Christopher Walker reviews Shakespeare in the Squares production of The Tempest

Shakespeare in the Squares is a not-for-profit touring theatre company that stages a Shakespeare play in London garden squares for one night in each venue every summer, writes Christopher Walker.

The productions are tailored to the individual garden squares, and showcase talented young actors.

Their new production of The Tempest is tremendous fun, and captures the magic of the original piece well.

The Tempest lends itself well to a garden production. It is set in the open air on a magical island “full of strange noises” (a good excuse for the multi-talented company to provide plenty of music).

There is reference to Bermuda (where there had been a famous shipwreck just before the play was written) justifying director Sioned Jones’s Calypso twist.

The play itself is very much Fantasy Island.

It concerns Prospero, the dethroned Duke of Milan who has taken refuge with his daughter Miranda on a tropical isle. Here he perfects his magical powers through study, capturing the sprite Ariel and enslaving Caliban, the deformed son of a witch.

He conjures up a tempest which captures a good chunk of the Milanese and Neapolitan courts which are on their way back from a royal wedding in Tunis.

Quite how they end up in the tropics is a moot question. On this point Shakespeare’s geography is rather imaginative.

Veteran actor Mark Carlisle injects a mafioso slant into his performance as Alonso the King of Naples.

Ellis Kerkhoven who plays Prospero, is also know to TV viewers of Doctors. His performance is very accomplished, and he conveys much of the poetry in his role well.

Phyllis Ho is very spirited as Ariel, dashing around the stage in a variety of flouncy outfits thanks to Emily Stuart and Colette Robinson-Collcutt, while playing her violin.

Indigo Griffiths is an inspired Miranda bringing much comedy to the role. Her romance with Prince Ferdinand is well brought off, and young Wilf Wandsworth is an appropriate Prince Charming. He is less convincing as the deformed Caliban. Perhaps a bit more make-up is needed.

Comedy is also to the fore in the truly wonderful performances from William Shackleton (Antonio and Stefano) and Sasha Wilson (Trincula and Sebastia).

The company are not afraid to have women playing what were originally men’s roles.

And wisely, rather than take the Globe’s approach of shouting loudly and slapping their thighs, simply recast them as women.

Likewise the old Neapolitan counsellor becomes Gonzala, and is well portrayed by Laura Gomez Gracia. Who also does much of the singing.

The acoustics are not always perfect, but this is all great fun.

Impressively the well behaved young children were mesmerized. American tourists were a little more baffled.

https://shakespeareinthesquares.co.uk/tickets/

 

Picture: The cast of The Tempest Picture: James Millar