'The Tempest' is probably Shakespeare's weirdest play! Prospero, was once Duke of Milan, but that was before he was betrayed by his brother, and cast away on an island with his daughter, Miranda.
With the help of his books and the peculiar spirits that inhabit the island, he has magical powers and commands the oceans to shipwreck his enemies on the island so that he can avenge himself. He weaves more magic around them, creating a story in which they are the actors. It is commonly observed that he represents Shakespeare himself, in his artistic dotage.
The end is satisfying: Prospero wins a husband for Miranda, seizes back his dukedom and, rather than further punishing his enemies, he finds forgiveness. As the innocent Miranda says, "The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance".
This is a visually attractive production. The rocking floor of the stage is used to show both the tossing ocean and the wierdness of the magical events.
Ariel, played by dancer and choreographer Matthew Bugg, flies and poses gracefully and the scene in which the spirits portray mythological characters Iris, Juno and Ceres is beautifully presented. The specially composed music is also a delight.
Fine performances, especially by Clive Francis (who seems to be becoming a Playhouse regular) as Prospero and Eilidh Macdonald as Miranda, show the technical excellence that comes as standard in Playhouse productions.
However, there is a spark missing from this production: the comic scenes with Trinculo (Graham Crammond) and Stephano (Rod Matthew) fall rather flat and the complex, beautiful dialogue is sometimes lost. Despite these criticisms, this is an pleasing encounter with a playwright in a thoughtful mood.
At the Nottingham Playhouse until 20th November
Other theatre reviews by Adrian on LeftLion
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