Went to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Singapore Repertory Theatre yesterday in Fort Canning Park. The acting was pretty good. And, given the outdoor setting in the park, it should have been a magical performance. Somehow, that didn't quite happen. Perhaps it was because there were lighting towers in the middle of the park area, blocking the view of the set.
In fact, the set started off with a small stage at the bottom of the field and extends into a grid shaped walkway in the middle of the field and for those who are not fortunate enough to get into the middle of the grid, the view of the stage at the bottom of the field and parts of the grid are obscured by the lighting towers. I thought if we arrived at about 6.30pm it should be ok, of course both of us were late and it was already pretty crowded when we got in at 6.50pm. So we sat at the top left of the field (facing the stage). From there, it was not so easy to work out what was going on at the bottom of the field or on the right side of the field.
Costumes were also pretty odd. I never really got the concept. I don't like fairies with white long blouses ending with mini skirts and knee-length tights underneath. Lysander walked around in what looked like a whirling dervish costume. What gives? By contrast, Hermia wore knee-length shorts (like a little Swiss girl?) for her jaunt through the park. The best part of her costume was her backpack with the teddy bear tied at the back.
But as I said earlier, the acting was good. Oberon and Titania, the two sets of lovers were well played; Bottom was absolutely brilliantly funny and utterly believable as a man who didn't know he had an ass' head (but still walked like an ass!). The enactment of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe also took on an exotic, Asian theme, with Thisbe dressed in a cheongsam and the lion looking as though he had just finished work at an event down at the nearest community centre.
All in all, an enjoyable evening even though I am not quite sure about the rapturous reviews given for the performance.
