Brighton Fringe 2026
For Puck’s Sake
Written and performed by Alice Bloomer Directed by Maryam Grace
Genre: Theatre
Venue: Junk Poets at Caravanserai
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
“Shakespeare’s favourite hobgoblin has been exiled from Fairyland…they end up in the forest of Arden, smack dab in the middle of the plot of As You Like It, and to make things worse he is without his usual magic. Follow Puck as he learns to navigate this strange new world, and learns about himself in the process… with the help of a few familiar faces from Arden.”..
Review
In spite of the sweltering heat, Puck bursts onto the stage with an infectious, captivating energy. He leaps, climbs, and scrambles around the venue, at one point even scaling the tent pole in a breathless display of physical theatre. We would love to see this sprite circle the earth in a flash; instead, we get this rapid race around the venue. Puck’s magic has gone. Through his storytelling and athleticism, we are transported into Puck’s world of bafflement as he confronts where he is, why he’s here and what he’s lost.
He remains fully convinced of his identity as the mischievous disruptor and favourite of Oberon’s court. But no longer. Puck has overstepped the mark with his trademark chaos. Instead of jest and abandon, he is abandoned—stripped of his magical powers and banished to the Forest of Arden. He is forced to confront an uncertain future in a forest showing familiar signs of human disrespect, marked by litter and the distant roar of traffic.
Here, it’s no longer a Midsummer Night’s Dream in a fairy woodland, but the setting for As You Like It. Puck moves closer to listen and watch as in the distance, the Duke holds forth about life in exile and the ‘magic’ of a simple life in the woods. Puck is puzzled, unable to see the ‘magic’ described. A restless nap on the rubbish-strewn ground leaves him in a quandary: face the unknown and an uncertain future, or seek forgiveness and find his way home? Ultimately, nature proves to be its own disruptor as seeds are found flourishing in spite of the rubbish. Puck begins to see and sense that the forest may hold its own magic.
Our anticipation of audience participation, sparked by slips of paper handed out upon arrival, is not quite fulfilled. This felt like a missed opportunity for deeper engagement between the ‘foolish mortals’ and Puck’s unfolding dilemma.
Bloomer’s writing touches beautifully on topical themes of identity, abandonment, and the consequences of misusing power. She presents Puck with a poignant opportunity for reflection and self-awareness through an emotionally engaging, well-paced performance. That I instantly swivelled my head, expecting to see Oberon standing behind us as the monologue wove towards the revelation of Puck’s forgiveness is testament to this actor’s truthful portrayal.
Will Puck find his way home or stay in his altered state? You will have to see this well-crafted play to find out. Though this work in progress runs at 40 minutes—10 minutes short of its advertised time—expect to be spellbound.
