Open Writing

Rambling through "A Midsummer Night's Dream" - 1

We have hopes and dreams. Call them flights of fancy, daydreams, reveries, pipe-dreams, whatever you will. A few might eventually be realised but most are not. I was never able to visit Teatro alla Scala — La Scala opera house, in Milan. It's an unfulfilled dream to see grand opera at the grandest home of opera. However, I did achieve a wonderful sort of second best.

On 27 April 1964, I went to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Just to be there was a thrill. What I saw on the stage was a dream in itself. It was the 23rd performance in three years at the house of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The libretto, based on Shakespeare's play, was by Peter Pears and his lifelong partner, Benjamin Britten, who composed the music. The producer was no less than John Gielgud.

Some of the singers are also in the 1966 Decca recording of the opera, conducted by the composer — Josephine Veasey, David Kelly and Keith Raggett.

The following evening at the same revered theatre — I was having a cultural binge in London while on holiday from central Africa — I saw the Royal Ballet perform, among other pieces, "The Dream", a ballet in one act, set to the music of Mendelssohn. The choreography was by Frederick Ashton and the conductor was the renowned John Lanchberry.

The London Boys Singers appeared (and sang, of course) in both productions. The soloist who played Peaseblossom, with a sublimely clear treble voice, was Darien Angadi. On a 45rpm extended play record which I bought later, he sings Schubert. The disc was released in 1964. Alas, he suffered from depression, as the years went by, and killed himself in 1984.

A very sad thought. Nevertheless, there's also another beautiful memory from one of those Covent Garden performances. During the night-time scene in the forest, the moon in the backdrop didn't stay in one place. As the action progressed, it slowly moved in an arc across the sky.

Yet another version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" has now come into my hands, via the bargain shelf at a local bookshop. It's a DVD of the BBC Shakespeare Collection presentation of 1981. The cast includes some well known, and well loved, names.

— Nigel Davenport, who featured in over 115 plays and films between 1955 and 2000. You might remember him as the character actor with a strong profile, raspy voice and a lazy eye.

— Robert Lindsay, perhaps best known for his role as the father in the hilarious TV series "My Family". He's an accomplished actor in many genres.

— Geoffrey Palmer, who starred alongside Judi Dench in the beautiful TV series "As Time Goes By". His instantly recognisable face was once described as "reminiscent of a bloodhound mourning a lost scent" but his role in this film is far from miserable.

— Don Estelle, who (and here's a real surprise) had a leading role in a much earlier TV comedy series, "It Ain't Half Hot Mum".

— Helen Mirren. There's no need to remind you who she is, surely?

This production moves further from stage to screen in its settings than, for instance, the BBC production of "The Tempest". That's hardly surprising, as it's produced by Jonathan Miller and directed by Elijah Moshinsky. The interiors are realistic. The moonlit forest scenes are delightfully artistic. Some of the scenes involving Titania, the faerie queen, played by Helen Mirren, are in themselves works of art. The little fairies are delightful, unlike the sprites in "The Tempest", who look more like gay pin-ups.

The costumes are in Elizabethan style such as players might have worn when the play was first performed in about 1590. They add a distinctive touch of style, visual pleasure and authenticity.

Sub-titles make these BBC presentations so much easier to follow for those of us who have a hearing problem. Indeed, they could also help someone who isn't really "into Shakespeare" by bringing alive the often poetic, often witty, dialogue. Never mind the occasional archaic word — enjoy the entertaining flow!

© Copyright Brian Barratt 2009