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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Youngsters work up a storm The Tempest Stage 2 The Crescent Theatre ***** IF this production had found itself at
Stratford rather than The Crescent it would not have looked out of
place. It is that good. Director Liz Light has taken a couple of
liberties with the script. In Shakespeare's day the female parts would
have been played by men, in this version key male parts are played by
women. Prospero the overthrown Duke of Milan has become
a widow and a duchess while Antonio the usurping brother has become
Antonia the usurping sister. Even the king's drunken steward Stephano
has had a sex change to become drunken cook Stephana. Not that that detracts unduly, indeed Chloe Jones
in the lead role of Prospero towers over the production , she is just
magnificent while Jacoba Williams is outstanding as the drunken cook,
which is not to diminish Bryony Lovell's performance in the less
commanding role of Antonia. The play opens with a storm, let's call it a
tempest, which is whipped up by Prospero and her band of sprites and
fairies, to bring Alonso, the King of Naples, Andrew Brown, his
illegitimate brother Sebastian, Jonathan Dowsett, along with servant
Adrian, Matt Childs and sister Antonia to Prospero's island. With them is Gonzalo, a kindly courtier, who
secretly helped Prospero and her daughter Miranda when they were
banished out to sea, who is nicely played in another of the play's comic
characters by Rowan Turner-Powell. Also shipwrecked is Alonso's son Ferdinand who
thinks has father is dead while his father thinks his son is dead. It is no surprise that the plot is designed first
for Prospero to right the wrongs done to her and then for the prince,
played by Gabriel Hudson, to get hitched up with Miranda, played with
all the innocence of youth by Sarah Middlemiss all helped along by
Prospero's fairies led by Ariel, played with enthusiastic style by the
young and diminutive Roni Mevorach
Shakespeare is not easy for youth theatre; even
seasoned professionals see it as a challenge. The language is poetic,
inventive and beautiful, flowing like music – but it is the language of
Shakespeare's time, early 17th century English, with words,
nuances, phrasings and meanings which are alien to modern speech. Not easy to learn or deliver but this young cast
did not, noticeably, make any errors and even finished five minutes
earlier than advertised, which gives an idea of the natural rhythm they
created to keep everything moving along. And as this is Stage 2, the cast is of Ben Hur
proportions, but no one steps out of the wings just so they could say
they were in it in a Stage 2 production – even the spear carriers
have to act and look animated, indeed it was noticeable that everyone
looked confident, playing a part and at ease - even with 60 people on
stage Stephana is joined by the court jester Trinculo,
played with timing and a light comic touch by George Hannigan in a sort
of cross between Joe Pasquale and Bluebottle with plenty of visual
humour to boot, both shipwrecked who team up with the scruffy, bear of a
man Caliban, Prospero's slave, who wants to get his island back. The trio are a comic diversion and very funny
with Sam Hotchin giving us an angry, bitter slave offering devotion to
anyone who helps him get his island back – which involves killing
Prospero just in case we start to feel sorry for him. The opening is spectacular and a lesson in how to
create a shipwreck with little but a few lights and noise. If there is
one thing that young girls are good at it is screaming and scream they
did racing about in controlled panic along with the crew and mariners
running around the auditorium like – well rehearsed - headless chickens,
as we heard muffled shouts and orders as the ship was lost in a fearsome
storm, or so we thought. Very effective and proving the imagination of
the audience are all the special effects you need. Director Light also uses every inch of the
Crescent with action at the back of the auditorium, in the aisles and on
the balconies The clever set with a rock, bridge, platform or
whatever is needed at the back has no designer listed which is a pity.
The costumes by Sarah Kemp, assisted by Emma Thompson and Sarah
Middlemiss, were excellent as was the music composed by Richard
Williams. We have come to expect a high standard from Stage
2 but this is an exceptional piece of theatre Roger Clarke |
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