The Tempest at Shakespeare North Playhouse Review
Written by Roby for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The Tempest is thought to be Shakespeare’s final solo-authored play, so as a result the writing is remanent of Shakespeare’s later, slippery works. Nevertheless, Nel Crouch’s direction breathes fresh life into this production and makes it an enjoyable, genuinely funny watch for audiences of all ages.
The show, which begins after a pre-show where the cast brand people with ‘Prospero’s Property’ stickers, allows Ariel (played expertly by Scott Brooks) to use the audience to create a stormy soundscape using ‘oos’, ‘ahs’, clicks, foot stomps and more. Brooks immediately has the audience in the palm of his hand and keeps them there for the rest of the show. Even during other scenes, where Ariel is simply just sat watching with a flask of coffee, you can’t help but watch him. The opening of the show was extremely effective; it built atmosphere and made sure the audience knew that they were not here to watch a boring Shakespeare production.
After this fast-paced, hands-on opening, the initial first scene of the show seems to drag a little, but the pace of the show quickly picks back up later in the first half of the show through the many elements of comedy that Nel Crouch and the five-person cast have brought to the piece.
The cast of just five work tirelessly hard, constantly switching between roles, engaging boldly with the audience, and delivering the text with ease. Princess Khumalo and Meredith Lewis have good chemistry and constantly seem to play dynamic duos, which, although all different, are always superbly acted. Miranda and Ferdinand’s romance is great, but the constant pinching of each other’s bums was a rather strange choice. However, it’s clear that all the cast have great chemistry with one another, often making each other break character with bad Italian accents and inside jokes. This makes the funny scenes even funnier for the audience – I can only imagine how many inside jokes will have accumulated by closing night! The cast’s trust in one another, confidence in interacting with the audience, and their sheer comedic talent and quick-thinking (Ross Foley’s crown broke at least three times, and he carried on like the professional that he is) make it easy to see why they have been cast. There truly is no weak link, and all five cast members are the backbone of the show.
The comedic elements of the show had me and the rest of the audience laughing a lot. One of my favourite moments was Ferdinand’s search for his dad, where he asked for a hug from an audience member and then said, “Don’t touch me I’m a minor” (Meredith Lewis’ range is excellent; she performs all three of her roles with ease). I also loved Prospero’s plans to torment Ferdinand, which featured a hilarious costume rip to reveal a six pack, a ‘sellotape attack’ on Ferdinand, and a hilarious bit of improvisation where Prospero tells Ferdinand he will take him to the beach and make him “eat a mouthful of sand”, along with many other hilarious things – this show is worth a watch for Lucy Green’s performance as Prospero alone. She commands the stage with ease and delivers a masterclass in comedy. And of course, Lucy Green and Scott Brook’s magic show towards the end of the second half was a clear highlight. I won’t reveal too much, but it was chaotic, bonkers and nothing short of brilliant.
The design of the show is also lovely, although Ellie White’s set looks a little bit more Delamere Forest than a foreign island. It looks beautiful however, and I love the HandleBards’ sustainable ethos. Charly Dunford’s lighting design is great and, along with White’s costume design, shines through particularly during the bird scene in the second half, where Ariel dons a pair of post-it-note wings. As well as this Dunford’s lighting design excels whenever the giant cloud is onstage, which is weirdly shaped but looks fine. Guy Hughes’ sound design and musical direction are lovely – the musical interludes, particularly in the first half, are beautiful, allowing Scott Brooks to use his magic to create more soundscapes. This idea is then dropped until the end of the second half, which is a shame. The music, however, is lovely, and Brook’s instrumental talent is great - ranging from an accordion to an empty water container used as a drum.
Although both halves of the show get a little confusing and long, the show makes up for it through its brilliance and comedy. The costuming is clear, which is extremely important for this show as it has actors changing between roles non-stop. This production of The Tempest is the first collaboration between Shakespeare North Playhouse and internationally renowned theatre company, The HandleBards. Although it may not always be super clear what is happening (partly due to Shakespeare’s ambiguous writing), it is an extremely entertaining night out with a genuinely talented, hard-working cast who will have you in stitches!
Plays at Shakespeare North Playhouse until 25 October
★★★★
