The Tempest - Drury Lane
Glib, in the sense of shallow or empty. The Tempest, directed by Jamie Lloyd, seemed to embody aspects of these words. So much was happening, yet everything felt hollow. Sigourney Weaver delivered the lines, but instead of turning the tone into an invigorating adventure, it quickly became something you fought to stay awake for. The set was so grey and hard to see through, with the highlight being a cloth that reflected light. When white light shone over it and it waved through the air, it looked like a large fairy wing. Mason’s entrance with large notes that echoed along the sides of the theater created a dystopian, hypnotic dream. The lighting made the stage feel as if it went on forever.
The theme of this empty world, isolated in the middle of nothing, was clear. The Tempest feels like a piece where a woman in the role of Prospero could command everything and take charge of control. Instead, Sigourney Weaver sat there as if the audience was expected to fill the energy herself. The comedy between the Boatswain, played by Phillip Olagoke, Caliban, played by Forbes Masson, and Trinculo, played by Matthew Horne, felt too consistent, as if nothing changed between scenes. While I wanted to laugh, it did not feel as if the actors were listening to each other but merely saying what they were required to.
Some aspects of the costume design, by Soutra Gilmour, felt disturbing. Caliban in a diaper, rolling in dirt, was more uncomfortable than compelling. The most compelling performer was Mason as Ariel. Their connection to the space and movement was captivating. The drag of their feet, the flick of a hand, drew the audience to them.
It felt as if the movement and poetry of Shakespeare were lost, and Lloyd’s interpretation fell flat. Dialogue between Caliban, in blurred lines, and the Boatswain felt degrading. As the characters grew drunker, the staging became cleaner, but it did not feel playful or interactive with the audience. Instead, it became a routine for the actors, leaving a desire for more engagement from the viewers. The blocking rarely filled the stage. The actors had all this space behind them but rarely layered or spread across it. Most of the time, they were clumped together in one area, always on stage. By the end, the audience stood, and confusion set in. Was it because they had enjoyed the performance, or out of obligation?
