The Tempest review – Shakespeare gets a radical edit from Sydney Theatre Company

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Sydney Theatre Company, SydneyRoxburgh as Prospero and Guy Simon as Caliban are outstanding in Kip Williams’ latest production, which takes a revolutionary approach to the script

, a Biripi/Worimi actor who is a charismatic Caliban, here granted human dignity in a “new” text and extended stage time.At first, audiences might not notice the numerous script cuts, but there are many: most significantly, Prospero’s worst insults of Caliban, with “filth”, “savage”, “misshapen knave”, “demi-devil” and a “bastard” who is “as disproportion’d in his manners/As in his shape”, are all deleted.

Williams has interpolated many speeches from different Shakespeare plays in this production, most significantly stitching together an entire soliloquy for Caliban which begins by borrowing from Hamlet – “Within the book and volume of my brain” – then segueing to Richard II’s “I weep for joy / To stand upon my kingdom once again” – tweaked as “to sit upon my Country once again” – before ending with part of Richard’s “hollow crown” speech, changing “How can you say to me, I am a king” to “How can...

Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning The opening night audience justifiably applauded that soliloquy. I was less convinced when lines from the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene were added to the romance between Miranda and the King of Naples’ son Ferdinand , although there was terrific chemistry between the pair. Lines such as “parting is such sweet sorrow” are well known to the point of cliche, and they don’t belong here.

Jacob Nash’s set design is simple, but directs the eye exactly where it needs to be – a huge rock eventually surrounded by a circle of fire atop a revolving stage floor, with thunder augmented by Nick Schlieper’s lighting. For director Williams, such a presentation is technically straightforward when compared to his use of “cine-theatre” in productions like

 

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