A view of the city from the Royal Botanic Gardens (Melbourne), at the top of the Shrine of Remembrance.

Upon discovering that a Shakespeare play has been up and running at the Royal Botanic Gardens since December, Min and I decided to attend one. So we purchased our tickets (and Ping's, since he wanted to go as well XD), and watched "Midsummer Night's Dream" last night!

Intricate sculptures at the Shrine of Remembrance. At the base of the statues were the words: "Peace and Goodwill".

"Why Shakespeare???" many might ask. It's funny how many people I know who'd gasp (in horror) at the notion of sitting through a 3-hour play by Shakespeare. Can't blame them really. After all, his plays ARE complex in many ways: from the main plot itself right down to the characters. Even the language used is off-putting to many. Irked me once too, when I had to study Macbeth in college.... =P

So why did I (and my sister and cousin) go in the end?

1. The reviews we got (about the play) were good, so we wanted to check it out

2. At AUD30.00 (concession fare)/ AUD35.00 (adult fare) each, it's relatively cheap. XD

3. The posters look nice ma....(ah, the power of good advertising) =P

AUD30.00 is OKAY what. By theater standards, that is.... ><


The interesting bit about this play was its venue - it was held outdoors. On a makeshift stage at the South Lawn, no less. And the audience? We'll have to make do with our "brought-in" mats, blankets and cushions on the grass lawn. With the food and drinks we got from home (and purchased from a nearby stall), it became more like a picnic in the park, complete with entertainment. Never experienced anything like this before, so I was quite delighted. Tsk tsk, 'jakun' me. =p

A view of the lawn, 10 minutes before the play began. It was almost 8pm, and as you can see, the sky was still pretty blue. XD And no, the bright light on the right was NOT the sun. They were spotlights actually. =P

Don't know what "Midsummer Night's Dream" is all about? o_O

After disclosing their plans to their childhood friend Helena, (who happened to be in love with Demetrius), Hermia and Lysander eloped to the nearby woods. When the cat was finally out of the bag, Demetrius went after them....and Helena followed suit. Unbeknownst to them, the woods is home to the Fairy folk, and it so happened that the King and Queen (of the Fairies) were in a dispute. With the King's cheeky right-hand sprite Puck, the lovers were soon caught in a tangled web of mischief, blunders and magic.

Execution of the play was magnificent:

1. The lighting and sound systems were perfect.

2. The actors nailed their lines with panache. Great acting too! And from the look of it, all of them WERE enjoying themselves up there that night. XD

3. There was a good balance of vaudeville, music, mime, acrobatics and tableaux. All brilliantly assembled and executed.

3. As for the backdrop....what can be more appropriate than a REAL garden? =P

Flower-beds at Birdwood Avenue, Royal Botanic Gardens.

4. Despite the script being (mostly) in Old English, there was a good dose of humour to lighten things up.

Example 1:

As the play was about to begin....

Philostrate the eunuch (on warning the audience not to wander into the bushes to relieve themselves at any time during or after the show): So gentlemen, make use of the dunny, losing your willy is not very funny.

Example 2:

After exposing his bum (with underwear la) to a female spectator....

Puck the sprite: She didn't think she'd see a full moon tonight!!

5. The costumes were very, very vibrant. Couldn't take any pictures during the show though. It's ILLEGAL. =P

Overall, it was an enjoyable 3-hour show. This play will be running until this Saturday, 24th March. So if anyone is interested, please refer the following website for more details:

There's a ticketmaster booth at Melbourne Uni. Inside the uni bookshop, to be more precise. That's where I got the tickets anyway. XD

My only qualm would be the low outdoor-temperature at night. It was freaking cold by 11pm. ><" So bring more blankets if you really are going. And stock up on hot chocolate!!!! Nothing beats a mug of hot creamy goodness on a cold, windy night. =P