THE performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream showing at the Alhambra Theatre this week is the perfect example of why Shakespeare is still such an important figure 400 years after his death.

Despite being performed with the original dialogue, the comedy still manages to delight people of all ages, with most of its humour transcending the four centuries that have passed since it was first performed.

Featuring a cast of professional actors, an amateur dramatic group and pupils from Samuel Lister Academy in Cottingley, the performance also gives a real sense of how Shakespeare has seeped into every aspect of British culture.

Its story of lovers, both human and supernatural, who fall foul of magic love spells, is the type still found in modern comedies and farces.

While most of the main cast are made up of RSC actors, "The Mechanicals", a group of ramshackle part time actors in the play, are played by actors from Leeds Arts Centre. The most high profile of these characters is Bottom the weaver, played by Barry Green in one of the most broad Yorkshire accents you are likely to hear in a Shakespeare play. Bottom, one of Shakespeare's most popular comic creations, famously gains the head of an ass thanks to some fairy magic, and finds himself the love interest of fairy queen Titania (Ayesha Dharker).

The pupils from Samuel Lister played her Fairy Train, and have had plenty of classmates coming to watch their energetic role in the story. The younger members of the crowd were, like the rest of the audience, laughing out loud at the play throughout, despite the difficult dialogue that probably took them out of their comfort zone.

The multicultural cast, which also features traditionally male characters played by women, shows how Shakespeare's work can be adapted to the modern world while still retaining the spirit of the plays.

It added plenty of original quirks to make the performance different from the countless other versions of the story, but still retains the core of what makes it one of Shakespeare's most popular works.

The play runs until Saturday. For more information and to book tickets visit http://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on