'The Tempest' - RSC Review - ****
- Kelly Stewart
- Jan 11, 2017
- 4 min read
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”
‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare, is argued to be one of the greatest, yet most complex works for the stage. Containing, spirits, ship-wrecks, and magic, all while exploring the very foundation of the human condition, it is no walk in the park for any actor or director.
‘The Tempest’ tells the story of the magician, Prospero, who seeks revenge on his brother for being usurped of his status, and left stranded upon an island with his daughter, Miranda. Shakespeare particularly plays with the themes of ‘Justice’ and the difference between ‘Men’ and ‘Monsters’. Prospero presents himself as a victim of injustice working to right the wrongs that have been done to him, however Prospero’s idea of justice and injustice is somewhat hypocritical—though he is furious with his brother for taking his power, he has no qualms about enslaving Ariel and Caliban to achieve his ends. As the play progresses, however, it becomes more and more complex with the idea of creativity and art, and Prospero’s role begins to mirror the role of an author creating a story around him – a very philosophical concept. With this metaphor in mind, and especially if we accept Prospero as a voice for Shakespeare himself, Prospero’s sense of justice begins to seem at least sympathetic. Just like a Playwright, Prospero arranges his story in such a way that his own idea of justice is imposed upon events. In ‘The Tempest’, the author is in the play, and therefore it becomes so much more than a simple plot for the actors and director.
The RSC’s production of ‘The Tempest’, creates this notion in the way that director, Gregory Doran, places Prospero in the centre of all things; even when he isn’t actively moving, his sense of presence is over-bearing throughout. Part of that credit must of course also be given to Simon Russell Beale, who, being one of the greatest stage actors, is by no surprise wonderful in the role of Prospero. Despite his noticeable shorter stature compared to the rest of the cast, Beale’s stage presence brings the gravitas to this slightly omniscient and omnipresent character, that allows him to hold that ‘author’ status throughout.
Another thing that director Doran does it bring out the minor character’s complexity also. The use of the Intel Technology for the character of Ariel really enhances the character’s power, but also enslavement. ‘The Tempest’ is by far the most visually spectacular out of all of Shakespeare’s plays, and this new technological development really makes this production the spectacle that it needs to be. The actor playing Ariel is also phenomenal; a graduate from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts), Mark Quartley, making his third appearance on the RSC stage. Quartley takes the challenge of playing such a conceptual and supernatural character with full force, and creates what I would say is the best interpretation I’ve ever seen. It is so easy to make Ariel merely a surreal entity whose main purpose is to intrigue the audience; whereas Quartley allows the character to breathe, and therefore allows us as the audience to connect to him, and most importantly his longing for his freedom. He created a very complex relationship between himself and Prospero that beyond captivating, and made the entire production more accessible for all – matching Beale’s gravitas on stage is a hard task for any young actor, and he certainly gives him a run for his money!
If I were to give this production one flaw I would say it would be the development of the relationships between Miranda and Prospero, as well as her relationship to her love interest, Ferdinand. Granted, Miranda as a character is a hard one to get right, given her isolation since such a young age, and general vagueness, she is more than a little unusual. However, I feel that to take away all her strength is to take away all of what makes her such an interesting character. Her relationship with her father Prospero has been debated by scholars for years, and Doran did capture Prospero’s controlling to the point of arguable abuse very well, however the change between those moments and the moments of love where not, for my taste, blended as well as they should have been. When you compare, the relationship created between Helen Mirren’s Prospero to her Miranda you can see how it can be executed with more complexity than was shown in this particular production. Not to mention, continuous crying is a bit of a pet peeve for the On It Team, and boy does Miranda cry a lot in this production! However, to give the actress her credit, the way that portrayed her isolation from human contact, and her innocence, was beautifully believable, and managed to hold her character’s scenes with enough integrity that the production still was highly watchable.
All in all, Doran’s production really does capture how Prospero’s idea of justice becomes less a commentary on justice in life than on the nature of morality in art. Staying true to the playwright’s intention, Doran shows that happy endings are possible, because the creativity of artists can create them, even if the moral values that establish the happy ending originate from nowhere but the imagination of the artist.
Overall, it was a wonderful evening out, and a production filled with brilliant stage performances, so we highly recommend giving it a solid four-star review! It’s a great opportunity for all young actors to sink their teeth into some Shakespeare, as with the RSC’s Key, 16-25 year olds can get £5 tickets! Not to mention, if you can’t get yourself down to Stratford-Upon-Avon, their streaming it live to the cinema, TONIGHT!
So, what are you waiting for!?
GET ON IT!
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