When you think of Midsummer, you typically associate it with warmer weather, longer days, and an extra hour of sleep. However, you don’t usually think of meeting someone in a bar, acquiring fifteen thousand pounds, and having an entire weekend to spend it before your boss discovers it!

‘MidSummer’ tells the story of Bob and Helena, both thirty-five and both feel like they are “stuck in a rut” with life and have no idea which way to turn. Bob, then comes into some money and they both have a mad weekend in Edinburgh! 

I found the show to be very elegant and simple, with an easy-to-follow storyline and impressive physical acting on stage. The phenomenal use of lighting and colour was remarkable, and I have never seen anything like it before. The set was a workable model of Edinburgh City, and the actors moved seamlessly from one scene to another by sitting on different parts of it. The set was also cleverly designed, with steps that could be pulled out to create a bed, making great use of the space. 

Each scene was described by the actors or narrators either before or during most if not all of a scene which I was very grateful for, along with little hints of description if the scene needed it! Along with all this, each main plot point I found to be narrated clearly so found it easy to understand the emotion of the scene or maybe how that particular character was feeling.

The whole show from start to finish was very modern and update to date. With mentions of modern socialising through smartphone apps and internet dating which was a brilliant touch, which allowed the show to connect very easily with audiences. 

As always with any Mercury Production there was a clear distinction between each character whether it be through costumes, accent or lighting which is always recognised and very much appreciated! This made the story much easier to follow and understand. 

There were some points of the second act which I found a little difficult due to the two different moments of flashing lights! So during this moment was very difficult to see what was going on on stage. I was still able to understand the setting of the scene due to other elements like music and smoke but the flashing lights made it very difficult visually to understand what was going on. But this is mentioned in the ‘Content to Consider’ section on the shows page on The Mercury website. So please give this a read if you would like to know more about other content you might be worried about. 

Overall I enjoyed this show! There was a good amount of comedy and laughter. All the actors played musical instruments even some played multiple which I thought was amazing! As I could never do that! The acting from all the cast was outstanding and they brought the story to life! If you are looking for a great night out I would highly recommend this fantastic show!

Accessibility Recommendations: 

If you have limited or no useful vision, then I would recommend attending the ‘Audio Description & Touch Tour’ Performance of this show which is on Saturday 18th May at 2.30 pm! This will enhance your enjoyment of this show! As mentioned most of the show is highly descriptive already with very few action scenes but they are described by the actors whilst they are happening.

If you are light-sensitive then the flashing lights in the second act are something to consider, they are quite harsh and intense but are not on for no longer than a minute. If you want to see as much detail as possible I would recommend trying to get central seats in either rows B or C. The picture above was taken in Row E so by all means take that as a guide. 

Content to Consider: A simulated sex scene, Simulated Vomiting & Flashing Lights & Smoke. 

‘MidSummer’ directed by Ryan McBride is running at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester from 9th May until 18th May 2024! 

You can find more information about the show and purchase tickets on The Mercury Theatre website, along with their ‘Access Performances’ by the following link here.

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic