Interview: Adam Carver is Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Birmingham Rep

Actor Adam Carver (AKA cabaret artist Fatt Butcher) joins Birmingham Rep in their upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Adam took some time, between rehearsals for their role as Puck, to chat to Midlands Rainbow about the show…

“What drew me to Puck is that he’s kind of one of the iconic Shakespeare characters. Puck [embodies] one of those things that I love so much, the wise fool. He’s constantly creating mischief but there's also this real sense of depth; pointing out the issues and flaws that are at play,” says Adam Carver.

“The thing that I've been finding really interesting in the rehearsal process, is how alone Puck is. He's quite a fringe character. He's on stage a lot, watching but has a lot fewer connections, and actually only speaks directly with one other character.

“Midsummer Night's Dream is a story of multiple transformations. Everyone goes into the woods and comes out changed, and it's sort of interesting because Puck is a kind of constant throughout a story where there's lots of change.”

Stepping into the role of Puck, a character also known as Robin Goodfellow, Adam began to delve into the rich folklore at the heart of this production.

“I've kind of been imagining that Puck is Robin's drag name.”

“At the time Shakespeare is writing the play people believe that fairies are real; this is part of the spiritual belief system, alongside the kind of Christian theology, there's this old Pagan arcane.” Adam explains. “So, it's been quite interesting to consider, rather than just playing fairy as a sort of fun, whimsical thing, these are creatures who've been around forever. Puck is this old, old, historical idea; Robin Goodfellow, they share these names. I've kind of been imagining that Puck is Robin's drag name."

Talking about the folklore in relation to the current political climate, Adam adds: “We're in a period in time where the sense of nostalgia for Englishness is growing very strong, and I'm interested in what can I find in these ancient outsider figures, these troublemakers, and instigators who have always been there, and are actually part of our rich cultural tradition. So, I have been finding myself in that, and it's quite anchoring.

“Puck describes himself, ‘We fairies that do run by the triple Hecates team following darkness like a dream’ so there’s this sense of being underworld creatures.

“I've been looking at where Tudor people believed that fairies came from. There's a couple of theories: one is that they were angels who had fallen from heaven and are now trapped on earth. The other is that they are the spirits of dead people trapped on Earth, and cause chaos as a result.

"Queer people have often been seen as intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world"

“They’re the intermediary between the human world and the spirit world. I often think about, without sounded too lofty, how drag has often been this in-between space too. Historically, in cultures across the world, including Western pagan cultures, queer people have often been seen as intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world; they've been doctors or shaman or healers, or in a less spiritual way have often provided caregiving roles in communities or offered some kind of spiritual leadership. And I see that in my approach to my drag, and I see it again in this character.”

When conceiving the concept for the show, Co-Directors Joe Murphy and Madeleine Kludje envisaged a Puck who was “master of ceremonies for the show”, Adam adds. As part of that “host” style role, Adam has been tasked with creating original music.

Adam Carver (They/them)

“I'm writing music for the show, which I'm sort of pulling some of the folksy element into, but also recognizing that, as a fairy who's lived for hundreds of years, if not thousands of years, I can pull on whatever genres I see fit!

“Our production is set in the modern day. There's existing music already in it, so there are some big 80s bangers in there.

“And then I guess I've been sort of finding out, what does the musical language sound like between this very strict world of Athens, and this wild night in the forest? So, I've been thinking about festivals and cabaret.  [The music] is maybe it's a mix of witchy, Folksy, Club music. I've been inspired a bit by Kate Bush and by the Eurhythmics, and Bronski Beat.”

Discussing the set and costuming for the show, Adam was keen not to give any spoilers but said:

“I think it's visually a very interesting show. The Rep stage is so big, and it really does fill the whole thing; then, there are ways that nature starts to kind of creep in to this very stone-like space.

“Costume wise, it is set in the modern day, with the caveat that the fairies have been around for hundreds of years, and so our costumes have been recycled out of lots of old costumes, patchworked together, into these very anachronistic [pieces]. It's kind of giving, Vivienne Westwood on acid.

“They're beautiful, and because they're being handmade by the wardrobe team at The Rep, working with Carl [Davies], the designer, it's really exciting to see it all come together. So much of it has been recycled out of their costume archive or costumes from other productions, all being reimagined and dyed.

“Because Puck constantly alludes throughout the play to his ability to appear as whatever, he's constantly shape-shifting, we've taken that to mean that there's quite a lot of costumes. So, each time I go back in for a costume fitting, there's another giant feather headpiece, or something… so you won't miss me.”

Adam Carver joins a cast that features several local performers, including two making their professional débuts. A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs from Saturday 25^th April to Sunday 24^th May 2026 at Birmingham Rep. The theatre is offering 5000 tickets at £5 each for under 25s, a scheme that Adam highlighted the importance of: “I grew up going to see shows at the Rep, and I could only do that because of schemes like this.

“I think that's really essential. And I'm excited for young people to see it, and for this to maybe to be their first interaction with professional Shakespeare.

“I think if people are a bit like, ‘oh god, Shakespeare’, [then I want them to know] this is a very silly, very joyful show, full of music, which I think is making it feel very accessible.”