This is a William Shakespeare play unlike anything you've seen before.
Repertory Philippines’ staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream stays faithful to Bard’s play while adding pop songs and modern touches.
The Shakespearean verses are kept intact, so the dialogue retains the formal, old-fashioned English.
The language can take some getting used to, but it also preserves the feel of a Shakespeare production.
Directed by Jeremy Domingo, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has audience members singing along to the lyrics of "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "Dancing in the Moonlight" when they are suddenly incorporated in comedic scenes onstage.
This entertaining play combines romance, comedy, and fantasy while telling the story of humans who wander into an enchanted forest.
They get entangled in the quarrels of the fairy king and queen, Oberon (Randy Villarama) and Titania (Giannina Ocampo-Van Hoven).
There are a lot of characters and different storylines, so it can be a little confusing in the beginning, but once you understand who everyone is, the story becomes much easier to follow.
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THE CAST AND CHARACTERS
Flamboyant Joey Cosio-Mercado is a scene stealer as the mischievous Puck. It's a delight to see him sashaying across the stage while wearing his green, mushroom-like costume.
Isabelle Prado as Helena, Sevee Eslabra as Hermia, Luis Marcelo as Lysander, and GK Diola as Demetrius bring plenty of energy as the four young lovers who are connected through a complicated love triangle—or, more accurately, a love square.
Hermia and Lysander are in love, but Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius. Demetrius, in turn, loves Hermia, while Helena pines for Demetrius despite his lack of interest in her.
The tangled relationships create plenty of tension, culminating in a comical fight between the two men and a heated confrontation between the two women.
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THE MODERN TWISTS
It's interesting to see that the production chose to dress the Athenian youth in modern clothing instead of traditional Greek or Athenian garments.
Rather than having the four lovers wear costumes that match the historical setting of Shakespeare’s play, they are dressed in casual, contemporary clothes like T-shirts and jackets.
This gives the characters a more familiar and relatable feel.
Helena, in particular, stands out with her goth-inspired look. She wears an all-black outfit paired with a metallic belt, giving her a slightly edgy and rebellious appearance that also helps show her personality.
Adding even more comedic flair to the story is the group known as the Mechanicals, which is led by Alexa Sandiego and also features Tristan Bite, Rico del Rosario, Ysh Bautista, Robert Bradley Hao, and Bella Alejandro.
They decide to stage a play of their own, creating a play within a play. Their enthusiasm, exaggerated performances, and sometimes clumsy attempts at acting provide plenty of comic moments.
Their storyline provides a lighthearted contrast to the young lovers’ tangled romantic drama.
Meanwhile. even while wearing a donkey’s mask, Tristan's character Nick Bottom remains remarkably expressive and full of confidence.
His scenes with Queen Titania are very entertaining to watch, especially seeing her become completely infatuated with him despite his ridiculous appearance.
A Midsummer Night's Dream runs approximately for two hours and 15 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission.