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The Sydney Theatre Company’s final production for 2022 is Artistic Director Kip Williams production of William Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST.

When you walk into the theatre one sees what looks like a huge rock, centre of the stage. This ends up being the island of the play in which  the action takes place.

The story  of THE TEMPEST pivots around the main character Prospero who used to be the Duke of Milan  but was deposed by his treacherous brother, Antonio. Prospero spies a ship in the  ocean that he knows  his brother is on, as well other people whom he knows. With his magical powers Prospero  creates a tempest which upends the ship. The passengers swim to safety on to the island.

The main appeal of the play for me was its colourful characters. These were my favourites:

Richard Roxburgh was great in the leading role. He is the imperious one, who has kind of an over-arching power over everyone, almost God like.  It is almost like he is a conductor, or for that matter even a playwright, or a guy holding the puppet strings (the actors), all the time working towards a happy ending.

Guy Simon played Caliban. Caliban is the only native of the island and helped Prospero settle in to the island. Caliban is mischievous, plots to kill Prospero. He is a very physical man. Prospero tries to control him with mixed success.

Claude Scott-Mitchell was great as Prospero’s young daughter, Miranda, inexperienced in life, having lived on the island when she was a young girl, has a lot of challenges  to go through, especially when it comes to men and romance. She ends up having a romance with Ferdinand.

Peter Carroll was excellent as  the ethereal spirit, Ariel whom Prospero relies  on,  Prospero first encountered him. trapped in a pine tree. He acts much like Puck in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ putting people under spells. Carroll had suitably ethereal qualities.

Kip Williams‘ brilliant creative team which created the environment for the actors to work in  comprised set designer Jacob Nash, costume designer Elizabeth Gadsby, lighting designer Nick Schlieper, sound designer Stefan Gregory  and dramaturgy by Shari Sebbens.

Sydney Theatre Company’s production of TEMPEST is playing the Roslyn Packer Theatre at 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, NSW, until 17th December 2022.

https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/

Production photography by Daniel Boud