Tempting Tempest
Great performances characterize MTC’s presentation of Shakespeare’s mystical drama
Barb Stewart

Shakespeare’s final solo-penned play has often been interpreted as his farewell to the stage, perhaps because his protagonist makes peace with his enemies and asks the audience to set him free with their applause.

In any case, The Tempest is The Bard’s ultimate attempt to weave a spell of magic, romance, revenge and redemption.

The play tells the story of Prospero, the shipwrecked Duke of Milan, whose desert- island fate is sealed by his evil brother Antonio and co-conspirators Sebastian and Alonso, the King of Naples.

Antonio usurps Prospero’s title while Prospero and daughter Miranda are stuck on an island. Luckily, Prospero keeps the books that are the source of his magic, and he gains a slave in the form of Caliban, the son of a deceased witch and the only other non-mystical inhabitant of the island.

Things become even more interesting when a ship containing Antonio, Sebastian, Alonso and others comes in the vicinity of Prospero’s isle and he divines a storm to bring the ship’s passengers to shore (with a bit of help from his sprite, Ariel). The ship also happens to carry Ferdinand, the King of Naples’ handsome, good-hearted son, and a host of others, including the hilarious drunks Stephano and Trinculo.

The cast of this MTC production is universally strong, with John Bourgeois giving a fine turn as Prospero. The trio of Kevin Klassen, Matt Kippen and David Warburton — as Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano, respectively — gives the show a great dose of physical comedy.

Young Winnipeg actors Peter Mooney and Daria Puttaert also show the strength of the local talent pool, playing the young lovers Ferdinand and Miranda. Mairi Babb is the best pixie this side of Tinkerbell.

To create the island, designer John Thompson has chosen a simple set — albeit one with an unfortunately large crack in the floor. One hoped none of the actors fell in during the show.

The set’s simplicity is balanced by the intricate costumes of the various nymphs and harpies, but except for a couple of scenes the production doesn’t capture the fantastical qualities of the play.

The strength of the cast elevates MTC’s production, so if you’re a fan of the play it’ll be hard to find much fault. Nevertheless, if The Tempest does not rank among your favourite Shakespeare plays there is little here to make you believe in magic.