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Director
Jatinder
Verma
Designer
Claudia Mayer
Lighting
&
Video Design
Jvan Morandi
Sound
Design
Kimberly
Egan
for Orbital Sound
Voice
Coach
David Carey
Ferdinand
/
Sebastian
Chris Jack
Antonio
/
Stephano
Tom Kanji
Ariel
Caroline
Kilpatrick
Miranda
/
Alonzo
Jessica Manley
Prospero
/
Trinculo
Robert Mountford
Caliban
/
Gonzalo
Keith Thorne
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Arts Theatre
9 - 27 January 2008 |
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With
minimalist staging and effects
Shakespeare's last play contrives
to enchant us at the Arts
Theatre, just as Prospero
casts his spells on his island-bound
captives, the victims of the
storm he has conjured up.
Six hanging ropes take centre
stage, serving as both scenery
and props as the multi-tasking
cast swing from them, take
shelter among them and use
them as weapons against each
other.
Prospero, the rightful but
deposed and exiled Duke of
Milan, played sympathetically
and charismatically by Robert
Mountford, dominates the proceedings,
along with Ariel, his spirit
servant who is instrumental
in carrying out various spells
against the shipwrecked company.
This includes the usurping
Duke (Prospero's brother Antonio),
co-conspirator Alonso (King
of Naples) and his son Ferdinand.
What ensues is a love story,
an assassination plot, treachery
and eventual forgiveness:
we are asked to imagine a
great deal, and are helped
along by some video projections
and sound and lighting effects,
but in the end it is by the
efforts of the young cast
(with the omnipresent ropes)
that we are transported.
Low-budget but high energy,
this production requires the
young cast to double up on
their roles, with interesting
but at times confusing results.
Keith Thorne, making his professional
debut as Caliban / Gonzalo,
makes the job seem easy: from
writhing, physically disgusting
Caliban to upright and dignified
Gonzalo; Jessica Manley makes
for a charmingly innocent
Miranda but a less convincing
Alonso. Prospero is a large
enough role that an actor
playing him wouldn't normally
be expected to play Trinculo
as well, and this doubling
is not so successful. Ariel,
perhaps fittingly, is the
only character that does not
have to share her actor (Caroline
Kilpatrick) - and is perhaps
the most down to earth and
funny member of the cast.
If the programme hadn't mentioned
that the production company,
Tara, was a cross-cultural,
East-meets-West organisation
I would have thought nothing
of the mixed race casting
and Islamic touches to the
proceedings - it's what one
expects in the theatre as
a reflection of the multi-ethnic
community we inhabit. It was
nice to see that the young,
enthusiastic audience also
reflected this mix. An uplifting
beginning to a new year.
Chris
Brody |
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