Theatre Review: RSC First Encounters: The Tempest

trigger warning: discussion of racial violence

Intertwining themes of morality, greed, and deception throughout, The Tempest begins on a ship amidst a violent storm, conjured by Prospero’s magic. This shipwrecks his traitorous brother, Antonio, alongside the King of Naples, his son, and brother. Whilst those shipwrecked are subjected to the disorientating effects of his magic, Prospero must battle his morality to decide what lengths he will go to exact revenge upon Antonio.

Director Parsons wished for the play to ‘create an “other-worldly” atmosphere’ – this is effectively implemented in performance. The audience is first immersed within the play through sound. The swirling violence of the wind is made through a multitude of eerie voices circulating the theatre, entrapping us within the danger and threat of the storm, a symbolic introduction of the chaos to come. Throughout, more abstract sounds are created to emphasise the magical nature of the island, the sole setting of the play. As certain characters fall victim to Ariel and Prospero’s spells, this is mirrored through the alluring harmonies of Garratt’s voice (Ariel) and background voices, demonstrating the potency of this entrancement as all sense of individuality is lost.

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The play presents more complex themes of colonialism, forgiveness and power struggles in an accessible manner

I found the stage layout to be more simplistic, comprised of a green and brown mound, representative of the land, alongside a green curtain fringe as the backdrop, depicting tropical trees. Whilst I appreciate the director’s desire to create a more familiar portrayal of an island, I felt that the surroundings could have been more colourful to further this magical atmosphere. However, this simplicity shifted the focus onto the characters and their interactions with the land, rather than the surrounding itself. Instead, the vibrancy of colour was prevalent through Váquez’s choice of clothing for the characters. Ariel is a spirit whose mystical qualities were successfully brought to life through the outfit worn, consisting of multi-coloured ruffles to create wings, representing the different layers of illusion created through magic. The symbolic role of clothing was particularly emphasised by the rope worn around the necks of Ariel and Caliban, depicting the heaviness of the entrapment they experience when subjected to serve Prospero, their master; the conflict between the coloniser (Prospero) and the colonised (Ariel and Caliban) is explored here.

Since magic is prevalent throughout, lighting is cleverly utilised to symbolise the potency of this force. When magic is used with immoral intentions, evident when Prospero inflicts suffering upon Caliban to remind him of his obligations as an enslaved character, warm red lighting appears to condone such exploitation. Many moral dilemmas arise in this play and are addressed, a compelling warning to the audience on the dangers of power and control.

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Marshall and Winters assumed the previously male roles of Antonio, Alonso, and Trinculo […] these female characters defy social conventions through wit, ambition, and authority

Unlike previous productions, this adaptation is shorter, running for just 80 minutes. This allowed the pace of the play to increase, maintaining the audience’s attention whilst exploring scenes in depth. The play presents more complex themes of colonialism, forgiveness and power struggles in an accessible manner, allowing the target audience (ages ranging between 7 and 13 years) to understand these issues more easily. This production focuses on the dynamics between characters, ranging from father-daughter relations to interactions between the inhabitants of the island and Milan, heightening the tensions between different lifestyles and conventions.

Whilst this adaptation followed The Tempest’s plot fairly closely, the main differences were evident in the casting, whereby Marshall and Winters assumed the previously male roles of Antonio, Alonso, and Trinculo. By doing so, these female characters defy social conventions through wit, ambition, and authority, especially evident in Winters’ portrayal of Antonio. Contrasting the passivity of Prospero’s daughter Miranda, Antonio increases her influence over others, twisting morals to persuade us of a favourable reality to highlight one’s vulnerability. Here the flaws of humanity destabilise relations, as the audience continually moves from one plot to another!

Ultimately, the audience is taken on a journey from disruptive storms to ostensibly calm land. As spectators, we are given insight into the conniving schemes of different characters, heightening the dramatic tension as we witness an unpredictable turn of events through the cast’s mesmerising performance.