A Dream at the Crucible Theatre Sheffield Review
A Dream
Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
13-16 July 2016
Reviewed by Jenny Bray
This show was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The Crucible is in a square surrounded by pubs, restaurants and hotels in what is now a very cosmopolitan looking area of the city centre. There is lots of parking nearby, but be aware that some of the large car parks are expensive in the evening.
The box office of the Crucible is directly in front of you as you enter the building. Once I’d collected our tickets they advised us which door to enter the auditorium through. The stage in the Crucible is set out from one edge going into the middle of the theatre with seating round three sides, which makes it a more interactive experience.
The show is a modern take on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. The story starts at a music festival where Theseus and Hippolyta are enjoying themselves prior to their wedding, which is scheduled for the next day. That is, until Hippolyta decides to get on to the stage and attempts to launch herself off by stage diving but fails, thereby resulting in a trip to hospital. Once there the rest of the story is based in various parts of the hospital, which we later find out is the Northern General. The full moon and midsummer night are coming up, when magic is believed to happen especially with love.
Hermia and Lysander soon enter the hospital. Lysander claims to have been injured by Hermia’s father but it then transpires that he hurt his leg in a motorbike accident. They had decided to run away together but hadn’t got very far before he was hurt so ended up in the hospital. Helena is a nurse in the hospital who attends to him and then contacts Demetrius to speak to him as she fancies him but she then also lets slip that Hermia is in the hospital so he rushes in to see Hermia.
Titania and Oberon are portrayed as being head consultants of opposing medical teams, who are responsible for training medical students. They are fighting over a particularly skilled student as both want him on their team. I especially liked Puck, the pharmacist, blackmailed in to providing an elixir to Titania by Oberon so he can convince the student to join his team while she is knocked out. When Puck first appears a part of the stage rises and is lit with shadows of various drugs to portray the pharmacy, which is a very clever set. Puck and her pharmacist friends (the fairies) end up sending out several elixirs to spice up the night rather than sticking to Oberon’s specific request for it to just be the one. This is how Lysander and Demetrius both end up wanting Helena, with some very entertaining wooing from their hospital beds.
In amongst these storylines, there is a film crew in the hospital, wanting to find out the reality of working in a hospital. Mr Ramsbottom decides to put a cast together to perform to the camera to portray the hospital in the best light. He puts together a script and chooses a group of teenage inpatients to perform. As this storyline progresses he becomes more and more comedic as do his team. One teenager becomes a very amusing curtain, separating two hospital beds and several cast members become parts of the furniture, including a lamp, ECG machine and bedside table! During this scripted show for the crew all the other characters end up watching and several come together through various means.
At first it sounds a little odd hearing the original Shakespearean names amongst a modern performance but you soon get used to it. Lots of other elements of Shakespeare plays are included in the storyline when it flits between different patients and their stories. Near the start, there are 2 male lovers, Romeo and Julian (surnames Montague and Capulet…), brought in unconscious after having taken overdoses. Later there is an old couple called Anthony and Cleopatra who come in with an ailment. Viola and Sebastien are both cleaners in the hospital, who were brought to the country illegally on a boat that sank. Both are interviewed by the film crew. Each thinks the other is dead and have tried to move on until they are reunited at the end (Twelfth night).
I particularly liked the energy and enthusiasm that the actors brought to their roles. I especially loved Puck and Mr Ramsbottom for this as they had great stage presence.
There are plenty of snippets of singing between the acting, including several renditions of ‘Love is a drug’ by various characters. There are also lots of changes of sets, for which most of the cast were involved at various points. These have been incorporated well into the storyline and went smoothly even though there were many more than in most shows.
The show was put on by Sheffield People’s Theatre and had a cast of around 100, ranging from teenagers to pensioners. It was really refreshing to see a wide variety of people acting, of all shapes, sizes, ethnicity and backgrounds. I especially liked the fact that older characters were actually played by older people rather than in most shows where they dress youngsters up with grey wigs and drawn on lines. The performance was great and it seems a real shame that it’s only on for 4 days after all the effort that has clearly gone into it.
I really enjoyed this show and rate it 5 out of 5!
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £15 (booking fees may apply).
A Dream is at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield until 16 July 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0114 249 6000.
Crucible Theatre, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA | 0114 249 6000
