The Tempest

Generally regarded as one of Shakespeare’s last plays, and only one of several in which he blends human activity with the magical and supernatural, The Tempest sits in his Comedy canon, despite its dramatic first scene that leads it towards tragicomedy.   Open to wide interpretation over its four hundred year history it offers the much coveted lead role of Prospero that has strong similarities with the equally pursued King Lear.  In Shakespeare’s day it was quite the norm to see young men playing women, less so the reverse, if at all, but with today’s gender-blind culture we are frequently seeing many male roles in the hands of women - and let’s be honest, even more so in amateur theatre where there is, frankly, a shortage of men to cast!   This doesn’t always result in altering the Bard’s written characters themselves, but STAPS has deliberately chosen to turn father to mother, brothers to sisters, and noblemen to noblewomen.  …so did it work?   Yes, surprisingly well.  With no tabs, the stage appeared as a black void, flanked by two voile star cloths at R and L that effectively screened the island set behind until Scene ii.  On the forestage at DL, in simple fashion to  represent the ship’s deck, stood a large brass bell on a wooden stand, a sea chest, small cases and a barrel, and, as a whimsy, a gingham-lined picnic basket.  These were thoughtfully placed not to intrude on the later scenes except where they could be put to practical use, e.g. the chest provided seating.  The main stage featured wings each side painted with a tracery of fanciful vines (a motif that was used elsewhere and generated a sense of unity), an imposing and solid looking tree UL beside a narrow raised platform that was fronted with greenery and flowers and used to elevate Prospero on her first appearance - but little beyond that, and a large boulder dominating RC supplying another seat.  DR stood a tall grey, creeper-clad precipice housing Prospero’s cell, a substantial piece of scenery strong enough for Ariel to stand on top.  Beside its entrance was a collection of arcane artefacts illustrative of Prospero’s sorcery.   Without the need for complex changes this scenery effectively provided the settings for all the locations around the island and its relative simplicity reminds us how little detail we need in order to follow the plot.  Backing the stage and having a commanding effect on scene changes, the cyc was dramatically painted with an impressionist backdrop of a large shimmering sun in curl’d clouds over a churning sea.    The lighting was used most effectively to navigate us around the island, as well as providing specific effects.  The black stage and star cloths proved compelling as the ship appeared to be foundering in dead of a starry night and the souls on board were lit in sharp contrast, focusing our attention on their terror.  Lightning flashes added to the credible tempest.  Ariel was spotlighted, eerie behind the gauze, as she sang a strangely incongruous Row, Row, Row Your Boat atop the still hidden precipice (or on the topmast?), the Boatswain was picked out clearly and the parcans flashed blue and yellow - all providing a gripping first scene.  Subsequent scenes had their share of sympathetic lighting, its impact strengthened by the impressive backdrop; brilliant sunshine to highlight the comic scenes or more overcast in other parts of the island for the sinister goings on.  Particularly striking were the use of Ariel’s pink spotlighting that made her look quite ethereal in contrast to the overall wash, and the dramatic use of red as she appeared as a Harpy.  As the banquet disappeared it was chilling to see the shamed court silhouetted against green backlighting.  The lighting plot was imaginative and fully integral to the achievement of this successful production.  

Sound was also used to great effect throughout starting with the deafening thunderclaps, wind and rain of the tempest, and then the crashing of the waves on the island’s shore.  Further periodic thunder alternated with background soundtrack music, tinkling piano or more sombre to suit the mood, considerable barking (!), and off-stage singing/humming/drumming.  Shakespeare likes to give his characters little ditties to sing and these were tunefully performed a capella or with minimal backing.  Cues were on time and volume was comfortable.   Vocal delivery was audible both in volume and diction and the leading characters generally had a natural speech pattern indicating clear understanding of the text.  Once or twice this started to become a tad declamatory towards the end as the performer tired, and some of the smaller roles would benefit from more confident attack.  

Props:  Prospero was provided with a magnificent staff as tall as she was that might, perhaps, have been used more significantly in her magic incantations, given that she sees it as the essence of her sorcery, hence, “I’ll break my staff…”.  She was able to select from her pile of artefacts now and then.  A number of daggers adorned the costumes of the courtiers, and the medallions of the ‘royals’ indicated their status; the mobile phone seemed anachronistic even in this timeless place, although the handbags and fan were acceptable.  Trinculo’s work belt of make up accessories was a neat touch to underline the change of character she’d been given from jester to stylist but could have been put to purposeful use to justify the new role.  Standing out because of its continuing presence was Stephano’s ‘bottle’, which admirably looked as if it really could have been hand made from the bark of a tree - but was so very obviously empty all the time!!   I know I’m watching a play and should suspend my disbelief but watching a succession of actors upturning it to drain a teaspoonful of wine from the very bottom didn’t ring true.  The gold star goes to the ingenious presentation of the banquet from within the wings of a butterfly à la pop-up greetings card.  What an inspiration to devise it and a work of art to fabricate it - and so fleetingly seen.  It was worth the effort.

Make up and Hair:  The creative decision for the motif of trailing vines that decorated the flats to be repeated tattoo-like on the islanders’ legs and arms gave them a unified and slightly wild look that worked appealingly.  Ariel was given a dramatic and unworldly sprite appearance with her shimmering blue temples and dark blue lips, while, in a somewhat understated manner, the supposedly deformed Caliban was presented simply but successfully as coarse and unkempt with grizzled stubble and dirty face under a mop of tousled hair.  Trinculo, as befits her role as stylist, had vibrant pink eyeshadow and a high bun in her bright red hair.  Their reemergence after being bewitched appropriately showed Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano all with muddied faces.  A motley selection of costumes was assembled for the large cast of very disparate roles.  Without a commitment to a given time there was no need to be historically accurate, and apparently no desire to present a cohesion of style.  Opening the play with a nod to Jack Sparrow, the Boatswain wore tight jeans, boots and a splendid leather basque over a puffed-sleeved blouse.  This looked more attractive and Principal Boy than a bosun might but was functional for the part.  The black theme of the noble courtiers held the group together with Alonso severely distinguished in his sharp suit, and Gonzalo equally smart, although the vanity of the tiara would have looked more pertinent on Antonio, the usurping Duke, than on a mere counsellor.   Prospero looked wonderful as she was revealed initially in her magnificent gown - it looked very heavy and imposing.  The simple sundress wrapped around with fishing net was less than flattering but seemed fitting for life on a desert isle.  She looked most authoritative in her silver-buttoned cassock-like robe as she regained her Dukedom.  Miranda was perfection - charming innocence in her hitched white cotton dress and bare feet.  Ariel seemed intangible, attired in a diaphanous silvery shift adorned with feathers, and Caliban’s ripped shirt and frayed trousers supported the role as interpreted.  It was really only poor Ferdinand whose costume seemed inadequate for his position as son of the King, heir to the throne.  The ordinariness of his plain white office shirt and black trousers sadly carried no distinguishing features historic, fanciful, or regal to fit in with the diverse assortment on show around him or the given that their clothing had been donned “in Afric at the marriage of … Claribel.”  Maybe a hero-shirt at the very least?  

Direction:  It is a challenge to take on any Shakespeare play as they are so well known.  Do you cater to the audience’s expectations or try to be innovative?  Swapping the genders around gave more of the women in the society a chance to perform and required some judicious editing of the script, although presumably changing all the “o”-ending names to “a”-ending would be a step too far.  In casting the protagonists we saw confident players with a calculated gender blindness and age blindness (attributes frequently required of the best amateur audiences!) whilst preserving the essence of the script.  The Bard gives little in the way of explicit stage direction, instead offering all that is needed in the text itself, so clear evidence of script analysis was satisfying to see in this version that retained and drew out the comedy of the lines sometimes overlooked in the drama and awe of producing his work - even by professional companies it must be said.  A great deal of imagination had gone into bringing this vision alive with the economically functional design of the set lit by an inventive plot, and the presentation with a rehearsed fluency making it accessible.    The comedy duo of Trinculo and Stephano worked well together, the playing of inebriated not easy but done amusingly well, and they made a credible trio with Calaban to carry much of the comedy.  It is inevitable, but should be acknowledged, that with a large cast there will be an imbalance as the lesser roles are filled and it is to be hoped that those less experienced watch and learn from the more experienced.  Good use was made of the areas of the stage with occasional entrances/exits down the centre aisle for variety, and sight lines showed consideration.  There was attention to detail in much of the ‘business’, particularly Miranda’s curiosity, that added humour with a light hand and to much delight.  Overall this production was a buoyant and original interpretation with a sustained romping pace, which is a great credit to the director.  

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