Gregory Doran's production, a big hit at the old-style Royal Shakespeare Theatre a couple of seasons ago, makes an interesting transition to The Courtyard.
It's a show which literally shines and glitters in the design by Francis O'Connor and Tim Mitchell, with the back wall covered in mirrors and its fairies lit by fairy lights.
The effect of the mirrors seems to be the opposite of what you might imagine, not stretching the stage but condensing it to achieve a Swan Theatre-like intimacy.
Doran brings three particular ideas to Shakespeare's most magical comedy. One is to have the Goth-like fairies as a bunch of mischiefmakers who directly interact with, and subvert, the mortals - but in a good natured way.
Another, which directly followed on from his successful collaboration with puppeteer Steve Tiplady on Venus and Adonis, is to represent the Indian boy who is the cause of the dispute between Titania and Oberon by a lifelike puppet, and the third is to cast the rude mechanicals as a bunch of Brummie tradesmen.
If the provincials with their ridiculous play-within-a-play are always in with a shout of stealing the play, here they walk away with it under the leadership of Joe Dixon, an imposing Bottom whose rough diamond enthusiasm winningly outweighs his theatrical vanity.
Is Birmingham being held up to stereotypical ridicule here?
Yes, but at least Doran has taken care to cast genuine Birmingham actors like Dixon, Ewen Cummins and Roderick Smith, so the vowels have the elusive authentic tang.
Apart from Dixon's, the other key performance comes from Mark Hadfield, who made real mark here playing Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales, as a particularly dry Puck. But there are good contributions all round, with some particularly feisty stuff from the four bewitched lovers.
Memories of Tim Supple's stunning Indian production, which passed through Stratford twice on its world tour, are not going to be easily erased, but it's a tribute to the quality of Doran's highly enjoyable version that it doesn't suffer in comparison. * Running time: Three hours, five minutes. In rep until November 13.
