WITH gender politics playing such a significant role in Shakespeare’s surreal A Midsummer Night's Dream, the all-male cast at Wycombe Swan rise to the challenge and capture the magic with aplomb.

Critically acclaimed theatre company Propeller brings its informal, ingenious and hugely funny adaptation of the Bard’s psychedelic comedy to Wycombe audiences all week.

Harking back to the days of Elizabethan theatre, the male-only staging allows for an ironic and enlightening dynamic of gender stereotypes and attitudes.

From Titania and Oberon’s jealous row to Hippolyta and Theseus’s power struggle and the often bewildering love square of the four Athenian youths, this play has it all.

And with Robin Goodfellow, or Puck, prancing around in a tutu and sparkling red shoes, this show takes the concept of gender head on.

The heady story of youth, love and desire ventures deep into the forest on the eve of a royal wedding, where the harsh realities of Athenian law cannot reach.

The supernatural elements at play are superbly punctured by Bottom and his working class amateur dramatics group, who inject a decidedly down-to-earth, human aspect to proceedings.

Bottom, one of Shakespeare’s best-loved characters, is well performed by Chris Myles, capturing the arrogant yet lovable ass with just the right balance.

For such a lavish, druggy and dreamlike play, Propeller chooses against colourful decoration or stage scenery.

Instead, the cast relies on simple garments, white netting and an intriguing line of chairs fixed ten feet in the air along the edge of the stage.

These are employed to full effect, with scampering fairies and nymphs using the full height of the stage to add an extra dimension.

And with the absence of clutter and outrageous costume, the beauty and wit of Shakespeare’s text is fully allowed to shine through.

There is almost no interference with the original script, and anything added is the result of clever direction and interpretive emphasis.

The exchanging of teddy bears between Lysander, Helena, Demetrius and Hermia for instance is a particularly amusing addition.

The clever use of lighting provides the mood, with the bright, gleaming white of the Athenian city scenes a sobering jolt back to reality after the soft greens and purples of the forest.

It is the performance of the female characters who steal the show here, with James Tucker’s ice queen interpretation of Titania and Matthew McPherson’s delightfully camp Hermia standing out.

With rave reviews from the national press, Propeller’s latest tour manages to live up to expectations, offering a fresh, lively and very, very funny take on one of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues at the Wycombe Swan until Saturday. For tickets, call 01494 512 000 or visit www.wycombeswan.co.uk