Type and hit ENTER

Commonly used tags...

Brighton Festival Brighton Fringe Brighton Pride British Sea Power Cinecity Lewes Psychedelic Festival Locally Sourced Lost & Found Love Supreme Festival Mutations Festival Nick Cave Poets Vs MCs Politics Rag'n'Bone Man Record Store Day Save Our Venues Six Of The Best Source Virgins Streets Of Brighton Street Source Tattoos The Great Escape Tru Thoughts Unsung Heroes
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
The Tempest | Brighton Fringe
The Tempest | Brighton Fringe
The Tempest | Brighton Fringe
Reviews

The Tempest Review

Jul 1, 2021
-
Posted by Mike Aiken

Imagine that you crash land on an island during a vicious storm.

You are a bit on the posh side and your daughter is quite cute too. But then you find out that you are not alone. There’s a strange being hanging around just out of sight. And various other airy fairy freaks too. So who’s in charge round here – and what’s going to happen next?

That’s how Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, kick off the Tempest – just about Shakespeare’s last major work – with the (apparently) strange Caliban lurking around. Prospero, of course, used to be the head honcho in Milan until a decade ago when he was ditched by his brother and cast off to sea. Despite this, he still hopes to one day to get back for a second term.

In my Penguin edition, the Tempest only runs to 75 pages. So you could easily read it on the fast train from Brighton to London. And you would still have time to peek at the planes taking off from Gatwick to mainland Europe, North African, USA and Latin America. And those locations are significant. They were all popping up in Shakespeare lifetime. So the Tempest, despite its relative brevity, remains steeped in contemporary themes: racism, slavery, colonialism, disability, gender bias and the subjection of indigenous people.

Shakespeare was always a lively playwright and, despite the existential angst, often included songs and dance to keep the punters happy. That was also a great feature of this production at Preston Old Church by the Sussex-based This is My Theatre group. Their small but highly experienced team of actors managed to play the entire cast with accurate mannerisms and rapid costume changes. They conjured the feel of a stormy sea with a model boat and a cast that leant back and forth with the swell. It’s totally convincing!

Under Sarah Slator, artistic director, This is My Theatre have built up a solid reputation for creating accessible but quality adaptions of classical plays in interesting venues, often in rural areas. Preston Old Church, at the north end of the park, provides an evocative and dramatic setting that we all enjoy. Nevertheless, as on previous occasions, the poor acoustics are a problem. The actors’ words can vanish upwards or rebound off the wall in unintelligible form. This is not the fault of the company or the actors. But it’s frustrating and distracting when only 30-40% of any sentence is audible. We know it’s a great script. It’s one of the bard’s best plays. We want to hear it!

We’re definitely keen to see further creative productions from This Is My Theatre. This was another rousing performance with ingenious and convincing props and discrete costume swaps to denote different roles.. It shows how a relatively small company can produce high-quality live theatre with a handful of actors, a big imagination and loads of flair. Watch their site!

Words by Mike Aiken
Photos by This is My Theatre

Brighton Fringe
Jul 1, 2021
Email
Mike Aiken
Mike lives in Brighton. This is a full time occupation. He's also a researcher, writer and activist. Any time left over he spends hanging around cafes and pubs listening to people on their phones. He loves theatre that pokes into difficult places. You won't find him on Facebook.
← PREVIOUS POST
Skank Review
NEXT POST →
Rebel Boob Review
Mailing List

Recent Posts
  • Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts Review
    Oct 21, 2025

    Expectations are high with a new Inspector Morse story on stage, sadly this is more a ghost of a Morse story, although die hard fans might enjoy it for the nostalgia.

  • The Lovely Eggs Interview
    Oct 15, 2025

    The Lovely Eggs tell us about their 20th anniversary, the new album and tour with Polite Bureax and some comedy legends supporting.

  • Ocean Film Festival Review 2025
    Oct 11, 2025

    A selection of beautifully shot short films covering diverse ocean lovers' passion for interacting with the sea.

  • Fractured Album Launch, Saturday 20th December
    Oct 10, 2025

    Fractured celebrate the release of their new album supported by Amelia And The Housewives.

  • 2:22 A Ghost Story Review
    Oct 7, 2025

    An evening of two couples having dinner together has never before been so gripping and enthralling, filled with tension, with the ultimate question: is their new house haunted or not?

  • Richard Hawley Review
    Oct 5, 2025

    As Coles Corner turns 20, Richard Hawley dazzled and delighted an up-for-it Worthing crowd with a 2 hour-plus set.

  • Brighton Psych Fest 2025 Review
    Sep 26, 2025

    The second Brighton Psych Fest was a beauty as we got down with Getdown Services as the evening sunlight glowed through the Concorde Stained Glass.

  • David Devant & His Spirit Wife, Friday 12th December
    Sep 23, 2025

    One of Brighton's greatest live bands returns for a pre-Xmas homecoming party.

Website developed in Brighton by Infobo
Copyright © Brighton Source 2009-2023
The Tempest Review - Brighton Source