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A Midsummer’s Night Dream: A review

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A Midsummer’s Night Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. There are thousands of versions of the play originated from very different interpretations of the text. In this particular adaptation, the director, Joan Ollé, opted to focus on the theme of the eroticism and the funny side of the play. The eroticism is mainly represented by Puck and Titania and Bottom. Puck’s movements are very sensual and sexual as well. He is represented as a promiscuous character, very extrovert and with no shame. The relationship of Titania and Bottom is much eroticized too. Titania is represented as a voluptuous woman and Bottom is dressed with a red velvet robe and smoking a cigar, which made me think of Hugh Hefner and one of his “trophy” girls. The funny side of the play is reinforced specially by the workers, who speak in a very informal way, with different accents from different parts of Catalonia, and acting in a dumb way. I think that one of the key funny moments is when they appear dressed as Snow White and the dwarfs. I do not think that the characters have been modified very much. It is true, though, that Demetrius and Lysander looked younger than what I expected them to be. Moreover, one of them carries a scooter and they wear a skirt and shorts, which is what little boy wears. Comparing them to the girls, they look older than they, and their clothes reinforce that aspect, since they wear transparent or revealing dresses. Puck is more sexualized than in the text, and in some scene it looked as if he was in some kind of relationship with Oberon, but it was not very clear. Gender politics are not really made evident in this version since the director wanted to focus more on other aspects. However, I missed the strength of Hyppolita. In Shakespeare’s text there is a slight resistance to marry from Hyppolita’s part that was not very represented in this adaptation. The young couples were the ones who were more important

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