In these days of cut-backs (especially in the arts) any new Welsh theatre company should be welcomed and supported. For their first production " BareKnuckle Theatre" chose the audience friendly " A Midsummer Night's Dream". Founded to " take the performance out if performing" they surfaced at the non-actor friendly Gate Theatre. Being an ex-church the acoustics are notoriously poor which penalizes fast speakers and and any action at the back of the stage.

However, " A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a comedy and the success of a production is measured on it's ability to make any audience laugh. Fortunately, director Simon Riordan (interestingly doubling up as director Peter Quince - not to mention his involvement with props/ fight choreography and poster design) knew how to get maximum humour out of the play.

The pace always quickened with the appearance of the young lovers, who were equally adept at the amusing word-play and broad physical comedy. Praise must also go to the " rude mechanicals " with James Carew continuing the tradition of virtually stealing the show with his " Bottom".

Any comedy wants an audience leaving with happy smiles on their faces. With confusions over and all lovers rightly matched an unexpectedly stylish all-singing, all-dancing version of " All You Need Is Love" was the perfect way to achieve this.

An impressive debut from this new company. Hopefully when they perform " Twelfth Night" next January they willl choose a better venue.