Friday 1st July to Saturday 6th August 

Mucking around with Shakespeare’s temporal settings in the attempt to make him bang up-to-date can, amongst other positive outcomes, throw new light onto the play by coming at it from a novel angle and/or throw into sharper focus established ideas. In Deborah Warner’s new production, King Alonso’s venal court has all the gloss we’d expect of guests on a super-yacht. The frame of reference is clear and our expectations lie in wait; here’s a bunch of oligarchs who’ve schemed and cheated their way to the top.

With Nicholas Woodeson, as Prospero, we find something like a wronged and bitter professor who has, at some cost, neglected his state duties.  Helped by some algebraic projections onto the back of Christof Hetzer’s set, we sense the gnawing canker of a wronged and bitter man who has sunk (or perhaps risen) to using the power of occult science to control nature for his personal ends. Having done what he set out to do he abjures that same power having re-established the proper order of things thus ending his extended sojourn in utopia.  

One thing Ms Warner’s interpretation clarifies is that Caliban (Edward Hogg) is not deformed, but unformed. Not seen as an inhuman monster, but more a wronged soul, in shape and style reminiscent of Poor Tom in King Lear. His innocence and credulity are used by Prospero as a means to punish his bestial desires and by the mechanicals, abused for their own sensual pleasure. His description of the island with it’s ‘sweet airs’ shows him as a creature capable of poetry and by extension improvement.

Tanvi Virmani as Miranda, in not just her first major role since leaving drama school, but her first role of any sort, has landed on her feet and set off running. It’s an accomplished piece of acting under Ms Warner, who has allowed the character to have some spirit. She is, if not stroppy, at least a bit of a handful for her embittered dad. The whirlwind romance with Ferdinand (Pierro Niel-Mee) seems fresh and utterly without artifice.

Prospero hardly ever interacts directly with Ariel (Dickie Beau) who similarly communicates indirectly by looking out into the audience. This is a precious and other-worldly Ariel. The projections onto his back of a sort of static fizz make him seem about to de-materialize; it’s a novel use of modern technology. As well as that clever visual pixellation, Torge Møller’s video designs are used in the spirit scenes where the frolicking or hunting of numbers of fairy folk appear without obvious physical intrusion.

One issue I hadn’t noticed before at the Ustinov was the less than perfect acoustic. I found myself losing parts of Mr Woodeson’s speeches, which was a shame as he is otherwise a model of clarity.

Those who like their Shakespeare custom made for the times will find this production a perfect meeting of the talents.

★★★★☆   Graham Wyles  9 July 2022

photo credit copyright Hugo Glendinning