The Tempest: Finding Freedom

Fun Facts: Each actress in this Donmar production took inspiration for their characters from real prisoners and their stories.

Target Audience: While Shakespeare can be daunting, Lloyd’s staging of The Tempest makes it accessible to any newbies, and thrilling for those better acquainted with the Bard.

Best Bit: Jade Anouka (Ariel) is majestic! She floats through the text with ease and exudes a playful fairytale charm. Anouka delivers a polished and focused performance and it appears as if Walters has shared her Shakespearean magic with this force, in more ways that Prospero is known to do.

Morning After Effect: “Hell is Empty, and all the devils are here.”

Verdict: The world works in mysterious ways as The Tempest lands on the shores of America during a vulnerable and frightening time.

As you walk along the cobbled streets and approach St Ann’s Warehouse nestled under Brooklyn Bridge, you can’t help but feel like you are stepping back in time. There is a quiet airiness in this neighborhood which feels unfamiliar to the hustle of New York, and the large red brick building has an ominous appearance. Set near the waters’ edge, St Ann’s Warehouse is the ideal backdrop for The Tempest, Phyllida Lloyd’s final play from the Donmar Shakespeare trilogy. The venue lends itself perfectly to the island-based drama as it feels isolated and forgotten, much like the inmates we are soon to meet.

Guests are instructed that the two-hour performance will have no intermission and immediately this restriction sets a claustrophobic tenor. The prisoners are then marched through the lobby leading the way for the audience into the detention of the prison walls. The Tempest boasts an all-female British cast with Harriet Walter playing the principal role of Prospero. Walter has been praised for her masterful skills in the Shakespearian arena and she is indeed a pro! Lloyd has worked closely with the renowned actress who played Brutus (Julius Caesar) in October 2013 and Henry IV in November 2015.

Shakespearean plays have traditionally been intended for men and the roles envisioned for women are few, furthermore, these roles are usually found in the comedies and center around the notion of finding love, or keeping a man. When Lloyd and Walter decided to embark on the creation of this trilogy they awakened the idea of empowering an all-female cast to take on these classic characters and explore themes such as war, politics and power. Add to that the prison setting, and justice and freedom are brought to the forefront. These women express revenge, violence, loss, guilt and their fight for freedom, themes usually reserved for men; however, seeing the women in prison uniforms allows for androgyny causing each character to be seen for who they are and what they stand for rather than caging them by gender.

Lloyd’s staging is fascinating as it has the ability to make you feel utterly trapped and yet by the end of the production your heart and imagination have been unlocked to a wondrous adventure! The minimalism invites you to create the magic and feel a sense of participation driving the journey ahead . When the giant white balloons appear and pose as screens the digital images feel jarring. Images of magnificent natural scenery are shown and then images of devices and brands replace them. In that moment, the magic starts to slip through your grip as you become hostage to the digital power which hinders imagination. Our digital prison. As Prospero undergoes his journey from fury, anger and demons to self-confrontations and letting go, one can only hope the audience is moved to do the same with our preconceived prejudices and impeding boundaries.

In order for the thespians to understand the world of utter suppression, they collaborated with female prisoners to discuss their experiences and reform. In fact Lloyd attributes their partnership with Clean Break, a theatre company who specializes in working with women in the criminal justice system, as being vital to the production’s success.

Walter, a continued patron of Clean Break, was inspired by the true story of an American woman who was imprisoned for her political principles - Judy Clark, was imprisoned when her child was just eleventh months old, she has served a 35-year sentence to date and her parole will not be granted until she is 107.

“It’s only where the prison metaphor releases the plays, and the plays throw light on our society by looking at the people at the bottom of it, that the Trilogy has power.” - Harriet Walter

If you have the opportunity to see this production before it closes on February 19th, I strongly recommend it. History is being made, and The Tempest reminds you that you are either a participant or prisoner.

Reviewed by Nicola Quinn

22nd January 2017
St. Ann's Warehouse, New York City
Find me on Twitter: @newyorktheatre

View our show pages for more information about The Tempest, St Anns Warehouse.