THE PLAY’S THE THING!
Review by Russell Blackaller
The Tempest, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon.
THE RSC’s Christmas show this year is Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest. And because it is Christmas, the audience is treated to a visual feast, incorporating a towering set, lavish costumes and the latest digital technology.
But the greatest Christmas present is the quality of the performances, led by ‘old school’ actor, Simon Russell Beale.
The show is a curious mixture.
Director, Gregory Doran, is clearly at home creating wonderfully sensitive and imaginative characterisations, but I am not sure that technology is really his thing.
The impressive technology serves to elaborate and decorate the action beautifully, but in a rather bolt-on fashion.
However, the play’s the thing and it won’t disappoint!
Joe Dixon’s portrayal of Caliban is particularly impressive, playing Prospero’s slave as surprisingly vulnerable.
Designed to look like a huge baby, unable to live without a master, it is both touching and amusing when he tries to adopt Stephano as his new ruler.
Tony Jayawardena gives us a new take on Stephano, playing him with an Indian accent and an amusingly erratic personality.
Simon Trinder’s interpretation of Trinculo, the jester, is surprisingly conventional, meaning that we identify more with him than the others in this comic trio.
When all is said and done and everyone forgiven in this ‘revenge comedy’, a single spotlight shines on Prospero, as if to spurn all the technology and silly business that has gone before.
And Simon Russell-Beale knows that when he asks the audience to forgive and set him free, that this is really Shakespeare at the end of his career, asking the audience to release him from his ‘island’, the theatre.
Quite simply, Shakespeare has had enough and wants to retire back to Stratford upon Avon, which he does!
Simon Russell-Beale’s sincerity and complete command of the stage does the bard proud.
8 out of 10
The Tempest runs in Stratford until 21st January 2017.
Box Office 0844 800 1110
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