Thursday 25th March until Saturday 1st May 2010 @ Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol

Twelve years ago Prospero, a sorcerer and the rightful Duke of Milan (Millun!), was betrayed by his brother and exiled. Shipwrecked on a strange island, he became its master and now his chance for revenge has finally come as he conjures a storm and scuppers the ship his betrayers are sailing past in. The Tempest has been interpreted in many ways over the years, namely the morality of colonialism and as Shakespeare’s farewell to the stage, but this production focuses simply and sensibly on the inner mind of Prospero; should he seek to punish or forgive those that have wronged him?

Mirroring the success of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was always going to be an uphill battle for Shakespeare At The Tobacco Factory but the first half of this production is a masterful, brooding and mysterious experience. I don’t know whether it was the constant sound of waves lapping gently in my ears, the subtle lighting or the slight direction, but you could really sense an air of magic and controlled mystery and I really shared the fascination of the characters as they explored this strange island.

I could have watched that first half forever but unfortunately it is not built upon in the second. By halfway the audience have a tangible picture in their heads of the island and its magical and theatrical boundaries but after the interval, things get a bit boggy and confused and we have to keep re-evaluating these rules. Too often we were introduced to new characters, new design concepts and new performance styles that don’t marry and each time I felt progressively more alienated. You could argue that that is the boundless magic and mystery of the island but by the final scene, I was finding it difficult to care about the characters.

Performance wise however, there are some wonderful showings. Chris Donnelly (Stephano) and Felix Hayes (Trinculo) reprise their comedy double-act to great effect but it is Christopher Staines’ Caliban that really shines. From his chilling entrance through to his unsettling dancing and foul wine chugging, he is all spitting rage and tortured naivety; a wonderfully grotesque monster that you don’t know whether to pity or despise.

It’s not the strongest of this company’s work but no matter how good The Tempest is, 2010 was always going to be remembered for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. One more leftfield reason to check out this show though is to familiarise yourself with the play for when Hollywood get their chops round it for a film version due out at the end of the year; have you seen who’s playing Trinculo? Classic!

www.sattf.org.uk

Matthew Whittle www.matthewwhittleblog.blogspot.com
Photos by Graham Burke