The Royal Shakespeare Theater Company’s: The Tempest

My wife and I went to London over the weekend for a short vacation. While we were in the Covent Market section of the city, I looked up and saw a huge sign advertising The Royal Shakespeare Theater Company’s: The Tempest, starring Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) as Prospero. 

Although the entire weekend was sold-out, we were lucky enough to get “return tickets” for Saturday’s show. Compared to the production we watched during class, this seemed like a different play. Although seeing the play in London, performed by the RSTC, certainly added to the experience, the production was amazing. It wasn’t a play I had enjoyed reading or watching, but after seeing it in London I have a new appreciation for the play.

Some of the differences:

First, the time period had been updated. Although the time period wasn’t mentioned, the opening took place on a steamship and—given the characters clothing—I would say it was supposed to be around the turn of the 20th century. Before the play started, there was a curtain covering the stage with a radio and a radar screen. When the play began, they projected a storm at sea against the backdrop and a radio voice was heard mentioning a big storm. Then, the radar screen disappeared and the actors appeared in its place, running around below deck.

One of the major changes, aside from the time period, was the island. It was not a tropical paradise like in the production we saw; rather, it was a frozen island. This made Gonzalo’s speech about the utopia he would found their seem very optimistic, and made Gonzalo a very sympathetic character; you could see just how good his heart was because we was always looking for the best even in a bad situation.

Also, the portrayal of Ariel was very different. He was more of a gothic type of demon than a ”airy spirit.” His face was covered in white and black makeup and he wore a high-collared trench coat that covered his feet, giving the impression of him “floating across the stage.” He had a very acrimonious relationship with Prospero and their lines were delivered with more venom than we witnessed. Prospero did not seem as controlled or calm as he was portrayed in the version we saw. He came across as a man robbed of his title that had been stuck on an island for twelve years.

Since Gonzalo came across as this optimistic, good-hearted man who had helped Prospero, the scene between Ariel and Prospero, where Ariel tells Prospero of the tears Gonzalo sheds, is more impacting than the version we saw. This scene doesn’t just pass by like so many others. In this scene, in this version, Ariel acts like Prospero’s conscience and seems to convince him, subtly, to change his plans.

After having just read the play, it was really quite amazing to see this kind of production in, of all places, London by the RSTC.