19 August 2006
Edinburgh Fringe - Reviews for 'We Are The Dreamers'
From the Broadway Baby website:
Side by Side Theatre Group return to the Fringe for the third time with a new take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written by Susan Wallin. The award-winning group from Stourbridge in the Midlands gives people with learning difficulties the opportunity to become involved in cultural life and reach out to a wider audience through the performing arts.
The action begins with Astria and Richie, celebrities planning their wedding, until they are interrupted by Astria’s Aunt Molly, whose daughter is refusing to marry the wealthy William. However, Amelia is in love with Elliot, while her friend Bryony is in love with William, who he has set his sights on Amelia. Elliot and Amelia run away to the woods, and William and Bryony follow. A group of local workers also appear, rehearsing a play to perform at the wedding celebrations.
Down the in woods though, strange things are afoot. It is in these woodland and dream sequences that the production shines. All of the dance sequences are well choreographed, and work with the actors capabilities. In particular the face off between rival fairies is very entertaining. The workers' rehearsals are very funny, the policeman, milkman and postman particularly entertaining. The cast all throw themselves into their roles and the production maintains momentum throughout.
There were a couple of small technical hitches, which were probably due this being the first showing. It is inspiring to see these talented actors and if you are looking for an alternative morning show to Shakespeare for Breakfast you could do a lot worse than drop in to Augustine’s for We Are the Dreamers.
From the one4review website:
Side by Side Theatre group evolved from the learning for life drama course held at Stourbridge College in the West Midlands. Formed in 1997 they have become the first group of amateur actors with learning disabilities to achieve awards and recognition in several new areas of the performing arts.
This is their third sojourn to the Fringe. ‘We are the Dreamers’ based loosely on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream has the least script of any version I have seen. The minimal words are just enough to keep us up to date with the storyline.
Most of the show concentrates on movement and the accompanying snippets of popular songs are well thought out and assist in the overall story telling. The performers are well directed and help each other throughout the show, the costumes are sumptuous and each performer has several changes, some of the scene changes and sets are liable to be stolen as ideas for other shows. All in all this is a well thought out and performed piece of theatre.
The performers are, Sarah Field, Mark Slater, David Atkins, Lucinda Dawson, Francis Muller, Theresa Byrne, Claire Attwood, Judy Alcock, Jason Hinchcliffe, Susanne Douglas, Janet Baxter, Amanda Hill, Johanna Fowkes, Daniel Jones, Paul Taylor and Brett Robinson.
This is an enjoyable piece of theatre from a talented young group of performers.