The Tempest: Shakespeare: touring

THE TEMPEST: William Shakespeare
Theatre Royal Plymouth and Thelma Holt
Runs: 2h 20m, one interval
Theatre Royal Nottingham till 16 Nov. Perfs 7.30, Sat 2.30, 7.30, then Theatre Royal Norwich.
Review: Jen Mitchell, 12 November 2002, Theatre Royal Nottingham

Rich in emotion, magic and comedy. Be prepared to be transformed to a entrancing place where anything is possible.

The capacity audience is due in part to Richard Briers playing Prospero and they are not disappointed. The interpretation of Prospero is a very human one. He is dignified throughout whilst experiencing a huge range of complex emotions. Prospero is the stern, yet loving father who has his daughter's interests at heart. Watching Richard Briers I feel that Prospero, like most parents is also a little in awe of his daughter as well as slightly confused by her. Certainly, this Prospero doesn't expect the strength of emotion Miranda demonstrates so quickly after meeting Ferdinand: his attempts to make the path of true love run less smoothly and to cool the increasing ardour of the young lovers are both poignant and comic.

The whole play is full of contrasts; nature against nurture, Prospero's good' magic against that of Sycorax, the evil witch who previously inhabited the island, the ethereal spirit of Ariel with the base character of Caliban. Contrasts that are all the more evident through the excellent interpretation of the characters.

Madeleine Worrall's Miranda is utterly guileless, a perfect foil to the initially rather arrogant Ferdinand who, had I not known better, would have suspected of taking advantage of such an innocent.

The piece gathers momentum as Prospero's art creates a chain of events from which there is no turning back. The full extent of the conniving character of Antonio is revealed gradually contrasting beautifully with the conceited, gullible Sebastian.

The comedy is played directly out to the audience and its lack of subtlety is what makes it so hilarious. The director uses Trinculo and Stephano's comic timing brilliantly.

Grotesque, pitiful, pathetic Rory Kinnear's performance as Caliban is superb as he shows us a product of nature who can describe his island home in the most poetic terms and yet demonstrates an essentially base character. Truly earthy he emerges from a red hole in the stage floor and captivates the audience immediately.

Shakespeare's Tempest is full of symbolism and suggestion and this production takes full advantage. The stage appears to be covered in a mathematical grid floor, backdrop and sides. On the floor are drawn two circles, one within the other, suggesting some sort of planetary chart? At the opening we see an illuminated globe hung and hundreds of pinprick lights appear, as if we are in space. The set is a suggestion of the supernatural, of things not quite of this world and is utilised brilliantly throughout with very little change. A beautifully simple backdrop for the complexities of the drama.

The spirit Ariel is clearly part of his surroundings, drifting unseen by the characters on the stage. Ethereal, he speaks in a slightly disjointed, clipped manner, as though this language is not his own, all adding to the illusion, which becomes more elaborately woven as the piece develops.

When Prospero finally delivers his famous final soliloquy, what we get is honesty a man who has been punished himself and has meted out punishment, as man who has forgiven, but a man who is tired of the pretence and has stripped it all away, leaving only hope for the future - quietly and beautifully delivered.

Master: Leon Tanner
Boatswain: Paul Benzing
Alonso: Michael Gaunt
Antonio: Crispin Redman
Gonzalo: William Russell
Sebastian: Tristram Wymark
Mariner/Spirit: Marc Baylis
Miranda: Madeleine Worrall
Prospero: Richard Briers
Ariel/Iris: Ben Silverstone
Caliban: Rory Kinnear
Ferdinand: Orlando Wells
Adrian: Carsten Hayes
Francisco: Oliver Le Sueur
Trinculo: Darren Tunstall
Stephano: Stephen Casey
Ceres: Caoimhe Harvey
Juno: Lisa Reeves
Director: Patrick Mason
Designer: Francis O'Connor
Lighting: Paul Keogan
Music: Tom Foster-Carter
Assistant Director: Alex Clifton

2002-11-13 14:02:59