Director Jack Scott has produced a winning, highly accessible version of the Shakespeare classic for Grimsby audiences which opens on Saturday and runs for a week at the Caxton Theatre. With a flexible playing space that looks as if a tornado has whipped up a classic seaside resort and dropped it onto a tropical island, the show is an explosion of colour and vitality. Everywhere the eye lands there is a visual treat to behold and the detail in the set dressing is impeccable. Audiences will not be disappointed when greeted with the familiar sight of oversized British seaside postcards adorning the set.
To make Shakespeare feel fresh after centuries, it is necessary to re-invent the staging and the humour, sometimes these updates are successful and other times, less so. That is probably true of this version. For the most part, the interpretation of the show works extremely well but I shall leave it to audiences to decide for themselves if every aspect works. I suspect that as I saw a dress rehearsal, the presence of an audience will lift the performers to a greater height of performance and the humour will soar.
There can be no doubt that Michael Mayne relishes the opportunity to perform as Prospero, ruling over this remote isle. Mayne is made for such a role, he is imperious and commanding with twinkle of mischief in his eyes and lightly twirled moustache to complete the picture. His rich voice plays wonderfully with Shakespeare's language and he excels in his performance of Prospero's great monologues. His relationships with daughter Miranda and spirit/servant Arial are exactly as you would hope. Mayne is worth the admission fee alone, such is his performance.
Prospero's daughter, Miranda, is played by Gemma Dodds - a far cry from her performance as the scheming, manipulative Lady Macbeth seen previously at the Caxton Theatre. Miranda, by contrast, is a sweet, doe-eyed innocent who's only frame of reference for men are the two with whom she has grown up - her father and the hideous Caliban. Thus, when a tempest created by Prospero wrecks a ship carrying nobles from Naples, including those whose actions led to Prospero's banishment to the island with his then, three-year-old daughter. When Miranda claps eyes on Ferdinand, she is instantly smitten. Dodds conveys the astonishment and obsession with Ferdinand perfectly.
The ethereal spirit and companion to Prospero is Arial played by Jess Howden. Howden's physicality and grace brings a lightness to the proceedings as wisp-like she flits unseen by others tormenting them and spying on them. Her non-stop movement is an achievement in itself. I was worn out just watching.
As Caliban, the deformed freak of nature, Jasper Barnbrook gives a wholehearted and committed performance. Barnbrook's Caliban is bitter, resentful and above all, angry. When Caliban discovers what he considers to be an escape route from his torment as Caliban's slave, he seizes the opportunity with both hands and teams up with Stephano and Trinculo in a drunken attempt to seize power on the island.
The apple of Miranda's eye is Ferdinand portrayed by John Ferguson. Here, Ferdinand is a socialite who has lived a spoiled life and is not as perfect as Miranda would believe. Ferguson presents him as an egotist and a braggard, lacking in courage and more feeble than he would like everyone to believe. Ferdinand is more comic than romantic in his wooing of Miranda.
The butler, Stephano, is a wonderful comic creation from Louise Blakey. A music hall drunkard whose comedy is crass and yet very funny. Stephano, initially believing himself to be the soul survivor of the shipwreck indulges in drinking copious amounts of wine rescued from the wreck and tottering and teering all over the stage, confused and bemused in equal measure. Blakey's wonderful turn plays brilliantly off the more deadpan Trinculo and the naive but trusting Caliban who sees Stephano as the solution to his life of misery.
Trinculo, a clownish fool played by Pamela Whalley is comic partner to Stephano and yet something in Whalley's performance gives the role greater depth as she delivers her lines with such clarity and understanding. I should say that Trinculo looks splendid in her brightly coloured costume and is a visual treat to behold.
Then comes the remainder of the court Alonsa played by Molly Charnley is a monarch mourning the loss of her son in the storm - as she believes, unaware of him surviving and in the process of wooing Miranda. As a gender swap, the casting works well and Charnley delivers a maternal concern that blinds her to the political machinations at play elsewhere. Alonsa's faithful servant and confidante Gonzalo is portrayed by Lucy Tooze as a very fussy and concerned ally, determined to serve to the bitter end. As Alonsa's brother, Josh Wainwright's Sebastian schemes behind her back, alongside Marie Barker's Antonia who years earlier had seen off Prospero and claimed his title as her own. As the out and out villains of the piece, these two succeed in creating an air of mistrust.
The pacing of Scott's production flows beautifully with scene after scene maintaining an excellent pace and audience interest. The cast allow the language to flow marvellously and for most the plot and the dialogue should pose few problems. As mentioned above the play is highly accessible and not allowed to become too grandiose or pretentious in Scott's hands. The costuming is wonderful and the overall look will linger long in the memory of those fortunate enough to see it.
The Tempest opens on Saturday 7th September and runs until Saturday 14th (with no Sunday performance) at the Caxton Theatre in Grimsby. Tickets are available.
Andy Evans 05 September 2024
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