Bottom's Dream ⭐⭐⭐

“A high-energy, one-act immersive musical that reframes A Midsummer Night’s Dream through the lens of Shakespeare’s most unlikely dreamer. Staying true to the text and set against live bluegrass music, it carries audiences to a fairy revel in the mountains. Bottom’s transformation collides with Oberon, Titania, and Puck’s mischief, blending aerial work, clowning, acrobatics, dance and immersive audience interaction.”

Jimmy Kontos's direction is strong. It caters well to the three-sided stage and, importantly, the staging makes sense from the different angles. There is a clear understanding of how to use the space without making the audience feel as though they have ended up on the wrong side of the forest.

The set and costume design are really nice, with the set mainly consisting of a metal scaffolding structure. It is a simple idea, but it creates a surprisingly effective environment for the production. The crescent moon in particular is beautiful and becomes a lovely visual focal point within the space. The combination of the industrial structure with the more magical elements is quite engaging.

The lighting and sound design by Robin Stamey and Gage Baker are nice and simple, although I would have liked a little more variation from the lighting. There are some lovely moments, but I occasionally wanted the lighting to take us further into the fairy world.

There were some fairly significant sound problems during the performance I saw, meaning that a few lyrics were unfortunately lost. It is live theatre, and these things do happen, particularly in the delightfully unpredictable domain of the Fringe, but it did occasionally make it harder to follow the songs.

The book by Jay Eddy, adapted from Shakespeare, is okay. There is a lot of potential in this concept, particularly when you combine A Midsummer Night’s Dream with bluegrass, immersive theatre, aerial work and clowning. At times, though, I just wished the production would lean into the concept much more. There are some lovely ideas here, but there were also a couple of moments where I found myself slightly confused about what was happening or why a particular choice had been made. With such a bonkers theatrical premise, I wanted the show to accept the madness even further rather than occasionally holding itself back.

The music and lyrics by Jay Eddy are one of the most enjoyable parts of the production. The bluegrass influence gives the show a really distinctive sound and helps separate it from the many other Shakespeare adaptations you might stumble across at the Fringe. The music has a real sense of fun, and it fits the fairy revel atmosphere beautifully.

Tara Lynn Steele's choreography adds another welcome layer of energy. The production combines dance with aerial work, clowning and acrobatics, and there is clearly a lot of physical skill within the company.

Overall, the company's performances are good. The cast work nicely as a unit, and there is a real sense of ensemble throughout. Nobody feels as though they are operating completely separately from everyone else, which is particularly important in a production that relies so heavily on physicality and interaction. There is a lovely devotion to the world they have created, and the performers clearly understand the lighthearted tone. At its best, the ensemble energy is exactly what you want from an immersive musical like this.

Bottom’s Dream has plenty going for it. From the bluegrass music to the combination of Shakespeare, aerial work and clowning and acrobatics certainly makes for an unusual afternoon at the Fringe. It just didn't quite lean far enough in to take those much needed creative risks.

Bottom’s Dream is playing at Greenside @ George Street, Jade Studio, at 2:55 pm, on selected dates through 29 August. It runs for approximately 55 minutes. Fancy heading into the forest and seeing Bottom’s Dream come to life?

Book tickets for Bottom’s Dream