The Tempest @ Yarmouth Hippodrome
A brave new world.
I have seen countless Shakespeare adaptations performed in infamous venues such as The Globe, The National Theatre on London’s Southbank and, of course, at Norwich’s own Theatre Royal; never before have I seen Shakespeare performed in a Circus Ring on water. No. That has never happened - until last night!
The Tempest, directed by the creative mastermind that is William Galinsky took to the stage, (or rather the water) inside an enchanted venue that appears not to have changed since it was first built in 1903 by the legendary circus showman George Gilbert. The melding of traditional Shakespearian acting and the wonder of a traditional circus performance and setting took my breath away, literally!
In addition to the original players, the likes of Prospero, Miranda and Ariel were accompanied by faceless spirits of the Island, acrobats and other magical abstract creatures. The aerial hoop performances were truly breathtaking and carried a subtlety of the spirits she represented.
For me, Ariel (Jane Leaney) stood out from the others as being something otherworldly. The way she moved her body, transformed her shape and controlled the space was really quite something to behold. At one point she terrified both audience and players with a speech bellowed through a microphone with a sound effect that made her sound like she came from hell itself. In the next scene she wore a skintight bumblebee onesie and buzzed around the lovers as they watched the dance of the bunny rabbits, butterflies and squirrels. That woman's talents were the epitome of versatile; I couldn’t stop staring at her.
The incorporation of water throughout the show enabled the audience to plunge into the depths of magical madness - I’m sure people on the front row got splashed at points! We were treated to synchronised swimming and water fights, juxtaposed by a yellow circle surrounding the water; an excellent representation of “dry land”.
A word of warning - the seats are very much in keeping with the 1900’s in the sense that they are MEGA uncomfortable! My friend resorted to the floor after the interval which proved to be a wise move. Bring a cushion.
That aside, I cannot say enough positive words about this show; it is the definition of “brave new world” and if you don’t make the trip out to the seaside to go and watch it you are a damn fool I tell thee!
