A brilliant performance overall, the show was not without its highlights. As is to be expected, there was great comedy from the characters of Stephano and Trinculo, especially when I was sung to by Stephano as 'Mary' in a bawdy song, much to the amusement of my friend. More comedic elements were also brought in through the excellent performances of Jessie Buckley and James Garbon, playing Miranda and Caliban respectively.
The main man of the hour, however, was Roger Allam, taking on the principal role of Prospero. An incredible Shakespearean actor, he relished in the role and his interpretation of Prospero's Renunciation was something to behold, despite a premature round of applause.
For me however, the star of the show was Colin Morgan in the role of the spirit Ariel. I can't deny that I'm already a huge fan of his work (he notably played the lead role in the BBC series Merlin), but he really gave an outstanding performance, taking on every element of the character fully, from the light-footed leaping around stage and swinging from the above platform, to such an emotive relationship with Prospero.
The one downside to this though, was the fangirls attracted to the show by Colin's appearance. There was a group stood next to us that were clearly there just for him and showed little respect for the rest of the cast, who were equally incredible, and even for his performance. Their proximity to the young actor and whether he looked at them or not seemed to be the only things that mattered about the whole performance. This was rather distracting, but I'm hoping that this was just an exception.
On a lighter note, I must acknowledge the crew behind the show as well as the cast. It was a very well thought out show, and the task of recreating the tempest on stage was done very cleverly. The costumes too were excellent, especially that of Caliban. At the start of the show, I was rather confused by the costume choice for Ariel, but as the play went on, you got used to it and began to understand why that choice was made.
The final stars that must be noted are the musicians. The show began with a clarinet and mandolin on stage, and ended with a full on band and grand dance that was all in good fun. They were spectacular throughout the whole play, providing background music, but the finale was something quite special.
Overall this production of the Tempest was excellent, creating a great atmosphere. I would happily go again and would definitely recommend it, although next time maybe sitting down.
