Point Break Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Review by Felicity Amos

The audience was buzzing with excitement to see Point Break Theatre Co’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Star of the Sea Theatre in Manly on Thursday night. 

We were welcomed into the theatre with a whimsical underscoring to set the tone before the bare stage was flooded with construction workers dressed in neutrals and florescent vests, filling the space with busy chaos, letting us know immediately that we were in for a modern take of the Shakespearean classic, and it was going to be a fun one at that.

Straight away, before we even knew who our players were, my eye was drawn to Georgie Bonanno for her comedic commitment and impressive skills with an air jack hammer. It would later be revealed that she was our Bottom, and what a Bottom she is!

Georgie Bonanno’s portrayal of Bottom is engaging and dynamic, with impeccable comedic skills both vocally and physically. Bonanno had the audience wrapped around her finger and laughing the whole way through this production.

This cast is packed full of incredible talent who know how to weave their magic spells over the audience. Stephen Allnutt has a wonderful dominating presence as Oberon with his gravitational confidence and poise. Melissa Jones captivated the audience with her natural elegance and charm, making her the perfect Titania. Coll Burns as Puck had a fantastic exuberance every time he was on stage and perfectly encapsulated the curious mischief of this character. Blair Cutting as Peter Quince made for a great leader with his commanding voice and stage presence whilst also expertly weaving humour into his delivery and reactions. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Bronwen Calcraft every time she was on stage as Hippolyta, expertly engrossed in her character and those around her, playing beautifully opposite the charming Michael Richmond as Theseus.

But what of our four star crossed lovers? Josephine Waller made for a hilarious and passionate Helena. Max Dÿkstra showed great skill navigating between the dramatic and comedic shades of Demetrius. Alex Taylor lit up the stage with her feisty rendition of Hermia and Joshua Emmelkamp was the perfect blend of loving and competitive as Lysander. 

Of all the pairings in this show I must say my favourite was Oberon and Puck whose synchronised actions and mutual intrigue of the chaos they create made their scenes a delight to watch. 

I would be amiss not to mention the wonderful supporting actors of this cast as well; Sarah Ballantyne, John Cross, Elly Speer, Julia Grace, Luke Soltau, and Majella Nolan. Every single actor in this production radiated with passion and were whole heartedly committed to their roles. They each brought life into their characters and the scenes, adding dimension and extra hilarity to this production.

Co-Directors Blair Cutting and Paul Winchester are to be commended for their playful, modern interpretation of this well loved classic. All actors had a great sense of the text, meter and comedic timing, allowing them to use this as a base to breathe new life into this cheeky production. I thoroughly enjoyed Cutting and Winchester’s use of music in this production, from pre-show to intermission music, unexpected raps to a surprise song before Puck’s final words. Risky moves that were wonderfully successful additions to this show and honoured the importance of music in this play. I do wish other technical aspects of this production were as thoroughly planned and executed, such as the lighting and sound effects, to elevate this production to the next level. However, the effervescent performance of the actors in this production holds strong enough on its own that it is still a thoroughly enjoyable night out to the theatre.

A wonderful production for all who yearn for a little more sparkle and humour in their lives.