Review: THE TEMPEST, Golden Hinde
Photo credit: Julian Guidera
It’s all aboard, or should that be all abard, the Golden Hinde along London’s South Bank for an intimate, 60-minute, abridged, site-specific re-staging of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Staged as part of the month-long Totally Thames Festival, a cultural and historical celebration of rivers, this is a retelling of the legendary tale of the exiled magician Prospero who, with the help of the sprite Ariel, conjures a tempest to shipwreck those who plotted to steal his dukedom?
Alongside more traditional productions, Shakespeare’s canon is wonderfully malleable, allowing creatives opportunities to re-stage his plays in new and inventive ways. This semi-immersive production is a fun and highly successful endeavour, breathing new life into this sea-shanty tale of revenge, control and love. Adaptor Rebekah King captures the magic of the sprite Ariel, skilfully trimming the epic piece down to an hour-long text while maintaining its most crucial plot threads and scenes, and you never feel short-changed. Cassandra Wilson, as Ariel, is appointed as our guide and narrator, using modern-day prose between scenes to lead us safely between the various levels of the Golden Hinde and bridge the story’s transitions. Wilson additionally portrays Prospero’s lovestruck daughter, Miranda, and moves between the three roles with skill, authority and tenderness in equal measure.
Zoé Badovinac gives a commanding performance as Prospero, always with a mischievous and vengeful twinkle in her eye. Alongside Oliver George Wood and Lauren Grierson, all three are tasked with portraying dual roles as part of a six-strong cast, all deftly switching between humorous and dramatic parts. Hadrian Conyngham, as Caliban, is given the opportunity to utilise the ship’s structure, climbing and crouching across stairs and beneath pillars to deliver a dynamic physical performance. (Be warned: audience members, too, will at times find themselves crouching and sitting on the floor for brief periods, adding to the immersive approach). Charlie Woodward completes the cast with a standout performance as Ferdinand, utilising the ship’s capstan with great commitment and fully drawing the audience into his tender meeting with Miranda.
Director and producer Callie Nestleroth is the Prospero-like conductor who expertly manoeuvres their talented cast among the promenading audience, guiding them up, down and across all three levels of the Golden Hinde’s cramped walkways and unforgiving stairs. Nestleroth utilises every part of the vessel to enhance the drama while maintaining a sense of intimacy, as performers appear and reappear from different entrances and even sit among the audience. The only slight drawback is the practical challenge of moving an audience around the narrow, low-ceilinged ship, which extends the running time just beyond an hour and slightly interrupts the flow. However, the atmosphere is never lost, and scenes are quickly established in their new locations.
In an inventive and successful directorial choice, the audience mirror the ship’s passengers during the storm in Act One, as they are divided into two groups to witness separate scenes performed concurrently, reflecting the dispersal of characters across different parts of the island. One half witnesses Caliban’s discovery by the jester Trinculo, while the other sees the meeting between Miranda and Ferdinand. The groups then swap places and the scenes are replayed. Additionally, sound effects of the storm, the dramatic dimming of lights, the dragging of props on the level above our heads, and voices ascending from beneath us all contribute to a thrilling, ghost-story-like atmosphere.
The commitment of the entire cast and creative team to finding new and inventive ways to re-stage Shakespeare should be applauded. If you are new to the play, the setting will not necessarily make the story easier to follow, but it will certainly add to your enjoyment. Why not be transported to a magical island without ever leaving London’s South Bank?
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Phil Meikle
