Midsummer Night's Dream

It was good to be at the school yesterday night for a production of Midsummer Night's Dream, in which my son was Oberon. He did very well, as they all did on the whole, especially a very funny Bottom. The setting was the eighties for some reason. My son looked like a cross between David Bowie and Michael Jackson. Bottom wore Freddie Mercury gear. I thought the best joke was the girl taking the part of wall in the play wearing a Pink Floyd The Wall T-shirt. They're at it again tonight.

London Culture 02

After the Courtauld I got myself south of the river to Shakespeare's Globe for the first time this summer. The play was sold out but I thought I'd try the returns queue and had a choice of three tickets. I opted for the first time to sit down. They said the view was restricted because it was next to a camera filming the performance - but it was a front row fine view (I was glad to be under cover though there was very little rain).

Midsummer Night's Dream must be the first Shakespeare I ever encountered around 14, though I don't recall seeing it performed at all. It is quite hard to follow in some ways as the Titania Oberon elements assume a number of things. You can't help liking Bottom and the mechanics though, especially when played as well as they were by Pearce Quigley and co. Fergal McElherron was a ringer for Bobby Ball at times. The scene with the wall at the end was milked for every legitimate laugh and was genuinely funny. Every time I get to the Globe I enjoy it and I'm just sorry that (mainly with my art classes) I've not been until now this season. More here.