The Tempest

Shakespeare in the Garden – The Turk’s Head, Twickenham

Reviewed – 25th September 2020

★★★

 

“The cast is definitely not short of energy and enthusiasm, and, as an audience, that is infectious”

 

Open Bar have been putting on Shakespeare productions in pub gardens since 2015; their mission statement, clearly set out in the digital programme, is ‘to create fun, clear reinventions of the Bard’s best’ which both ‘Shakespeare aficionados and first timers’ can enjoy. Six actors take on the multiple roles, with all the fast and furious costume changes you’d expect. The text is sprinkled with contemporary references and direct address, and the actors steer the Shakespearian ship with barrels of ‘lets-all-have-a-great-time’ gusto. The cast is definitely not short of energy and enthusiasm, and, as an audience, that is infectious. The problem lies with the fact that frequently the actual play gets lost in the fun.

Given that the rambunctious approach is clearly Open Bar’s brand, The Tempest seems an odd choice. The late plays are all a good deal more cerebral in tone, and The Tempest is no exception, taking on such mighty themes as colonisation and the nature of power and forgiveness; it is also, in many ways, Shakespeare’s examination of his own art, and the power of theatrical magic to transform. Whilst a pub garden on a chilly Autumn night may not be the right place for a deeply political take on the play, there could have been a lot more made of the magic, and, highly skilful though it undoubtedly was, Ariel’s aerial athletics were no substitute for the astonishing conjuring tricks of the language itself. Nicky Diss’s direction relied heavily on Vicky Gaskin’s movement direction, and too often the text was lost in the physicality of the performance. At times, this meant a lack of clarity with regard to plot, and at others, lack of poetry. At no point in the production did ‘the enchanted isle’ genuinely seem a place of wonder.

That said, there were some terrific moments, and some fine performances too. Special mention here to Jessica Alade (Miranda/Antonia) who spoke the verse with subtle poetry and exceptional clarity, and to Adam Courting, who’s Prospero, although perhaps lacking in power, was a highly engaging and charismatic mischief-maker. The Tempest’s comedy duo – Stephano (Thomas Judd) and Trinculo (Nathaniel Curtis) – worked well together, though Trinculo’s mincing campery made somewhat uncomfortable viewing in 2020 and did seem a jarring directorial choice.

Seeing theatre at the moment is a headier and more complex pleasure than in pre-COVID times. The joy of being there at all is, of course, intensified, and it was and is heartening to see so many people swathed in blankets under a September moon to share the experience of live performance. That experience is bitter-sweet however. The Open Bar team worked social distancing and hand sanitising into their production with their trademark rollicking good humour, but there’s no denying that theatre loses an awful lot without touch. Similarly, although we, of course, all need escape and entertainment in these turbulent times, we ignore theatre’s power to help us understand ourselves, and our human predicament, at our peril.

 

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Photography by Headshot Toby

 

The Tempest

Fuller’s Shakespeare in the Garden continues at various locations until 1st October. Click on image below for details.

 

 

Last ten shows reviewed by Rebecca:

The Maids | ★ | Hen & Chickens Theatre | January 2020

Tom Brown’s Schooldays | ★★ | Union Theatre | January 2020

Ghost Stories | ★★★ | Theatre Royal Brighton | February 2020

Since U Been Gone | ★★★★ | The Vaults | February 2020

The Fourth Country | ★★★★★ | The Vaults | February 2020

The Tin Drum | ★★★★ | The Coronet Theatre | February 2020

Henry V | ★★★★ | The Barn Theatre | March 2020

Superman | ★★★½ | The Vaults | March 2020

Fanny & Stella | ★★★★ | The Garden Theatre | August 2020

C-o-n-t-a-c-t | ★★★★ | Monument | September 2020

 

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