A midsummer night of wine and fairies in Kelowna

Seating was not great, but the play within the play stole the show at Shakespeare Kelowna’s Midsummer Night’s Dream that wraps Saturday. (Kathleen Rowe, The Bard Brawl)

This play is a delight and full of spirited dialogue and physical comedy.

Set against the beautiful Spierhead Winery (Spearhead? Which is it?) in Southeast Kelowna A Midsummer Night’s Dream was enjoyed by a full house of appreciative Shakespeare fans (and probably a couple, who got dragged along by said fans).

Shakespeare Kelowna is celebrating 25 years of bringing the bard to life for Kelowna audiences and the reaction of the audience proved that they are doing a splendid job of it.

Various Fairies welcomed the guests and gave out flowers as we waited for the play to begin.

The seating was not great as the ‘stage’ was a grassy area above the rows of chairs and unless you were in the first or second row you could not see unless standing so a lot of action was missed although there was a lot going on all over the stage and in the vineyard so lots to see in a variety of locations. Amphitheatres were designed as such for a reason.

“If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumbered here While these visions did appear,”

– Puck; V,i

Some of the costumes seemed ill-fitting, Lysander and Demetrius looked like they were wearing their big brother’s clothes and their mom told them they would grow into them.
Oberon was showing a little butt crack at times which was quite amusing. (wardrobe malfunction?)

Oberon could have probably used a pair of trousers with a bit less crack. (Kathleen Rowe, The Bard Brawl)

Matt Brown as Oberon and Sarah Kit Goddard as Titania added a regal air to the play and the fairies were magical. Justin Gaudio as Puck was everywhere on the stage and kept the audience watching as to where he would turn up next.

The highlight was the play within the play with Brent Sharpe as Bottom and his cast-mates giving the audience loads of laughs with their performance of Pyramus and Thisbe.

This was Tracy Ross’s first directorial debut with Shakespeare Kelowna but she is no stranger to the role and did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life.