The Tempest

The reception at the George as always was very welcoming, this time by Karen James and her team with special thanks to Simon Maylor for his efficiency and friendliness. The open air set for this year’s Shakespeare at the George’s production of “The Tempest” was perfect for the piece with a great backdrop at the end of the rear stage exit by Rob Barton, effective and stunning, and as the production went on the simple set changes were seamlessly done by both the cast and crew lead by Kevin Connor. My congratulations go to Kevin Connor and Elizabeth Elliot for their excellent set design. The second scene when the storm hits, was extremely well played by the cast and superbly directed. Richard Fitt as the Boatswain left us in no doubt of the severity of the situation, with clear pronunciation and powerful projection. Martin Woodruff was a competent Prospero but I think he could have given it a bit more passion. Lynne Livingstone was a wonderful Ariel, with her flowing, ever moving physicality, and this included her costume that billowed in the breeze most effectively. If this was by design then I must say that the late, talented Jo Fradley and her team were genius, as were all of the costumes, beautifully made and put together. Miranda and Ferdinand played by India Barton and James Barwise were delightful as the star crossed lovers. Madeleine Forrester as Antonia and Rob Barton as Sebastian were great as the scheming couple who get their comeuppance. Helen McCullum and Rosemary Eason gave solid performances as Alonsa and Gonzala. Liz Barka and Richard Sockett were a brilliant comedy double act as Trincula and Stephano, and provided most of the laughs in the piece. The part of the enigmatic, pitiful, evil, pathetic, childlike, vengeful, spiteful and sometimes hilarious Caliban was played by the remarkable Richard Brown, a Shakespearian actor worthy of any stage. The ensemble did a wonderful job and provided us with spirits of the isle and royal courtiers with great enthusiasm. The band playing original music by Ruth Bramley and Ian Favell were made up of Musical Director Ruth Bramley, Robert Bramley, Nic Cole and Ian Favell and were subtle, understated and brilliantly atmospheric. Max Richardson’s lighting design was beautiful, especially in the second act as the ambient light fades and it can be seen in it’s full glory. Martin Avery’s sound design was perfectly pitched relying mostly on the actor’s projection skills with minimal backup provided by the stage mic’s, a well judged and effective balance. John Shippey’s, assisted by Jacqueline Spencer, direction was superb. The set pieces such as the storm scene were extremely well constructed, delivering the full effect of the tempest whilst at the same time enabling the actors to clearly tell the story and be understood. I think John managed to bring all of the characters to life and delivered a smooth and entertaining production.
Shakespeare at the George once again has produced a wonderful piece of theatre that is of the highest standard, and long may they do so. I am so pleased to see so many young talented actors on stage and hope that SATG keep encouraging their involvement on and off stage, as they are the ones who are going to carry on the tradition having benefitted from the wealth of experience that they are fortunate enough to be performing alongside today.

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