 |
| WEBLINK: www.facebook.com/carliolphotography |
Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuide and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide. Read about JoWhereToGo and its PR
and photography services here.
“As you from crimes would pardoned be,
Let your indulgence set me free.”
The
Tempest
by
William Shakespeare
Newcastle
People’s Theatre
Until Saturday 11th
March 2017
Director:
Anna Dobson
Set
& Lighting Design: Tim Swinton
Music:
David & Shona Newey
After
the success of last year’s Richard III (NETG Review LINK)
we’d been looking forward to this year’s performance from Newcastle’s People’s Theatre and
we were not disappointed.
The
tale involves an overthrown Duke called Prospero (Tony Childs) who plans to use
his magical powers to restore his daughter to her rightful position. He is
based on a remote island and he is able to create a storm to lure his usurping
brother Antonio (Jim Simpson) and the complicit King Alonso (Kevin Gibson) to
the island.
 |
| Photo: Paula Smart |
The
Tempest is a popular Shakespearean play and it considered to one of his more
‘musical’ scripts. It is therefore fitting that a pair of musicians were
performing live as the audience took their seats. Indeed there were a number of
singing performances throughout the play. Under Anna Dobson’s direction there
were also a number of funny parts. Not just ‘only funny if you happen to be a
Shakespeare scholar’ either. The four spirits, performed by Daniel Magee,
Millie Hackett, Anna Chidlow and Abigail Heaps plus the comic sprite Ariel
(Mark Burden) generated a number of laughs along the way.
 |
| Photo: Paula Smart |
Central
to the success of any performance of Shakespeare is the strength of the casting
of those central characters. How comfortable are they at delivering the often
dialogue heavy tales? Will the audience engage and care for the characters?
Just like Richard III the casting has produced
a great ensemble. Tony Childs as Prospero is statesman like in his delivery.
Emma Jane Richards is charming,
and gets a few laughs herself, as his daughter Miranda. Pete McAndrew’s Caliban has
the right mix of subservient slave and scheming orchestrator of trouble. I could go on. Needless to see the show
relies on a strong ensemble and this show indeed enjoys such a cast.
 |
| Photo: Paula Smart |
The
production felt modern, helped by both the set and lighting design. There is no
messy conceptualising of the material, it is allowed to be enjoyed as it was
intended.
The
Tempest is a canny show that just shows that you don’t need to break the bank
in order to see a good delivery of the Bard’s work.
Review
by Stephen
Oliver
Tickets:
The Tempest comes to The
People’s Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle
upon Tyne, NE6 5QF on
Tuesday 7th to Saturday
11th March 2017 at 7:30pm
Tickets cost: £13.50
(Concessions £11) and can be obtained from the box office on 0191 265 5020 or
from the website: www.peoplestheatre.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment