Review: The Tempest

The staging for The Tempest was immediately homely, which set the tone for the rest of the play; Drama Soc put on a playful, cute interpretation.

That seemed not to apply to the play’s opening, however, which was discordantly intense. Robbie Lardi’s unconventional Prospero seemed to swap from a forceful and brooding figure to a comedic one at any opportunity. The latter was funny and definitely enjoyed by the audience, but messed with the tone somewhat. Likewise, on first entrance Trinculo and Stephano felt overblown and awkward for their comedy roles, but as the play progressed into Act Two, they became thoroughly entertaining presences on stage. Once settled on its light interpretation, the play was fun, warm and inventive.

Music was used throughout the performance, which worked perfectly for The Tempest. Johnny Flynn’s The Water and the shipwreck’s backing of Regina Spektor created a folky, modern atmosphere. The only venture that was conspicuously uncomfortable was when Prospero fumbled for a guitar and throatily sang What a Wonderful World, Ferdinand and his daughter slow dancing/making out before him. It was certainly a questionable choice, and eerily reminiscent of Harry and Hermione’s film seven tent fiasco.

Ariel was another interesting decision, the fairy played by five actors. This gave a lot of scope visually, but the line splices sometimes felt forced and the advantages were not exploited; often the Ariel actors stood in a clump, or repeatedly circled Prospero. A more creative and slick approach might have paid off more, especially if used throughout the play, rather than just to embellish the fairy’s lines.

Jake Head, however, who received the bulk of the part, was an animated, watchable performer. He and Gemma Barnett provided wonderful musical accompaniment.  The costume (matching macs and backpacks) and the use of torches in a blackout were great choices for this interpretation.

Caliban, played by Sam Day, created an impressive physicality. His whole body quaked, showing his inability to stand. Sometimes gollum-esque and particularly terrifying when drunk dancing, the pitiable side to the character was played well and he was thrown about the stage with undeniable gusto.

The final scenes of the production lost the fruitful ingenuity of the rest of the play, the performance riding only on earnest delivery, and it suffered for it. Here, more than elsewhere in the play, actors seemed to give disproportionate or mismatched reactions to events and others’ lines, and speech appeared unprompted.

The Tempest’s greatest achievement might well have been its accessibility and pacing. Whilst sometimes long speeches lost the audience’s eye, the plot was made clear and compelling, which is probably the biggest challenge of staging Shakespeare. Where the light, comedic interpretation was committed to, the play was lively and enjoyable to watch.