The College continued a long run of outstanding performances with their psychedelia-inspired production of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. 

The whole play featured impeccably delivered dialogue and expressive acting, for a thoroughly enjoyable show which had the audience captivated with a mixture of humour, fantasy and magic.

Other noteworthy performances came from Huw Beynon as a slightly unnerving Oberon and the two Pucks - Oliver Ingram and his diminutive sidekick, Charles Harrison-Dees. Also very funny were their gang of toadie sprites. Fairy - or should it be Hippy? - Queen Titania was played with detached salaciousness by Victoria Morphew and was supported in this endeavour by a band of Boho fairies.

The hilarious Mechanicals (Rosie Gibson, Ravin Thambapillai, Stephen Long, Laura Beckwith, Edward Tout and Molly Sleigh) put on a side-splitting, slapstick show with Bottom (Rosie Gibson), in particular, reincarnated as a brash northern coal miner.

Special mention should be made of Rebecca de Rivaz's set design, which used an array of junk to conjure up a modern interpretation of the fairy glade. Due to minimal set changes, lighting was also important in conveying the changing locations. Much thought had clearly also gone into the choice of music and costumes.

Hats off to director Richard Norman, who successfully updated the classic play without compromising the original Shakespearean idiom. Indeed, the quirky "modern" setting may even have helped to soften the archaic language for younger members of the audience.

by James Tout (reporter for the Herts & Essex Observer and an OS pupil)