Your Reviews
You sent us your reviews of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Here's a selection of your comments.
"I was rather dubious when I first heard of these modernisations of Shakespeare's plays. However I'm pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised, especially by the adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
"This was the first production of A Midsummer Night's Dream where I have felt sympathy for Demetrius!"
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Dean Lennox Kelly shone with his portrayal of a cheeky, fun-loving Puck and worked well as the connection between the audience and the performers. Another great surprise was that this was the first production of A Midsummer Night's Dream where I have felt sympathy for Demetrius! He seemed to be the one caught up in it all, rather than one of the main causes of the lovers' problems.
This brought Shakespeare's play up to date and hopefully showed the greatness of his work to a new generation."
Greg Saxton, Sheffield
"Well I could see what Titania saw in Bottom last night. Johnny Vegas, you looked hot. I have enjoyed the 成人快手 adaptations so much and feel that it has made Shakespeare available for everyone. Hopefully it will inspire younger people to read him and will take away any impressions of stuffiness."
June, Surrey
"Wonderful, glorious, funny and eloquently captured the essence of the original with aplomb. Best bits included the fairy serving Ferrero Rocher to Bottom and Titiana in their love hammock, and Dean Lennox Kelly as a sexy, slightly druggy Northern Puck. Sorted."
Jainw, Cheshire
"This was a beautiful production of what has to be Shakespeare's funniest play. The writer preserved the essence of the original and also managed to add some interesting little pieces. Those dialogues between Theo and Oberon were a great idea. There was also a fantastic blend between the mortal characters and the fairies.
"I'm no fan of Johnny Vegas as a comedian but I enjoyed his performance in this."
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I'm no fan of Johnny Vegas as a comedian but I enjoyed his performance in this. He actually turned out to be perfect for the part of Bottom. The scenes with Bottom and Titania were hilarious. Imelda Staunton (one of my favourite actresses) didn't have a huge part but when she stood up to Theo near the end that was superb. Overall this was an uplifting piece of television which reminded me why I love Shakespeare so much."
Damien Muldoon, Dublin
"Now I know why we pay a licence fee. Some of the best television I've seen. Modern, quirky yet true to Shakespeare.
Mark Bodega, Fulham
"I found this very disappointing after last week's fantastic Taming of the Shrew. It seemed a bit of a mess and the modern holiday camp setting didn't work nearly as well as the newsroom, the restaurant or politics.
"Puck as Badly Drawn Boy was profoundly irritating."
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This is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, but Puck as Badly Drawn Boy was profoundly irritating and I found even Helena unsympathetic. The mix of dialogue between Shakespearean and modern English jarred oddly I found. On a positive note, there were very good performances from Johnny Vegas and Imelda Staunton."
Kim, London
I'm in my mid-50's and one of many for whom teaching of Shakespeare at school never made any sense and just bored me to tears. It's so good to watch these modern interpretations, that are so well acted, and to finally understand and be able to read Shakespeare."
Steve Woodward, Glasgow
"Absolutely superb. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole series but thought A Midsummer Night's Dream was the cream of the crop. Great choices for the characters."
Kirstie Cairns, Scunthorpe
"Just magical! This was a superb production. Particually enjoyed Jonny Vegas as Bottom.
I've looked forward to my Monday evenings for the last four weeks and have enjoyed all four productions. Perhaps the 成人快手 should consider some more adaptations."
Rachel, Stourbridge
"I went to Primary school with Peter Bowker. For me his local Manchester mentions - Stockport Register Office, Wythanshawe and the Poco-Poco Club - were priceless! His 'Manc' Puck was a joy to watch and the casting of Johnny Vegas as Bottom was a stroke of genius.
"The casting of Johnny Vegas as Bottom was a stroke of genius."
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The story flowed with so much ease, containing very tender moments, (the bed scene between Theo and Polly) and the extremely funny, (the love scene with Bottom and Titania, especially the Ferrero Rocher chocolate pyramid.) Thank you Peter for a wonderful interpretation of a great story. I wonder if he remembers a Karen Green from Miss Harwood's class?"
Karen Davis, Reading
"I was dubious about this one, as I've seen it so many times. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Witty, charming, delightful - are all words that come to mind! Puck and Bottom were two of the most enjoyable characters to watch. The only criticism I would have is of the tangibility of the love between the four lovers. Other than that, fantastic. Can we see more adaptations of Shakespeare please?"
Emma M, Oxford
"Fantastic - such a pleasure to have some happy TV!"
Chris, London
"Fabulous entertainment. As a resident of Stockport, what a delight to hear and see all the northern references.
My sons aged 12 and 15 years stayed up to watch and had more understanding of the story (having both studied Midsummers Night's Dream in year 6 at Primary school). They really enjoyed the contemporary setting and language. An extremely pleasurable family evening."
Janet Perkins, Stockport
"The casting was perfect, the actors were all wonderful for the parts they were given. The adaptation was excellent, and even though it seemed to miss the Duke out, his concept seemed to be conveyed in Hermia's parents.
"You could have kept the correct names."
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Not at all sure what all this 'Zander' thing was about though. They could have kept the correct names, but, other than that, a brilliant adaptation of a real classic."
Ellie, Somerset
"Absolutely loved it! And so did the non-Shakespeare fan in the house. True to the tale, absolutely charming, inspired the same big smile all the way through as the original, and a great way to introduce the Bard to those who find the language too difficult to deal with."
Jenny Reed, Hampshire
"A real treat. Shakespeare's most famous comedy set in a holiday park - absolute genius.
The excellent cast and script were a sheer delight. Very faithful to the original work, really, and that's not an easy feat when put in a contemporary setting.
We want more!"
Bob Butcher, Kettering
"Where should I start? A vast improvement on the previous two efforts. It has become clear that the 成人快手 thought it best to start, and end, with the strongest productions.
"I could fault not one of the performances."
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The play was well adapted to suit the holiday park setting, which meant enjoyable viewing and 90 minutes of genuine entertainment. I could fault not one of the performances; indeed, I especially liked the dynamic between Paterson and Staunton, but quickly came to realise that all the cast were performing at a very high standard.
I was particularly impressed, however, by Kelly's version of that well-loved Shakespearian character, Puck. The portrayal of the relationship between him and Oberon did not disappoint, though no-one really let the side down in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Not even Johnny Vegas, of whom I am usually never fond; but who delivered as Bottom.
Congratulations to Peter Bowker and everyone involved for making this production work (because there is little doubt that it did). They should be congratulated also, for dragging the 成人快手's Re-Told series back up to the standard at which it opened."
Hannah Jane, Liverpool
"The best one of the Shakespeare series. I was definitely impressed with the screenplay. I studied this and found it hard to follow, but since I have seen this version I have a better understanding."
Alex Thacker, Burntwood
"I started off thinking it wasn't going to work, but as it progressed it got better and better. Puck was played brilliantly and I thought was the strongest point of the adaptation. The only thing I wasn't sure about was the idea of the location as a whole. But all in all really really good!"
Linden, Derby
"Fantastic. I was wondering how successful this play would be, compared to the others in the series.
I thought it would be a real challenge to put this into the modern day but I think it was brilliantly done. It had a wonderful cast. What a Bottom!
The whole series has been a joy to watch. Any more in the pipeline?"
Pam Moule, England
"This was amazing. I found Johnny Vegas' portrayal of Bottom especially funny and greatly executed. All in all the actors and actresses did a great job in bringing this timeless Shakespeare play to life."
Georgie, Reading
"This was the weakest of the largely excellent adaptations of Shakespeare plays. The 'Swampy' style Puck became frankly irritating as the film progressed and the love confusions between the young lovers were unconvincing.
"The 'Swampy' style Puck became irritating."
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The best moments were reserved for Bill Paterson as Theo and Imelda Staunton, a splendid Polly. Lennie James fared well too as Oberon. More than the other adaptations, the usage of Shakespeare's own verse was very welcome here."
C. Beer, UK
"Wow! A Midsummer Night's Dream was the best in this series. It was so funny and all the actors were great. The story made sense and didn't ruin the original at all. I thought it was a great idea to have Puck as the story teller. It was believable and a great end to the series."
Sophia, London
"Utterly enchanting. Each and every character was portrayed exactly right, but with edgy modern personalities which made for fantastic viewing. The script was faultless and the same time effortless and light-hearted. The acting was first-class, as the actors understood the script perfectly and had no trouble in delivering it to the viewers.
However, the real stroke of genius was the audience interaction, especially when Puck dropped love juice onto the camera lens. This really helped in making the audience feel like they were right there in Dream Park with the warring couples and magical beings!"
Natalie, West Wickham
"I would just like to say that A Midsummer Night's Dream was the culmination of an outstanding set of plays. I am always a bit sceptical about putting classic plays into a moder setting, but all the plays have been superb, and represent to me the best drama I've seen on televison for many years.
"I had no idea Johnny Vegas had such talent."
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Apart from the superb scripts, what has made them so enjoyable has been the great acting. A Midsummer Night's Dream kept up these excellent standards, with good performances from Bill Paterson and Imelda Staunton, and the younger actors/actresses. However the actor who stood out for me was Johnny Vegas. I had no idea he had such talent, and the part of Bottom could have been written by Shakespeare for him."
Tim Bloomfield, Godalming
"A truly wonderful piece of television that made me laugh and cry in equal measure. The crowning glory of an entertaining and thought provoking series."
Sarah Hall, Tunbridge Wells
"I had to contact the 成人快手 to let them know how much myself and my teenage daughter have enjoyed watching Shakespeare Re-Told. Each week it got more enjoyable. We thought The Taming of The Shrew was excellent, but the best for us was A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was pure escapism, with the acting and the way it was filmed. My daughter at the moment is taking her Mocks and watching this helped her relax after a stressful day.
We are both fans of traditional Shakespeare and have seen various productions. We have found Shakespeare Re Told equally entertaining and professional."
Sue and Emma Lang, Cardiff
"Having watched the last three Shakespeare Re-Tolds, and really enjoyed them, I was extremely disappointed by this. The drama was set far too close to the original with all its convoluted wranglings, when I'm sure a far better modern adaptation could have been thought of.
"All the characters looked positively freezing!"
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The best bit was that it was supposed to be a midsummer night and all the characters looked positively freezing! Oh dear."
Meriel Fuller, Devon
"Last week I criticised Shakespeare Re-Told. This week I want to praise it. You can't improve on Shakespeare, but this version of A Midsummer Night's Dream was well-thought out and beautifully executed."
Anthony L Church, Leicester
"Utterly enchanting - from the gorgeous location of Dream Park to the bewitching acting from the entire cast. The script was faultless and the actors really connected with their lines. It was as though they were speaking for themselves rather than reading from a script. It was probably the most faithful to the original, while retaining a fascinating modern edge. The acting was first rate and the script was very witty - a brilliant, brilliant finale to the series."
Natalie, West Wickham
"My wife and I both enjoyed this production enormously. Oberon's three tips for a husband to get back in favour: saying, "Sorry, I love you, and I was wrong" caused particular hilarity - largely because they are pure magic and work every time.
"Oberon's three tips - say, "Sorry, I love you, and I was wrong," caused particular hilarity."
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Johnny Vegas as Bottom spearheaded a first-rate example of ensemble acting from a splendid cast in this witty, but still sensitive, update of the original. I felt this 成人快手 production recreated the feelings in the modern audience that Shakespeare's contemporary audience might have felt. It was utterly brilliant."
David Hignett, Wigan
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