised workmen. One of the few cast members who have been seen before was Miltos Yerolemou whose dangerously adult Puck is quite in keeping with the fairy royals.
Robert Carson’s approach is essentially naturalistic within the confines of Michael Levine’s dreamily abstract setting, with its huge act one bed adding to the disorientation of size.
In the pit, Alexander Soddy draws crisp playing and incisive rhythms. This is particularly helpful in a score written for a very much smaller venue.
Though the boys of Trinity Boys Choir sing admirably well, carrying better than might be expected within the vast space of the Coliseum, their uniform costumes allow little sense of individuality to develop, even though this is possible within the scope of the score.
This was the productions third revival, and the first in over a decade, but is unlikely to be its last.