Director Kell Cowley has undertaken quite an ambitious project in staging The Tempest. It is a popular work and one that has inspired a great many adaptations into film, opera and musical theatre, but it remains problematic to stage due to its complex mixture of comedy, tragedy, myth and magic. Nonetheless, it is this same wealth of content that makes it a constant draw for performers and theatremakers alike.
What has been a labour of love for Cowley is the process of creating a slimmed down version of the text. The Tempest is amongst the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays (barely more than half the words of his longest, Hamlet) but it can still run to well over two hours, and has a sizeable list of named and ensemble characters, so even in a more streamlined adaptation it requires a lot of careful thought. Cowley’s casting, whilst generally following the conventional approach to characterization, adopts a gender-fluid approach and, while the ensemble is a little uneven in places, there are many notable highlights.
Vince Perry makes for an avuncular Prospero, focused far more on the search for justice rather than vengeance, and it is his delivery as much as any that anchors the work and offers clear narrative. Prospero’s fellow inhabitants of the mysterious island are amongst the strongest performances onstage. Milo Lesnichiy is a wonderfully spry Ariel, and really captures the supernatural quality of the airy spirit. Haluk Saglam’s Caliban is as earthy as Ariel is ethereal, but he is every bit as lithe and expressive, and whilst we never see his much spoken of mother the Sycorax there is no doubting his unearthly origin. Isobel Lewis brings a lot to her portrayal of Prospero’s daughter Miranda, and the gradual blossoming of her personality as the story develops is nicely judged.
The remaining cast have a lot to live up to when they wash up on these shores, and among them Zach Waddington is a charming Ferdinand, whilst Ian Dunning gives a fine turn as his father Alonso. Meanwhile the character of Prospero’s treacherous brother Antonio is presented here as Antonia, in the regal guise of Caroline Green.
Some clever lighting and projection effects from Andy Harley-Mills add strong atmosphere to the craggy set, enhanced by Alex Wight’s soundscape. Meanwhile, there has been a lot of work in the costume department, with Lilian Chapman’s designs bringing castaway simplicity to the island bound, wealth to the visitors and genuine magic to the mystical.
Cowley’s direction, assisted by Alexander Davis and Ally Goodman, keeps the story motoring along nicely, and ensures the clarity of storytelling throughout. All in all this production succeeds in ensnaring the elusive essence of a play that some others fail to capture.
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| Isobel Lewis, Vince Perry and Caroline Green as Miranda, Prospero and Antonia - Picture by Stephen Cain Photography |
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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