Venue: Guildford Shakespeare Company, Stoke Park, Guildford
Dates: Until July 30
OUR VERDICT:
Steve Porter Steve Porter Pictures
Nothing kicks off a production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest like an actual tempest... so just as the actors scrambled for safety atop the pitching vessel that will land them at Prospero’s island, so the assembled audience rummaged for raincoats and brollies as with a weighty rumble the heavens opened to break the week’s short-lived heatwave.
I have since heard from the team at GSC that the performance was beset by a number of issues which began with the part of Alonso having to be read in by Noel White (who coped exceedingly well) owing to a Covid-19 positive result and ended with artistic director Matt Pinches having to spend the night on set after some equipment went missing.
However, if the cast were having a stressful night, the audience remained blissfully unaware, and I for one thoroughly enjoyed the production which was one of the most innovative and entertaining pieces of outdoor theatre I have seen for some time.
The Tempest, one of Shakespeare’s final plays, is also one of the most problematic, exploring multiple plotlines and themes before dragging itself to what seems like a long-awaited and inevitable resolution. However, the clever staging (by Neil Irish) and director Caroline Devlin’s use of multiple settings infused this production with an added energy and sense of purpose.
Beginning the evening on the edge of Stoke Park at GSC HQ near the bowls club, audience members were assigned a group on arrival. After the opening scenes, which consisted of the shipwreck and storm (with the actual storm miraculously abating just minutes after it had begun) and the introduction of Prospero, Miranda and Ariel, the various groups were led to different points where we met a disgruntled Caliban, a confused Ferdinand stranded on the park’s picturesque island, and the shipwrecked nobles plotting further unsavoury deeds in the rose garden.
Everyone moved seamlessly before being brought back together to see Ferdinand and Miranda pledge their love.
While the second half took place in the outdoor auditorium, the action remained pacey as the sun set and an array of fairy lights set the stage area aglow as past misdemeanours were forgiven and long-held enmities forgotten.
While all the cast worked well, the play belonged to two people: Johanne Murdock – who commanded events magnificently as the powerful Prospero – balancing magic and motherhood while all the time trying to assuage her need for vengeance with the knowledge that she must forgive, if her daughter is have any kind of future and normality. And Daniel Krikler who was magnificent as Caliban, the witch’s son, once petted by Prospero but now condemned to live like a captured animal. The physicality, agility and humour of his performance was outstanding, perfectly capturing the pathos of his predicament.
This is GSC’s 50th show and was a fitting a tribute to the astonishing theatre the company has brought to the town. I am already looking forward to the next 50…
