This week, Broadway World had the pleasure of attending Dreams of a Night…a bold adaptation of the classic Shakespearean masterpiece A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The unorthodox play is a usual gateway for artistic creativity, having seen countless versions in the most distinct styles. It was Luxembourg’s turn to have a go, with production falling to our very own Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and director Myriam Muller.
The gold: The atmosphere. Through costumes, lighting and character direction, the play fully embodied Shakespeare’s vision for an out-of-the-box comedy. A work that already sought to be alternative when it was first written had to be taken with this level of lightness and creativity. More than poetic lines, character development, narrative progression and perhaps even more than acting, this is one of those shows that should excel in its atmosphere. And it delivered precisely that.
The silver: Song and comedy. The musical numbers were not only great, but also managed to greatly complement the comedic side of the show. Everything felt very well-timed, which allowed for performers to truly shine in all aspects of the play. The rather challenging and sceptical audience that we usually find in Luxembourg seemed to fully connect with the style of humour, something which many would consider worthy of an actual silver medal.
The bronze: Acting hall of fame. While the entire cast was formidable, we must reference Jules Werner, Raoul Schlechter and Valéry Plancke, three major names in Luxembourg’s theatre scene. Being used to seeing them in plays with a more serious tone, it was simply great to have all three participate in a comedy with musical numbers. Hats off to their versatility and to the constant reminder that our small Grand Duchy can rival just about any nation in artistic quality.
Our thanks to the Grand Théâtre and everyone involved.
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Image credit: Bohumil Kostohryz