“A masterclass in the infectiously silly”
Handlebards Production of The Tempest
A review by Amie, Upper 6th student
Our beloved English department at Loreto was lucky enough to see Handlebards’ production of The Tempest at the Shakespeare North Playhouse, and it was indeed “such stuff dreams are made on !”
Nel Crouch’s hilarious direction infused the Shakespeare classic with high energy and inventiveness, making it accessible to all audiences, with only five actors onstage who captured the story wholeheartedly.
The set was minimalistic, featuring a 1980s office aesthetic with a few vines and branches adorning the fly of the stage, drawing us into a somewhat modern sphere. The play opened with an interesting vocal harmony from Ariel that continued to build and layer throughout the show. This worked effectively as a break from the frantic comedy aspects of the performance, providing character depth and emotion.
Ariel then interacted with the audience, passing a toy boat around and spraying them with water pistols, providing shrieks of glee all round. This metatheatrical technique of audience interaction became a common occurrence. It provided smiles and encounters that consistently added moments of improvisation, with even our own Head of English, Mrs Joseph, brought onstage for a slapstick magic show. Students sat shoulder to shoulder with Trinculo and Ms Hallas, designated as Caliban’s mother, Sycorax.
This production was captivating from beginning to end, and what stayed with me was the dynamic skills shown by these tremendous actors who provided a range of characters, accents and costumes. The intricacy of this piece was captivating; it seemed cared for and crafted. Though some audience members left saying they thought deeper thematic meaning was lost, I found a new depth in characters like Prospero that I had never encountered before. This genre of theatre perfectly aligns with the magic of Shakespeare – utter madness.