London.
THE TEMPEST
by William Shakespeare.
Waterloo East Theatre Brad Street SE1 8TN To 26 October 2014.
Tue–Sat 7.30pm Mat Sun 4pm.
Runs 1hr 55min One interval.
TICKETS: 0207 928 0060.
www.waterlooeast.co.uk
Review: William Russell 10 October.
Apocalypse Now.
Director Sarah Redmond appears to have intended to set this heavily cut version of the play in an apocalyptic London, a city decimated by floods and storms and infested by strange beings, namely Prospero’s spirits, led by Arial and his slave Caliban. Fair enough as a concept – concept being all the rage these days with the Bard. But somewhere along the line it has disappeared.
Certainly the set suggests nothing much except a rubbish dump of household bits, and if it is set in London why should Prospero be the ousted Duke of Milan? It is, however, a perfectly serviceable evening, with a rather unusual female Arial (sic) whose relationship with the exiled Duke is slightly suspect – Chip Kureya glides about most impressively – and a solid Prospero in Tom Keller; although again, just who he is, apart from a banished Duke, is unclear. A mystic, a gang leader, a revolutionary, a tyrant ruling his capital city kingdom? Answer comes there none.
The standard of verse speaking is really not very good and one does wonder, since the youthful cast all credit their drama schools, just what gets taught in such places these days. There is no need to enunciate like Gielgud but the lines should at least be clear, audible and make sense.
Matthew Harper’s muscular Caliban is suitably brutish and cunning, but he has chosen to adopt a rather peculiar speech form and what he is saying is not always clear. Guy Wolf and Rebecca Hazel make a pleasant pair as Ferdinand and Mirander (sic, again), although the games they play are hardly chess and her reaction to seeing other men bodes ill for their future. Lucy Harwood and Sy Thomas do a comedy double act as Trincula and Stephano.
Prospero: Tom Keller.
Mirander: Rebecca Hazel.
Arial: Chipo Kureya.
Boatswain: Drew Michael-Gardner.
Antonio: Daniel Everitt-Lock.
Sebastian: Alex Morgan.
Gonzalo: Jamie Brotherson.
Iris: Lucy Richards.
Ceres: Anna Briton.
Trincula: Lucy Harwood.
Stephano: Sy Thomas.
Caliban: Matthew Harper.
Alonzo: Andrew Bergamimi.
Ferdinan: Guy Wolf.
Director: Sarah Redmond.
Choreographer: Christian Valle.
Designer: Dan Gilllingwater.
Lighting: Tom Kitney.
Composer: Dan Gillingwater.
Costumes: Jamie Brotherson.
2014-10-12 11:44:50
