After Storms Bert and Conall I’ve found a haven of midsummer magic in the heart of Portsmouth

But for anyone who feels a little queasy with the thought of throwing a little Taylor Swift, AC/DC and Blondie together with Shakespeare then I encourage you to get yourself down to New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth tonight (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday).

For there you will be spellbound by this year’s stunning annual production from the students of Portsmouth Grammar School.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Rocks is so creatively and ingeniously put together in the way it combines the staging of Shakespeare’s classic comedy of love, humans and fairies with a live rock band, contemporary and classic song and dance routines and a backdrop screen combining pre-recorded filming and live close up images from the stage.

It is so easy to forget that this is all the work of students who performed, staged, produced, filmed and soundtracked the whole performance under the guidance of director James Robinson. They must have had as much fun putting it together as the audience did in watching the opening last night.

It feels wrong to single out any particular performance as everyone from the leads to the large clans of Oberon’s and Titania’s fairies excelled. Chi-Yee Lim (Helena) and Isaac Fox (Oberon) combined their acting, singing and dancing superbly (I loved it when Oberon dropped the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage into proceedings), Buster Rothwell and Sam Armstrong were a great double act as sparring love rivals Lysander and Demetrius and Polly Belcher (Hermia), Eleanor Mead (Titania) and Harriet Burrell (Puck) also shone.

The whole comedy troupe of Sanuli Wegenthale, George Cuthbert, Max Bugden, Bruno Fisher and Aphaia Sillett were excellent.

Hats off to the Morning After band members as well who provided the accomplished live soundtrack throughout - Suly Amin, Eva Durrant, Jack Holt, Tom Krol, Finn McGovern. Thank you to whoever suggested two tracks from The Cure.

But Rocco Calendar stole the show on the night with his incredible Bottom (!!) - with great acting and impeccable comic timing.

As the audience left the show we found ourselves in a chilly and packed Guildhall Walk. The ice rink was in full swing and comedy fans were just leaving the Guildhall having enjoyed Katherine Ryan’s Battleaxe tour. I am sure her show was entertaining but I would not have swapped a sold-out ticket for what I had just enjoyed from the talented students of PGS.

I encourage you not to miss out on this mashed up, musical, midsummer magic. The show plays tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm - see here for ticket details