A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Bridge Theatre

A dream half remembered: glitter without grounding at the Bridge

Chaos, confetti and canopy beds. Shakespeare’s fairy tale collides with immersive spectacle at the Bridge Theatre in a production that dazzles the eye but struggles to hold the heart.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream remains one of Shakespeare’s most beloved and accessible comedies. This revival, performed in an immersive setting, offers moments of genuine charm and humour, yet is weighed down by an overreliance on aerial spectacle that ultimately distracts more than it delights.

The Bridge previously staged this production to great acclaim, its immersive energy captured on NT Live. Comparison to that earlier version is inevitable, and this one feels diminished by it. Where the original felt inventive, this iteration often comes across as derivative, a technically impressive imitation that lacks the depth or clarity of its predecessor.

Though I count myself a Shakespeare enthusiast, I fully embrace reinvention. These plays endure precisely because they can be reshaped for new audiences. But when the original text is preserved in full, the cast must meet it with total comprehension and conviction. Here, performances are mixed. There are flashes of sharp comedic timing and thoughtful delivery, and moments where Shakespeare’s irreverent spirit does shine through.

Photo by Manuel Harlan

Emmanuel Akwafo’s Bottom is an undeniable highlight, swaggering, sassy and irresistibly watchable. His comedic instincts are exceptional, and his performance injects real energy whenever he is on stage. Nina Cassells brings sweet sincerity to Hermia, while Lily Simpkiss as Helena leans fearlessly into physical comedy and deadpan frustration. Together, these three create the production’s most engaging and memorable moments. The rest of the ensemble, while competent, fades quickly from memory.

The immersive staging continues to be a unique strength of the Bridge’s repertoire, placing the audience directly inside the action. But here it feels increasingly chaotic. You are shuffled, steered and occasionally swept into place with the disorienting rhythm of a crowd control exercise dressed up as theatre. The set, an opulent tangle of beds and greenery, adds visual allure and sensual tension, especially during the scenes of magical mischief and romantic confusion. But the near constant use of aerial work for the fairy characters quickly becomes repetitive. What begins as a visual flourish soon grows stale, and watching actors spin through the air while delivering Elizabethan verse feels more like a circus stunt than meaningful storytelling.

Photo by Manuel Harlan

Some immersive moments verge on the bizarre. At one point, audience members are led hand in hand in a circular procession to Beyoncé’s Love on Top while Oberon and Bottom make love on a bed suspended from the ceiling. Inflatable moons are volleyed across the space like oversized beach balls. These flourishes may provoke laughter, but they feel disconnected from the emotional arc of the play, functioning more as novelty than necessity.

I remain deeply fond of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is rich with mischief, romance and absurdity, a perfect playground for theatrical innovation. I admire the Bridge Theatre’s continued effort to make Shakespeare feel alive and accessible for new audiences. But this production loses sight of the balance between form and feeling. In a year when three separate versions of this play are on offer in London, this one offers more spectacle than substance.

If you have never experienced the Bridge’s immersive theatre or are encountering this play for the first time, there is still joy to be found. But if you are hoping for insight, invention and emotional resonance, you may leave feeling like this dream has already been dreamt, and better.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is playing at The Bridge Theatre until August 20th 2025

Tickets available at https://bridgetheatre.co.uk/