User reviews

According to an interview with Gregory Doran, its artistic director, the Royal Shakespeare Society wanted to make this production a fittng one for Shakespeare's 400th anniversary, particularly in terms of its use of modern technology, supposedly something which the Bard himself achieved - with different means of course - when the play was first performed in the 1610s.

This was most pointedly achieved in the use of motion capture technology for the presentation of a luminous Ariel, who floated above the stage, mirroring the efforts of the actions of the actor Mark Quartley on the stage. This wasn't bad, but why didn't they try to achieve something even more wizard-like with the critical scene with Stephano, Trinculo and Calaban, when Ariel manages to get Trinculo in a lot of trouble by mimicking his voice while his spirit is unseen by all three? Much better were the simulated backgrounds during the finale of Prsopero's magical presentation to the young lovers.

Simon Russell Beale does a truly impressive job of mirroring Prsopero's primal doubts: about giving up his magic, about losing his daughter, and about seeking revenge on those who have come under his power after his twelve years of exile on his magical isle. Simon Trinder and Tony Jawawardena do a marvelous job as Trinculo and Stephano: but buffoons are relatively easy to play, and the parts are admirably written to give rise to laughter. Jenny Rainsford and Daniel Easton were okay as the young lovers, but paled in comparison with their counterparts in the 2014 Globe Theatre production which, unfortunately for this version, I watched just before viewing this one.

Elly Condron, Jennifer Witton and Samantha Hay as the conjured goddesses literally 'stopped the show' in my mind with their beautiful singing.

This is a hard play to pull off as an integral whole, combining as I believe it does stories of familial revenge, young love and a large measure of comic relief, generally delivered in a slapstick manner. I truly admire the dedication and professionalism of this attempt, but Shakespeare set them a daunting task to combine these quite seemingly disparate parts into an integrated whole. That their achievement seemed to be missing something does not diminish my respect for their efforts.

This is one of the most exciting and dynamic version of The Tempest that I could find available to watch. It cleverly uses the stage as a 3-dimensional space bringing the island and the world of The Tempest to life. There are visual effects, atmospheric lighting and plenty of colour and movement. Simon Russell Beale is of course a great actor but I don't think he is the perfect Prospero. Nevertheless this is very enjoyable and the easiest to watch version of The Tempest I think you will find available on screen.

'The Tempest' is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. It contains one of his most imaginative settings, which can be truly wondrous with the right budget. Again, Shakespeare's mastery of text is evident throughout with many memorable, iconic in some cases, lines, speeches and scenes. And the characters are not easy to forget, with the play boasting two of for me Shakespeare's greatest characters in Prospero and Caliban. Had absolutely no problem with this Royal Shakespeare Company production to have more emphasis on technology in hindsight.

Despite also initially worrying about whether the technology would get in the way of the drama and be too overblown. It did make me think though that if done right that it could solve the potential problems of scenes looking cheap, the setting is meant to be wondrous and mysterious but too many productions have suffered from budget constraints. There was also further hope as although Gregory Doran is not the most innovative of directors he showed in his production of 'King Lear' that he does understand Shakespeare's style and text and the character complexity. Also hugely admire Simon Russell Beale, very seasoned in Shakespeare and wonderful in it. Watching this production, there is a lot to admire, namely the performances, and did appreciate what the production was trying to do, but any potential traps of having this amount of emphasis on technology are fallen into.

A lot is done right here. The best thing about this production of 'The Tempest' is Russell Beale on towering form as Prospero. Prospero is a very complex character, Russell Beale makes him a complex character just by his sheer presence and line delivery alone and not only clearly understood the character but brought things to him not seen before in other interpretations, showing both intense fury and also a poignant sincerity beautifully balanced and handled with great ease and magnificent authority. The other standout is Joe Dixon, he brings a sympathetic quality to Caliban that is very affecting while also not forgetting the character's monstrous side that is quite sinister to watch.

Got a lot of enjoyment too out of Mark Quartley's ethereal and entertaining Ariel, who never comes over as too mannered. Simon Trinder and Tony Jawawardena didn't come over as too clownish or annoying in roles (and types of characters) that are so easy to overplay, they do try too hard at times but it doesn't become unbearable. As one can tell, most of the production's appeal is to do with the cast. Doran's stage direction is never really a major disaster (though it left me somewhat mixed), he does understand the text and the meaty characters (so Prospero and Caliban) are directed with insightful complexity and with good understanding of the characters. The production certainly looks imposing and does have a wonder and mysteriousness, it makes a real effort to solve potential problems with scene changes and not being stage bound.

When it comes to the visuals though it could have fared better. The spectacle does tend to distract from the drama, meaning that we should be paying attention to the stage direction and text and are instead concentrating on the visual effects. While they do look great, one doesn't properly get immersed in this setting, some of the more ambitious moments bog the pacing down so there are dull stretches and they can be too confined. Doran's stage direction shines in how Prospero and Caliban are directed and some of the direction for Ariel is striking, he also reigns in the comedy enough so that it doesn't get too broad, but elsewhere there is not much that is that distinct or imaginative. It's all present and correct but could have done with more spark.

Moreover, the music serves its purpose but is fairly forgettable and doesn't always fit. Occasionally the comedy is on the strained side and while Jenny Rainsford and Daniel Easton do their best as Miranda and Ferdinand they struck me as rather bland and don't delve into their roles very deeply.

In conclusion, nothing is done disastrously but exceptional quality more comes in spades than as an overall whole. To be seen for the acting, which is superb at its best, but there are better Royal Shakespeare Company filmed productions available when it comes to the directing and how the visuals are used. 6/10

When the lead actor fails for you, it's hard to critique the rest of the play fairly. Simon Russell Beale spoke most of the time in a monotone, seriously undercutting his performance for me. It's a shame, because in some places his acting was good, especially in the final act and the epilogue, and throughout the play he managed to bring out Prospero's anger in a way I hadn't seen before. Yet because of the monotone, it was hard for me to feel that anger.

The use of motion capture for Ariel and video backgrounds worked very well - I was awed and entranced by the goddess scene especially. It was disconcerting, the first time Ariel appeared in person, to see the zipper on his bodysuit. Caliban's costuming was more intriguing than in other productions I've seen, but he lacked the underlying menace he usually has. And I could have done without Trinculo literally being painted as a clown. We get it, Mr. Doran, we got it already.

The rest of the cast was fine, but nobody stood out for me. Even though this version could be considered definitive since it includes virtually the complete text, it's not one I'd care about seeing again (unlike Christopher Plummer's). Except for that goddess scene.