I was fortunate enough to see the 1978 production in Stratford on Avon( I was 15 and starstruck). The cast included Sir Michael Hordern, David Suchet and a very young Alan Rickman. However, the stand-out memory of that evening was the ethereal portrayal of Ariel by the late Ian Charleston. He was simply mesmerising. I did have tickets for this latest version; however, I couldn’t make it due to a bad case of flu. Sounds like I may have saved myself from disappointment. Thanks as always for your great reviews xx
Is Jamie Lloyd completely allergic to comedy? If he’s going to be so joyless and dark why not direct joyless and dark stories. Do Richard the 3rd or Julius Caesar.
I saw it with actress Blaire Brown at McCarter Theater at Princeton, NJ decades ago. Switching just doesnt work. I've seen others at legit shakespeare theaters with dudes. OK>
It was put on when I was at university but I had a splitting headache the night I went to see it, alas. I've also seen 'Return to the Forbidden Planet' staged which is basically "The Tempest, In Space, THE MUSICAL!" (Brighton Fringe)
I genuinely wonder if Jamie Lloyd has any joy in his heart. Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good dark show. I understand the CONCEPT of a more serious and dramatic Romeo and Juliet- but in execution, it’s just that; an execution.
IMHO, Jamie Lloyd HATES BEAUTY and legacy theatre. One could be minimalistic when creating a stage design, but not to a failing, scarce point. Also, everything he does seems to go for shock value. I loathe his choices, but also pity his disdain for classical, beautiful art directions. I wonder if he sees a therapist, 'cause Lloyd seems to be needing one ASAP.
Dude... It's 2024..."needing" a therapist is not smth we scoff at. You don't like his work because to you it lacks joy. That's an absolutely valid point of view. No need to attack that guy personally
I saw the Tempest years ago at the Globe with Colin Morgan as Ariel and one of my most vivid memories of the play is Ariel, in gorgeous make up and costume (the photos on google do not do it justice), spending lots of time perched onto the sides of pillars or stairs around the stage. It was such a small directive choice in the grand scheme but instantly made Ariel feel more otherworldly.
I am now *terrified* for the production of Much Ado because the cast is excellent but if the design and direction takes away everything from R +J and The Tempest, I’m seriously concerned!
To be honest, the way Shakespeare is taught in American schools, "Let's all be miserable together" is exactly what I expected every Shakespeare play to be. Then, in my first year at college, I saw a traveling troupe presenting "Merchant of Venice". This was the first live play I'd ever been to, and it was a lot of fun. Not one bit of scenery went unchewed, everyone booed the villain, and we cheered for the happy ending. After the show, the audience pitched in to help the troupe load the sets and costumes back in their conveyance (an old school bus) and waved goodbye as they drove off. It only later has occurred to me that this may have been much like Shakespeare -- I mean, the man himself -- worked, back in the day.
I don't know. I was taught R&J in 9th grade and my English teacher took great pains to make sure we understood every single dirty joke starting with the first scene.
@@robinbickel4594had something similar happen to me but instead of a teacher it was just that I ended up having a bunch of theatre kids in English class with me that year
Love “relentlessly bleak,” “fatally dull,” “unrelentingly bleak & sorrowful & mournful,” “palpable heaviness.” If the Shakespeare can’t be satisfying, at least hearing about it is.
The circling of prospero at the end was mind numbing and far too long, then all of a sudden everyone was applauding and I guessed that meant the end. As someone who likes Shakespeare but didn’t know this show, it was very jarring. I really enjoyed Ariel and some elements but it felt like you had to come in already knowing the show very well to know how to react, because tonally it was confusing at points. Add in sigourney weaver just staring blankly while reciting the lines and I did struggle overall with the show. Mason Alexander park was incredible and the actress who played Gonzalo was great as well! Some elements were cool when they worked, but they were applied to the entire show even when it didn’t seem appropriate. It was my first Jamie Lloyd show and I have to say it didn’t make me look forward to the next one. I’m glad you made a video on this! I’ve been wanting to see others opinions besides the paper reviews.
I watched this a month ago. It was the second Shakespeare play I've ever watched on stage, the first being Midsummer Night's Dream. I'll concede that I'm no theatre geek, but I LOVED it. There was a gravitas that reminded me of 'Dune', and it brought this surreal epic feeling to the whole play. I felt Sigourney Weaver was great as Prospero, and she captured the character of a wizened, all-seeing sorceress with power over all her island. The other performances were great too, especially Caliban. Shakespeare's dialogue is archaic (but beautiful, of course), so it was important I at least understood the intent and feelings behind the words. The performers really conveyed them well, and I did grasp the entire plot, and why the characters were doing what they did. I have to disagree about the lack of comedy. A boring play would be one where I barely laughed even once, and I remember laughing plenty of times (and so did the audience), especially whenever the drunk dudes and Caliban were together on-stage. If anything? The contrast from the island's overall bleakness made those moments even brighter. If I wanted a less serious Shakespeare, I'd watch his comedies or a Midsummer Night's Dream. But if I'm watching a story about a magical all-powerful being on a quest of revenge, toying with the people who wronged them? Then that calls for a good amount of seriousness, alongside laughter. I don't think I would've liked the play as much if it was made as lighthearted as a comedy. (I did see videos of a 2022 performance of the Tempest at the Globe, which had the tone of a wacky beach party. Maybe not my ideal Tempest, but it must've been hilarious.) If I did have quibbles, I was slightly confused by the removal of a 'masque' scene. It was a play-within-a-play that was almost entirely irrelevant to the plot, and apparently a lot of Tempest productions have cut it as well. I understand its removal, but it would've given more context to Prospero's famous ' 'stuff that dreams are made on' monologue'. Also, I do agree with your point about the ending scenes, where the characters were circling Prospero while delivering their dialogue. I understood it's supposed to add to the weird, magical nature of the whole thing, and that it's conveying how everything in this pageant seem to be circling around Prospero; the same way she controls the elements and the seas. But I do agree it's one of the odder choices. It didn't kill my enjoyment as a whole, though. I'm sorry about your experience watching this, and I hope you find another stage version of the Tempest that you like. For me though? This production made the Tempest my favorite Shakespeare play of all time.
I saw a live production of this play at DC’s Roundhouse Theatre back in the winter of 2022 and it was… magical. It was adapted/directed by Aaron Posner (of Penn and Teller fame) and it was amazing. So well done.
i love jamie lloyd's sunset boulevard and think its such a triumph, but i also think sunset lucked into working so well bc of the subject matter really jiving with a black and white, screen-heavy, bleak adaptation. i think jamie lloyd's (current?) style naturally works poorly with most texts so i feel its a bit odd it seems to keep happening. i wish he would perhaps focus his efforts on shows that would compliment his style if he's intent on sticking with it, bc when it works i think its genius
The more Jamie Lloyd shows I see or hear about, the less intentional the genius of Sunset feels. I still think it was an amazing show, but more like amazing on accident 🙈 Elements that I thought were a commentary on Hollywood and fame and image were just... things that JL thinks look cool, I guess
I didnt really know jamie lloyd before sunset blvd but from what ive heard it seems he found success in one performance using certain design aspects and has tried to use those same aspects in shows where it makes no sense as if it'll have the same effect.
Legitimate question as I'm not sure how theater directing works versus film, but how does he have the time to work on all of these productions? I am about to watch the video so apologies if it's covered but it feels like with how many shows have seemingly happened so quickly he just doesn't have the time to commit and dig into potentially new and interesting interpretations.
I saw the tempest in London last time in was at the globe outside during an actual rainstorm and it was amazing and the actors just did despite the soaking weather and we were all in the pit having a blast and it was such an incredible experience of just letting theatre happen
Your summary of the show is pretty fair. I love The Tempest (it was the first theatre show I ever saw, back in the seventies) but for the Drury Lane show I was initially a bit put off by the idea of ticket prices hiked up to reflect the presence of a Hollywood superstar on the bill and an audience that was primarily there to see if she could pull it off. However I was swung by the fact that Mason Alexander Park would be Ariel and they didn't disappoint (thank goodness their singing voice was utilised to full effect). A friend who was unfamiliar with the play was completely baffled by the first half and I had to do a super quick synopsis during the interval. I completely agree with you that while Sigourney was a drawcard, this was not a production to create converts to the Bard, quite the opposite. And I also wondered at Sigourney's 'lisp'. I noticed during the recent Drury Lane production of Oklahoma with Zizi Strallen and Phil Dunster that Zizi also had a 'lisp' (at the time I wondered if she had a dental plate in the roof of her mouth, it was so pronounced) but I've seen Zizi in other shows and never noticed it so now, after the Sigourney experience, I'm wondering if it's something to do with the microphones at Drury Lane... is that even possible? As for Much Ado, much as I love Mason Alexander Park, I'm holding off from booking until the reviews are in.
I saw a production in Boston featuring magic coordinated by Teller. The magic was stunning, the costumes were whimsical, and the performances stellar. And the live band was a fantastic addition.
I have never seen it on stage, but did play the part of aged Gonzalo at drama college at the age of 18 during the late 80s. Loved it. Tis a long story, why I never managed to see it on stage, but is certainly an aim. I hope a production will be performed that I am able to go to and that it will be both magical as well as nostalgic.
Synetic theater in Washington DC did a brilliant version of the play which used the Russian history of pantomime and dance. It was magical and wonderful.
My first and only viewing of The Tempest was about 30 years ago at Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney. Barry Otto was captivating as Prospero and an emerging Cate Blanchett was a luminous Miranda. Buzz was starting to happen around Cate’s talent and she started doing TV and cinema around this time (early 1990s). She was beautiful and mesmerising and the whole audience, along with Ferdinand, fell in love with her!
I think Lloyd’s stark style could work for Much Ado, I don’t know if the culture is feeling a reading of the work as a sort of tragedy rn but there is enough in the text to sustain it, he’d just have to pull out some career best moments from his company to make it feel like that minimalism isn’t being swallowed by the space. I think that fear is what left this production in such a lukewarm place, he felt that it needed to be bigger but he doesn’t have the conviction or confidence for maximalism
If there isn’t a massive turn around much of the goodwill Jamie Lloyd has built over the last decade will decay in the face of three new careers worst productions in a row, because Much Ado is probably the most delicate of the three Shakespeare texts he’s attempting and could be a kind of disastrous that neither of the previous productions had the capacity for.
Best production I have heard was a radio play of The Tempest where Caliban & Ariel are both sides of Prospero in his mind. A psychological genius of an adaptation IMO. BTW, actors who even end up as movie stars, have somewhere along the line studied Shakespeare.
I saw a really interesting student production actually that pushed things to the extreme in a way that i thought revealed more in the story. Prospero’s unforgiveness was manifest in him becoming more like caliban in physicality and temperament and then right as if he’s about to fully become the monster the switch scene happens where ariel says i would if i were human. the epilogue was done after everyone leaves and he was on stage alone and tried to leave but couldn’t until the audience clapped and he could go with his family. this production also had stephanie and trinculo as lovers which added a whole new dynamic that was hilarious and funny. aesthetically it was a cold wet island so definitely darker and the miranda was more feral for lack of a better word to show how she wasn’t raised in society and raised by a single father. it wasn’t perfect but i saw so many things in the play i never thought of
Moved to the UK recently and David Tennant's Macbeth was my 1st professional Shakespeare on stage followed by this production of the Tempest...such a rollercoster but so glad it didnt happen in reverse!😃
Excited to hear more of your takes this year!! Sending support, love and thanks for your amazing reviews. I know that 2025 is gonna be an amazing year for you! 🎉
Also, I saw Jamie Lloyd's Assassins at the Menier a few years back and it's one of the best productions I have ever seen. Interesting to compare his thought process between then and now...
the tempest isn't one of my favorite shakespeare plays, but my university's theater put it on a few years ago and for the ship wreck the props department had made this cool deck that actually moved when the ship finally stopped. and calaban's costume was super fucking cool
I'm going to be honest, as someone who absolutely *hated* what he did with 'Sunset Boulevard', this combined with the reaction to 'Romeo and Juliet' all feels to me like the slow widespread realisation that the man truly is a one-trick-pony director - a one trick that very quickly wears out its welcome, no less - and just...either isn't talented enough or (for lack of a better word) visionary enough as a director to work out how to move past his comfort zone. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a shame people couldn't have come to this realisation *before* he was seemingly given carte blanche to inflict his "vision" across the West End and especially in terms of Shakespeare... I honestly don't want to even think about what his 'Much Ado' will be like, especially since I can't find a mention of anyone playing Dogberry. Who, besides being great comic relief (which I think we all know by know Jamie Lloyd either can't or won't do) is, you know...actually pretty damn relevant to the plot. 'The Tempest', done right, can be one of the most magical shows to experience in the theatre - I've seen it 3 times: once with Patrick Stewart in Stratford, once at the Minack, and once at the Globe. All three very different productions but all eminently memorable. It's not even my favourite Shakespeare play overall but it *is* one of my favourites to go and watch. I have absolutely no plans to see this version but judging by what a friend who has been to see it has told me, it's a production that's very easily forgotten at best and best not seen at all at worst. Which, to put it bluntly, is frankly appalling given the prices of the tickets...
I saw the Tempest on stage in Milan (yes), by Peter Brook in French with translation up the stage, very magical. Also the movie Prospero's Book is wonderful ❤
A friend saw it this week and said that it started a full house, and after interval half the people had left. She said it was awful. The reviews have been shocking. I saw The Tempest with Patrick Stewart as Prospero, it was pretty fab..
I saw Betrayal a couple of years ago - Zawe Ashton, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Cox - and I came away from it thinking Jamie Lloyd was amazing! How the mighty have fallen!
I was worried when I saw that his next project was The Tempest, felt that he’d have to either lean fully into his bag (like in Sunset) or connect with a bunch of new collaborators and produce the epic that stage kinda needs. The moment I saw the first images of the stage design I knew he didn’t take either swing, got stuck in-between, and it was going to drown. I hope he already had a unique vision for Much Ado before this, but if not he should really pivot one way or another.
Sorry this was such a mess of a production, BUT...loved the first ten minutes of this video--excellent synopsis. And "The Tempest" was my first Shakespeare on stage too! I was in high school, and saw a production done by an AMAZING community theatre group. Really brilliant, totally enjoyable experience!
Best Tempest I’ve ever seen is still the one directed by Teller from Penn & Teller. So different and cool while still being The Tempest. Any magic done in show was done as amazing stage magic and was accompanied by a band that sat above the stage playing music written by Tom Waits. Ariel spoke in card tricks, it was so neat
Just a comment for anyone watching this who may have tickets for the show and are now a little nervous following Mickey's review: go in with an open mind and you might be pleasantly surprised. I love MickeyJo's reviews and so was eager to see what he thought of the Tempest following Jamie Lloyd's Romeo and Juliet (which I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed, both because of reviews of the production and becuase it's not my favourite Shakespeare play), so I was a little nervous to hear that it might be dull. However, I actually really enjoyed it. I loved the staging (I think they did a great job for so big a stage - I usually see Shakespeare either at the much smaller Stratford theatres or in the Cambridge University college gardens - so this was really awesome for me to see a production of this size). I thought the actors were really good, especially Mason Alexander Park - they have such a commanding air and their singing voice is incredible! I also thought Sigourney was good too - obviously not as outstanding as actors trained and used to performing Shakespeare (one of the reasons I am excited for Tom Hiddleston in Much Ado, as I know he is excellent at Shakespeare!) - however she performed it in such a slow and clear manner to me that I could actually listen and comprehend the text, and actually found some of her lines to be quite poignant. Overall, really glad I got tickets and had a throughly enjoyable evening (also enjoyed by Bombay Sapphire bramble gin and tonic before and during the show - always drink responsibly!) - I'd watch it again actually!
I saw the Tempest summer 2022 at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall…and it was amazing! I cannot imagine any other version of the Tempest beating that experience.
You should go see one of the productions at The Shakespeare Theater in Washington, DC. I saw Patrick Stewart as Othello there. Also Hal Holbrook as Shylock. Micheal Kahn was a brilliant artistic director.
Especially since it is OVERTLY comedic - like how the hell is Dogberry and his shenanigans going to translate well to Lloyd's style, or literally _any_ of Beatrice and Benedick's scenes? I'm worried, to say the least.
@MickeyJoTheatre That doesn't bode well - I have a feeling Jamie's answer to the question 'how do these scenes translate to my Signature Style™️ ?' ended up being, 'they don't'. I hope not, I love me some loveable innumerate guardsman
Saw Vanessa Redgrave as Prospero at the Globe in 2000 give an authoritative performance ie spoken clearly with an insightful appreciation of the verse, enhanced( of course) by the magic of seeing a performance by the Bard in the Globe setting. (Remember too, in the same performance, a spirited waterfight and some unscripted jokes,between Jasper Britton and the 'groundlings' standing directly in front of the stage. Hilarious!). For my money, the best productions have been a more recent one (also at the Globe) with Roger Allam as Prospero, Johnny Flynn as Ariel and Jessie Buckley as Miranda; also unforgettable are the Derek Jarman film version, with Toyah Wilcox as a punky Miranda and Heathcote Williams as a lugubriously brilliant Prospero and Elisabeth Welch singing Stormy Weather, (really magic!!!) plus, too, Peter Greenaway's version, with John Gielgud's moving rendition of 'Our revels now are ended'....
I have a Soft spot for Julie Taymor's film adaptation with Helen Mirren as Prospera, Ben Whishaw as Ariel and a pre Hadestown Reeve Carney as Prince Ferdinand.
I managed to see Macbeth with David Tennant and Cush Jumbo while I was in London. It was incredible, one of the best theatre pieces I have seen. I don't think every Shakespeare should be performed the same way, but it's absolutely the standard by which any future Shakespeare productions I see will be judged. I'm sorry the Tempest wasn't that experience.
Many of the same Tempest cast (including the amazing Mason Alexander Park!!!) are coming back for Much Ado and I’m worried it’ll be so jarring for people (me) who would’ve just seen Tempest staged in the same theatre a few weeks ago.
I realise that I preempted you entirely since you mentioned it at the end! Haha can wait to hear your take. I’ve also got tickets to see Richard II and it’ll be an interesting March for me to say the least’!
Interesting and a shame. Shakespeare can already be intimidating though when well done it shouldnt be, it's sad when a production seems like it might put people off his works. I remember studying The Tempest in school and it's still one of my favourites. If you're looking for a Shakespeare adaptation with plenty of levity I'd highly recommend HER Productions "Taming of the Shrew" in Manchester. I saw it at Shakespeare North (near a Liverpool) last year and had never read or seen the play before but it was one of the best bits of theatre I've seen, I loved it. So funny but so heartbreaking at the end.
Much Ado About Nothing is my favourite Shakespeare play as well, and I have tickets for March so I was really looking forward to it. Getting quite nervous now given what I’m hearing about Jamie Lloyd’s other recent Shakespeare adaptations :/
Stratford's 2019 production was a jewel, with Marth Henry presenting an imposing, yet somehow vulnerable, Prospero/a. The entire company was brilliant, as was every aspect of the production. BTW, I'm always team Caliban.
I have mixed but slightly more positive views of this show. I thought this show had some very amazing moments such as all the amazing technical elements, like the fabric work and lighting. I also very much enjoyed the added song and sound work although it seemed a bit unnecessary at some points. Saying this, these moments seemed only as amazing as they were as the rest of the show was so still and boring. Grey, dull and still yet with entrancing moments of colour and some very interesting effects and even dare I say one or two wow moments. I did enjoy the sort of sci-Fi take on the design of the show through the moon like set and the dune-ish costumes. Mason Alexander Park’s performance as Ariel was amazing, as well as the entire cast although I was slightly disappointed by Sigourney Weaver’s performance; not sure if she was bored or tired on the day that I watched it but she (in my opinion) stood and spoke her lines without much emotion or passion behind it, almost as if we were watching a script read through not a full and fledged performance. She felt bored and as if she just wanted to get it over with. I have tickets booked for Much Ado and had done before seeing this production and I am still very much looking forward to seeing Jamie’s take in this show as it’s one of my favourite. Anyway thank you for the review Mickey, always love your videos!
James Wilby as Ferdinand, CFT Tent, 1985. Maggie Gordon-Walker as Gonzala, King's Head, early 90's. I've seen more, SRB at Stratford was lovely. I think you only need see The Tempest a few times... Ruby Wax tells a hilarious tale about the production she was in at Stratford with Michael Horden as Prospero.
I have tickets to Much Ado. I'm thrilled to see Tom Hiddleston on stage, but I am seriously nervous about the direction, especially with the cast having been announced and no sign of Dogberry.
@MickeyJoTheatre I have faith at least that Hiddleston (and Atwell too, though I've not seen her do Shakespeare before) knows how to deliver the language. Also Mason Alexander Park has been one of the universally praised parts of the Tempest to my knowledge so I'm sure they'll also be great.
I'm not sure if I can watch this video all the way through because I haven't seen this play YET. But I'm about to hop on a plane and see it among some others... and I agree with your opinions more often than not. :D I mean... organising theatre trips is a bit more difficult for me because of health issues and I can only be hopeful that they'll be worth it. So prettyplease just tell me that the thumbnail is clickbaity? :DDD
Urgh totally agree. I actually went on Saturday and was one of the people who left in the interval. I was getting worried during the first half that there wouldn't be an interval and I wouldn't be able to leave! I too am deeply worried about Much Ado as it is also my favourite and I love the cast but I'm losing faith in Jamie Loyde.....only plus was that ticket sales are obviously pretty poor so my cheap balcony seat was upgraded to row H of the stalls, which at Theatre Royal Drury Lane is somewhere I never thought I'd get to sit! Shame it wasn't for a better performance.....
Omg this is breaking my heart and I’m not even half way through. People leaving the auditorium is a terrible sign, particularly if they can’t wait till the interval! You’re right, it is so damning for Shakespeare overall (I have a bit of a beef about amateurs dramatics doing Shakespeare because they mostly back up people’s school memories of that Shakespeare is boring (granted some are better than others and the occasional stand out does emerge every now and then ((however, I honestly saw a Twelfth Night where Malvolio shot himself at the end!)) I’ve seen quite a few Tempest productions (Alex King was Prospero in RSC a couple of years back) - I’m not overly fussed about gender swapping Prospero, it doesn’t add anything better for me. Also, please don’t miss out that Calaban attempted to rape Miranda! That’s a pretty clear reason for his treatment, but also shows the extent of Prospero’s character because he didn’t kill him. I digress I have tickets for much ado next month for a big birthday and although I was already worried that my preferred casting may not be on that night because it’s a Monday and still the previews, so a chance it could be an understudy run or something is running rings in my head. But now, I am worried that the production is not going to meet my standard (which as a regular RSC frequenter is pretty high!) I will put faith in Hiddleston as an actor who can knock Shakespeare out of the park. (But I won’t hold my breath with it being Jamie Lloyd) Dreading how they are going to do the chapel scene (usually my favourite for the Beatrice and Benedict bit) and the treatment of Hero! But I am worried. I’m worried it won’t be worth the expense of the trip (not just our own for tickets, travel and accommodation, but for the time getting grandparents to travel almost 3 hours to babysit overnight!) Plus, my poor hubby is not a Shakespeare fan but taking me because it’s my big birthday! If it’s sh!t then, I’m going to feel bad for him too. Theatre is too expensive to be p!ss poor 😢 (And for the record, I love Much Ado, it’s my favourite Shakespeare and saw it for my last big birthday when it was Love Labours Won at the RSC 😂 obsessed? Me? Noooo 😅)
@@MickeyJoTheatre Well, all I can say is that what felt like intentional features thoughtfully created and executed to strengthen and truly show off Cyrano have gradually turned into an empty gimmick that make Jamie Lloyd look like a one-trick pony with every subsequent production where he deploys the same methods with zero thought as to whether they fit. If nothing else, he should probably leave Shakespeare alone, he's setting himself up to fail with what he's doing.
Looks like I'm in the minority here but I've just watched this show and I loved it! It's a special take for sure, and not for everyone I'll give you that-but as someone who loves anything ethereal and mysterious or dream-like, it was right up my alley. The music is magical, the production design and the lighting mind-blowing, and Ariel's singing knocked my socks off every single time. I also loved Sigourney Weaver, though the lisp was noticeable and I kept wondering what happened to her...I'd say if you liked Villeneuve's Dune, you're going to love this - if not, catch a different adaptation. Even though I had a few nitpicks myself, I'd still give it 5 stars. BTW, in my interpretation this adaptation is focusing on political and social commentary-Weaver represents a centrist/leftie government trying to rule society on both sides of the spectrum (ethereal Ariel and brutish Caliban), while also trying to punish those who'd attacked her...and just like today, she realizes that in this strife she's become just like her enemies and so she forgives and movies away from power. My two cents, that is;)
I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but as soon as I saw the poster I knew that the tone wouldn’t be right for me. Shame, it’s one of my favourites.
As a big Much Ado enjoyer, Im also kind of concerned about a Jamie Lloyd version. Making it actually bleak and stark ruins the point of it being something of a study of the melodrama of the wealthy and bored. He can go for it after the wedding, but if it's like that from act one, it'll be tonally weird.
I think you are right this makes people think that Shakespeare is dull, when I went people left before the interval. This was very disappointing I could go about how bad it is, but what is odd is that this production seems as if it had originated in a tiny pub venue and had transferred into a huge theatre, the comedy doesn't work and none of he actors have swords or even a staff for Prospero to use so some lines or scenes don't make sense
I saw it last month, the same week as the press night, and the only thing I liked was being in a box at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. And without hundreds of little kids singing along to Elsa! Lol An amazing venue and such great material but such a lackluster play! Shame that Sigourney felt like the weakest link. Hoping that Much Ado will be treated better 😕
I'd go for Tempest tbh. It's still a technically impressive production & it's a limited run. Prada should be on for longer in case you can make another trip some day...
I do wonder how much Jamie Llyod actually has to do with this production when it is advertised as Jamie Llyod Company, and considering he was in New York for a lot of the Sunset Blvd promotion etc.
I saw this on its first preview - and was hugely underwhelmed - the “revels now are ended” speech came out of the blue as there were no revels staged. SW was inert throughout. The staging meant there was no tension at all.
I've seen Vanessa Redgrave as Prospero at the Globe and Simon Russell Beale at Stratford, which were both great in different ways. I hated Jamie Lloyd's Seagull but thought i'd give him another chance as everyone had loved his Sunset Boulevard so much, I didn't dislike this Tempest as much as you but i unfortunately saw it on the same day as Robert Icke's Oedipus which was fantastic, so it didn't compare well. It's put me off booking for Much ado which is a shame as i'd have liked to have seen Tom Hiddlestone's Benedick - i saw his Coriolanus twice and enjoyed him in Cymbeline at the beginning of his career. However I have booked for Jonathan Bailey's Richard ll which i'm looksing forward to.
I feel like Jamie Lloyd’s thing is working against script and conventions (in some ways) which is fine for some shows, but some conventions are conventions for a reason. The show doesn’t work without it.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury called… they want their everything back Like it’s a pretty loose Tempest adaptation but like we got an actual mecha anime version of The Tempest in 2022-2023 Also why does this version of The Tempest look like it is actually set on the planet Mercury? (Still kinda salty about never actually seeing what Mercury looks like in that show)
I always buy my tickets for shows pretty far in advance bc I travel and see a bunch of shows on one trip. I was so disappointed to see the same seats I bought were 50% less the day before I saw it! That was definitely not a good sign lol
I went to see this for Sigourney Weaver, having never read or watched anything Shakespeare before. I didn't grow up in an English speaking country so it was never something I'd come across. Skimmed a very brief summary before I went but I was still utterly confused the whole time 😅 most definitely wasn't the best show I've ever been to, wasn't the worst either but I wouldn't see it again. Enjoyed Ariel's character the most. Won't be my last touch with Shakespeare though, I'm determined to see more!
Not strictly Shakespeare's last play but that is another story. I would avoid these big name productions unless the actor has established Shakespeare chops. Max von Sydow played Prospero at the Old Vic back into 80s and was rather good. Sam Mendes did a beautiful version at Stratford in 1993 and it was the most intelligent and funny production I have ever seen. My favourite Prospero was Simon Russell Beale in a high tech RSC version.
I didn't notice the lisp.But there was certainly a lack of light and shade in Sigourney Weaver's performance. Not sure why Caliban was dressed like he was on his way to Taboo. Ariel was excellent and the ensemble give a more poetic reading. Selena Cadell would have made an admirable Prospero.
Thank you so much for this review. As with Benjamin Button, I was waiting for your views and to see if I was correct in my opinion. Alas, I was not familiar with the plot, when I went to watch the play and after the first half I was completely lost and utterly dismayed. I can’t say I hated this Jamie Lloyd production but I left utterly disappointed and feeling that something is ‘very wrong in the Dutch kingdom’. This makes me weary going to see Tom Hiddleston next month
I’ve just got home from watching this mess, I was upgraded from the top level to row f of the stalls! The top 2 levels were empty/closed as everyone had been moved down. I did enjoy Mason Alexander Park as Aerial but Sigourney was poor and very one note throughout
I don’t know this play that well - saw it at the Globe a couple of years ago with a wizened old Prospero dressed in just tiny yellow Speedos. Not the best image to have seared into the brain. This was the fifth Jamie Lloyd production I’ve seen. First was Betrayal - three actors sitting on seats, reciting the script. (And what a horrible play that is.) Second was Cyrano de Bergerac, actors standing in line reciting rap nonsense. Third was The Seagull, great actors sitting on green waiting room chairs. I felt cheated by all three. I’d begun to think that Jamie Lloyd has no idea of what a theatrical performance is. Theatre isn’t just words. Ten people sitting in a line on stage reciting a script is not a play - it’s a table read. What wonderful direction is involved when actors do that? What a waste that was of Emilia Clarke, Indira Varma, Robert Glenister. A child could have directed it. Then came Sunset Boulevard. He tried his best but he couldn’t spoil the beauty of the score and of course he had a fantastic performer in Nicole Scherzinger. But just what does this director have against actually creating a world on stage? So I was a bit worried about The Tempest, and having spent so much money on a good seat to see a genuine Hollywood superstar in the flesh. But actually I rather enjoyed it. I thought the set was very dramatic - a very different island to the one I’d always envisioned. I don’t know where you were sitting but I was in the stalls, row D, and when the wind machine started blowing that curtain around, I could definitely feel the fury of the storm. The acting was good all round. I understand that Sigourney forgot her words a few times earlier in the run, but for this one she was word perfect, very commanding, fearsome and protective. At the start I thought she was doing a kind if neutral accent - I didn’t notice any lisp, I have to say - but found it funny that by the end she had gone back to her normal voice and I could hear Ripley speaking from the stage. All the supporting performers were good too, and though I was rather put off by the grotesque Caliban but gradually warmed to the portrayal. As I was near the front I couldn’t see what went on behind me, but I saw no one leave during the performance itself and only noticed one drop-out after half-time. So what bout Much Ado? The thing is, I saw this not long ago at the National, with Katherine Parkinson, and it was inventive and hilarious, with wonderful set design. Humour does not seem to be Lloyd’s strong point and I’m worried we’ll lose everything that makes the play so enjoyable. None the less, I’ll be there.
I enjoyed the production; but I suspect it's because I'm not familiar with the story. My friend, who loves the plot and characters, was disappointed with Weaver. I'm glad there were no mics and cameras tho - that got old fast! 😅
I'm clearly in a minority here because I didn't think this production was that bad (and I also quite enjoyed R&J as well). Though I do agree on some aspects like the end scene with the circling, and maybe it was a bit too minimalist for my liking. But in terms of the performances, I rather enjoyed them, particularly Ariel and Caliban. I do have my ticket booked for Much Ado, and I am more nervous about that one as it is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, plus it is a comedy and I do worry about him interpreting it too far that it comes across as pretentious.
Have you ever seen the Tempest on stage?
This was my 2nd time seeing a production of THE TEMPEST, the first being at Shakespeare’s Globe back in 2013.
I was fortunate enough to see the 1978 production in Stratford on Avon( I was 15 and starstruck).
The cast included Sir Michael Hordern, David Suchet and a very young Alan Rickman.
However, the stand-out memory of that evening was the ethereal portrayal of Ariel by the late Ian Charleston. He was simply mesmerising.
I did have tickets for this latest version; however, I couldn’t make it due to a bad case of flu. Sounds like I may have saved myself from disappointment.
Thanks as always for your great reviews xx
@@janierum Wow! That 1978 production sounds amazing!
Is Jamie Lloyd completely allergic to comedy? If he’s going to be so joyless and dark why not direct joyless and dark stories. Do Richard the 3rd or Julius Caesar.
I saw it with actress Blaire Brown at McCarter Theater at Princeton, NJ decades ago. Switching just doesnt work. I've seen others at legit shakespeare theaters with dudes. OK>
It was put on when I was at university but I had a splitting headache the night I went to see it, alas. I've also seen 'Return to the Forbidden Planet' staged which is basically "The Tempest, In Space, THE MUSICAL!" (Brighton Fringe)
I genuinely wonder if Jamie Lloyd has any joy in his heart. Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good dark show. I understand the CONCEPT of a more serious and dramatic Romeo and Juliet- but in execution, it’s just that; an execution.
IMHO, Jamie Lloyd HATES BEAUTY and legacy theatre.
One could be minimalistic when creating a stage design, but not to a failing, scarce point.
Also, everything he does seems to go for shock value.
I loathe his choices, but also pity his disdain for classical, beautiful art directions.
I wonder if he sees a therapist, 'cause Lloyd seems to be needing one ASAP.
@@wonderfaller "By god! That man has a family!" /ref
Dude... It's 2024..."needing" a therapist is not smth we scoff at. You don't like his work because to you it lacks joy. That's an absolutely valid point of view. No need to attack that guy personally
I saw the Tempest years ago at the Globe with Colin Morgan as Ariel and one of my most vivid memories of the play is Ariel, in gorgeous make up and costume (the photos on google do not do it justice), spending lots of time perched onto the sides of pillars or stairs around the stage. It was such a small directive choice in the grand scheme but instantly made Ariel feel more otherworldly.
I know I’m a terrible person bc I was about to sleep and then I saw it was a two star so I had to watch immediately
I support you 😶
I was about to study but saw the two stars and dropped everything
saaame
Literally the highlight of the evening I saw this was meeting Joe Locke and Tobie Donovan in the audience
I am now *terrified* for the production of Much Ado because the cast is excellent but if the design and direction takes away everything from R +J and The Tempest, I’m seriously concerned!
That said- they’ve also announced Mason will be playing Margaret, and that sounds bloody amazing and I’m thrilled for them!
Me too!
I thought the exact same thing. I’m so nervous to see what Jamie is going to do with that show 😭
Exactly what I'm thinking. But at least it's a comedy so it can't be boring.
@@Rik77 Sure Jamie Lloyd will find a way to make it soulless and that's truly sad.
To be honest, the way Shakespeare is taught in American schools, "Let's all be miserable together" is exactly what I expected every Shakespeare play to be.
Then, in my first year at college, I saw a traveling troupe presenting "Merchant of Venice". This was the first live play I'd ever been to, and it was a lot of fun. Not one bit of scenery went unchewed, everyone booed the villain, and we cheered for the happy ending. After the show, the audience pitched in to help the troupe load the sets and costumes back in their conveyance (an old school bus) and waved goodbye as they drove off. It only later has occurred to me that this may have been much like Shakespeare -- I mean, the man himself -- worked, back in the day.
What happy ending are you talking about for the Merchant of Venice? The Jewish guy getting forcibly converted?
Sounds like a great experience. Wish I had been there.
I don't know. I was taught R&J in 9th grade and my English teacher took great pains to make sure we understood every single dirty joke starting with the first scene.
@robinbickel4594 I wish I'd had that sort of teacher. In "Bible Belt" America that usually doesn't happen.
@@robinbickel4594had something similar happen to me but instead of a teacher it was just that I ended up having a bunch of theatre kids in English class with me that year
Love “relentlessly bleak,” “fatally dull,” “unrelentingly bleak & sorrowful & mournful,” “palpable heaviness.” If the Shakespeare can’t be satisfying, at least hearing about it is.
The saddest thing is this man is getting great actors and actresses dragged because if his bad choices
Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Barbican was my first professional Shakespeare and I’m so glad I chose that over this
You chose well. Saw it in Stratford.
I've heard great things about that production from friends!
@@MickeyJoTheatreIt’s like Puck broke in and stole all the colour that should be in the Tempest and just went mad at the Barbican!
@@mollymcdade4031Now I'm intrigued. Saw Tempest today, Dream follows tomorrow 🎉
I've been looking forward to this after your first thoughts! ❤ Happy new year and many blessings to you and Aaron!
Happy New Year to you, and thank you from both of us! ❤️
The circling of prospero at the end was mind numbing and far too long, then all of a sudden everyone was applauding and I guessed that meant the end. As someone who likes Shakespeare but didn’t know this show, it was very jarring. I really enjoyed Ariel and some elements but it felt like you had to come in already knowing the show very well to know how to react, because tonally it was confusing at points. Add in sigourney weaver just staring blankly while reciting the lines and I did struggle overall with the show. Mason Alexander park was incredible and the actress who played Gonzalo was great as well! Some elements were cool when they worked, but they were applied to the entire show even when it didn’t seem appropriate. It was my first Jamie Lloyd show and I have to say it didn’t make me look forward to the next one.
I’m glad you made a video on this! I’ve been wanting to see others opinions besides the paper reviews.
I watched this a month ago. It was the second Shakespeare play I've ever watched on stage, the first being Midsummer Night's Dream.
I'll concede that I'm no theatre geek, but I LOVED it. There was a gravitas that reminded me of 'Dune', and it brought this surreal epic feeling to the whole play. I felt Sigourney Weaver was great as Prospero, and she captured the character of a wizened, all-seeing sorceress with power over all her island. The other performances were great too, especially Caliban.
Shakespeare's dialogue is archaic (but beautiful, of course), so it was important I at least understood the intent and feelings behind the words. The performers really conveyed them well, and I did grasp the entire plot, and why the characters were doing what they did.
I have to disagree about the lack of comedy. A boring play would be one where I barely laughed even once, and I remember laughing plenty of times (and so did the audience), especially whenever the drunk dudes and Caliban were together on-stage. If anything? The contrast from the island's overall bleakness made those moments even brighter.
If I wanted a less serious Shakespeare, I'd watch his comedies or a Midsummer Night's Dream. But if I'm watching a story about a magical all-powerful being on a quest of revenge, toying with the people who wronged them? Then that calls for a good amount of seriousness, alongside laughter. I don't think I would've liked the play as much if it was made as lighthearted as a comedy.
(I did see videos of a 2022 performance of the Tempest at the Globe, which had the tone of a wacky beach party. Maybe not my ideal Tempest, but it must've been hilarious.)
If I did have quibbles, I was slightly confused by the removal of a 'masque' scene. It was a play-within-a-play that was almost entirely irrelevant to the plot, and apparently a lot of Tempest productions have cut it as well. I understand its removal, but it would've given more context to Prospero's famous ' 'stuff that dreams are made on' monologue'.
Also, I do agree with your point about the ending scenes, where the characters were circling Prospero while delivering their dialogue. I understood it's supposed to add to the weird, magical nature of the whole thing, and that it's conveying how everything in this pageant seem to be circling around Prospero; the same way she controls the elements and the seas. But I do agree it's one of the odder choices. It didn't kill my enjoyment as a whole, though.
I'm sorry about your experience watching this, and I hope you find another stage version of the Tempest that you like. For me though? This production made the Tempest my favorite Shakespeare play of all time.
I saw a live production of this play at DC’s Roundhouse Theatre back in the winter of 2022 and it was… magical. It was adapted/directed by Aaron Posner (of Penn and Teller fame) and it was amazing. So well done.
i love jamie lloyd's sunset boulevard and think its such a triumph, but i also think sunset lucked into working so well bc of the subject matter really jiving with a black and white, screen-heavy, bleak adaptation. i think jamie lloyd's (current?) style naturally works poorly with most texts so i feel its a bit odd it seems to keep happening. i wish he would perhaps focus his efforts on shows that would compliment his style if he's intent on sticking with it, bc when it works i think its genius
The more Jamie Lloyd shows I see or hear about, the less intentional the genius of Sunset feels. I still think it was an amazing show, but more like amazing on accident 🙈 Elements that I thought were a commentary on Hollywood and fame and image were just... things that JL thinks look cool, I guess
Jamie Lloyd really in his flop era
He seems to alternate, but only if you count Sunset's Bway opening separately to the West End!
I didnt really know jamie lloyd before sunset blvd but from what ive heard it seems he found success in one performance using certain design aspects and has tried to use those same aspects in shows where it makes no sense as if it'll have the same effect.
Having seen sunset boulevard in the west end, I thought that was dull too. All of JL productions are bland and boring, not going to anymore.
Can't wait for that mournful, aggressive Much Ado 😄Thank you for this intelligent and amusing review!
More people need to watch the recording of the Simon Russell beale production from 2017!
Legitimate question as I'm not sure how theater directing works versus film, but how does he have the time to work on all of these productions? I am about to watch the video so apologies if it's covered but it feels like with how many shows have seemingly happened so quickly he just doesn't have the time to commit and dig into potentially new and interesting interpretations.
Rehearsal periods tend to be 2-6 weeks working full time. So after that’s he’s basically done
I saw the tempest in London last time in was at the globe outside during an actual rainstorm and it was amazing and the actors just did despite the soaking weather and we were all in the pit having a blast and it was such an incredible experience of just letting theatre happen
Your summary of the show is pretty fair. I love The Tempest (it was the first theatre show I ever saw, back in the seventies) but for the Drury Lane show I was initially a bit put off by the idea of ticket prices hiked up to reflect the presence of a Hollywood superstar on the bill and an audience that was primarily there to see if she could pull it off. However I was swung by the fact that Mason Alexander Park would be Ariel and they didn't disappoint (thank goodness their singing voice was utilised to full effect). A friend who was unfamiliar with the play was completely baffled by the first half and I had to do a super quick synopsis during the interval. I completely agree with you that while Sigourney was a drawcard, this was not a production to create converts to the Bard, quite the opposite. And I also wondered at Sigourney's 'lisp'. I noticed during the recent Drury Lane production of Oklahoma with Zizi Strallen and Phil Dunster that Zizi also had a 'lisp' (at the time I wondered if she had a dental plate in the roof of her mouth, it was so pronounced) but I've seen Zizi in other shows and never noticed it so now, after the Sigourney experience, I'm wondering if it's something to do with the microphones at Drury Lane... is that even possible? As for Much Ado, much as I love Mason Alexander Park, I'm holding off from booking until the reviews are in.
The performance of The Tempest at Stratford with Christopher Plummer in 2010 was beautiful and thrilling
Ontario?
I saw a production in Boston featuring magic coordinated by Teller. The magic was stunning, the costumes were whimsical, and the performances stellar. And the live band was a fantastic addition.
This sounds cool!
I have never seen it on stage, but did play the part of aged Gonzalo at drama college at the age of 18 during the late 80s. Loved it. Tis a long story, why I never managed to see it on stage, but is certainly an aim. I hope a production will be performed that I am able to go to and that it will be both magical as well as nostalgic.
Synetic theater in Washington DC did a brilliant version of the play which used the Russian history of pantomime and dance. It was magical and wonderful.
I love the Synetic theatres silent Shakespeare. They’re mesmerizing
My first and only viewing of The Tempest was about 30 years ago at Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney. Barry Otto was captivating as Prospero and an emerging Cate Blanchett was a luminous Miranda. Buzz was starting to happen around Cate’s talent and she started doing TV and cinema around this time (early 1990s). She was beautiful and mesmerising and the whole audience, along with Ferdinand, fell in love with her!
Watch him make the already- minimalist Waiing for Godot and instead giving it a giant set, flamboyant colors, etc. 🤣
I think Lloyd’s stark style could work for Much Ado, I don’t know if the culture is feeling a reading of the work as a sort of tragedy rn but there is enough in the text to sustain it, he’d just have to pull out some career best moments from his company to make it feel like that minimalism isn’t being swallowed by the space.
I think that fear is what left this production in such a lukewarm place, he felt that it needed to be bigger but he doesn’t have the conviction or confidence for maximalism
If there isn’t a massive turn around much of the goodwill Jamie Lloyd has built over the last decade will decay in the face of three new careers worst productions in a row, because Much Ado is probably the most delicate of the three Shakespeare texts he’s attempting and could be a kind of disastrous that neither of the previous productions had the capacity for.
Best production I have heard was a radio play of The Tempest where Caliban & Ariel are both sides of Prospero in his mind. A psychological genius of an adaptation IMO. BTW, actors who even end up as movie stars, have somewhere along the line studied Shakespeare.
Oh I LOVE the sound of that!!
@@MickeyJoTheatre I think the BBC did it many years ago. I had the vinyl album of it back in the day.
I saw a really interesting student production actually that pushed things to the extreme in a way that i thought revealed more in the story. Prospero’s unforgiveness was manifest in him becoming more like caliban in physicality and temperament and then right as if he’s about to fully become the monster the switch scene happens where ariel says i would if i were human. the epilogue was done after everyone leaves and he was on stage alone and tried to leave but couldn’t until the audience clapped and he could go with his family. this production also had stephanie and trinculo as lovers which added a whole new dynamic that was hilarious and funny. aesthetically it was a cold wet island so definitely darker and the miranda was more feral for lack of a better word to show how she wasn’t raised in society and raised by a single father. it wasn’t perfect but i saw so many things in the play i never thought of
Moved to the UK recently and David Tennant's Macbeth was my 1st professional Shakespeare on stage followed by this production of the Tempest...such a rollercoster but so glad it didnt happen in reverse!😃
Excited to hear more of your takes this year!! Sending support, love and thanks for your amazing reviews. I know that 2025 is gonna be an amazing year for you! 🎉
Also, I saw Jamie Lloyd's Assassins at the Menier a few years back and it's one of the best productions I have ever seen. Interesting to compare his thought process between then and now...
@@comedyclaire I did as well! A spectacular piece of theatre. You're so right about the stylistic evolution.
the tempest isn't one of my favorite shakespeare plays, but my university's theater put it on a few years ago and for the ship wreck the props department had made this cool deck that actually moved when the ship finally stopped. and calaban's costume was super fucking cool
I'm going to be honest, as someone who absolutely *hated* what he did with 'Sunset Boulevard', this combined with the reaction to 'Romeo and Juliet' all feels to me like the slow widespread realisation that the man truly is a one-trick-pony director - a one trick that very quickly wears out its welcome, no less - and just...either isn't talented enough or (for lack of a better word) visionary enough as a director to work out how to move past his comfort zone. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a shame people couldn't have come to this realisation *before* he was seemingly given carte blanche to inflict his "vision" across the West End and especially in terms of Shakespeare... I honestly don't want to even think about what his 'Much Ado' will be like, especially since I can't find a mention of anyone playing Dogberry. Who, besides being great comic relief (which I think we all know by know Jamie Lloyd either can't or won't do) is, you know...actually pretty damn relevant to the plot.
'The Tempest', done right, can be one of the most magical shows to experience in the theatre - I've seen it 3 times: once with Patrick Stewart in Stratford, once at the Minack, and once at the Globe. All three very different productions but all eminently memorable. It's not even my favourite Shakespeare play overall but it *is* one of my favourites to go and watch. I have absolutely no plans to see this version but judging by what a friend who has been to see it has told me, it's a production that's very easily forgotten at best and best not seen at all at worst. Which, to put it bluntly, is frankly appalling given the prices of the tickets...
I saw the Tempest on stage in Milan (yes), by Peter Brook in French with translation up the stage, very magical.
Also the movie Prospero's Book is wonderful ❤
A friend saw it this week and said that it started a full house, and after interval half the people had left. She said it was awful.
The reviews have been shocking.
I saw The Tempest with Patrick Stewart as Prospero, it was pretty fab..
I saw Betrayal a couple of years ago - Zawe Ashton, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Cox - and I came away from it thinking Jamie Lloyd was amazing! How the mighty have fallen!
I was worried when I saw that his next project was The Tempest, felt that he’d have to either lean fully into his bag (like in Sunset) or connect with a bunch of new collaborators and produce the epic that stage kinda needs.
The moment I saw the first images of the stage design I knew he didn’t take either swing, got stuck in-between, and it was going to drown.
I hope he already had a unique vision for Much Ado before this, but if not he should really pivot one way or another.
Sorry this was such a mess of a production, BUT...loved the first ten minutes of this video--excellent synopsis. And "The Tempest" was my first Shakespeare on stage too! I was in high school, and saw a production done by an AMAZING community theatre group. Really brilliant, totally enjoyable experience!
Best Tempest I’ve ever seen is still the one directed by Teller from Penn & Teller. So different and cool while still being The Tempest. Any magic done in show was done as amazing stage magic and was accompanied by a band that sat above the stage playing music written by Tom Waits. Ariel spoke in card tricks, it was so neat
Just a comment for anyone watching this who may have tickets for the show and are now a little nervous following Mickey's review: go in with an open mind and you might be pleasantly surprised. I love MickeyJo's reviews and so was eager to see what he thought of the Tempest following Jamie Lloyd's Romeo and Juliet (which I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed, both because of reviews of the production and becuase it's not my favourite Shakespeare play), so I was a little nervous to hear that it might be dull. However, I actually really enjoyed it. I loved the staging (I think they did a great job for so big a stage - I usually see Shakespeare either at the much smaller Stratford theatres or in the Cambridge University college gardens - so this was really awesome for me to see a production of this size). I thought the actors were really good, especially Mason Alexander Park - they have such a commanding air and their singing voice is incredible! I also thought Sigourney was good too - obviously not as outstanding as actors trained and used to performing Shakespeare (one of the reasons I am excited for Tom Hiddleston in Much Ado, as I know he is excellent at Shakespeare!) - however she performed it in such a slow and clear manner to me that I could actually listen and comprehend the text, and actually found some of her lines to be quite poignant. Overall, really glad I got tickets and had a throughly enjoyable evening (also enjoyed by Bombay Sapphire bramble gin and tonic before and during the show - always drink responsibly!) - I'd watch it again actually!
I saw the Tempest summer 2022 at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall…and it was amazing! I cannot imagine any other version of the Tempest beating that experience.
Oh that would be an INCREDIBLE play to see at the Minack!!
You should go see one of the productions at The Shakespeare Theater in Washington, DC. I saw Patrick Stewart as Othello there. Also Hal Holbrook as Shylock. Micheal Kahn was a brilliant artistic director.
I saw the Donmar production of The Tempest back at the pop-up Kings Cross Theatre in 2016. It was so good I fear I never want to see another one!
Feeling a bit nervous about Much Ado next month (it's my absolute favourite, and my poor mum spent like 200 quid on tickets 😭)
Especially since it is OVERTLY comedic - like how the hell is Dogberry and his shenanigans going to translate well to Lloyd's style, or literally _any_ of Beatrice and Benedick's scenes? I'm worried, to say the least.
I'm concerned that they've announced the full cast and no Dogberry is listed 😶
@MickeyJoTheatre That doesn't bode well - I have a feeling Jamie's answer to the question 'how do these scenes translate to my Signature Style™️ ?' ended up being, 'they don't'. I hope not, I love me some loveable innumerate guardsman
I'm with you!!! It's such a joyous play but the tempest pics and no dogberry listed 😬 gotta keep an open mind
Saw Vanessa Redgrave as Prospero at the Globe in 2000 give an authoritative performance ie spoken clearly with an insightful appreciation of the verse, enhanced( of course) by the magic of seeing a performance by the Bard in the Globe setting. (Remember too, in the same performance, a spirited waterfight and some unscripted jokes,between Jasper Britton and the 'groundlings' standing directly in front of the stage. Hilarious!). For my money, the best productions have been a more recent one (also at the Globe) with Roger Allam as Prospero, Johnny Flynn as Ariel and Jessie Buckley as Miranda; also unforgettable are the Derek Jarman film version, with Toyah Wilcox as a punky Miranda and Heathcote Williams as a lugubriously brilliant Prospero and Elisabeth Welch singing Stormy Weather, (really magic!!!) plus, too, Peter Greenaway's version, with John Gielgud's moving rendition of 'Our revels now are ended'....
I have a Soft spot for Julie Taymor's film adaptation with Helen Mirren as Prospera, Ben Whishaw as Ariel and a pre Hadestown Reeve Carney as Prince Ferdinand.
I managed to see Macbeth with David Tennant and Cush Jumbo while I was in London. It was incredible, one of the best theatre pieces I have seen. I don't think every Shakespeare should be performed the same way, but it's absolutely the standard by which any future Shakespeare productions I see will be judged. I'm sorry the Tempest wasn't that experience.
I saw a non consept version at Utah Shakespeare festival. It was great and silly dramatic and slapstick.
Many of the same Tempest cast (including the amazing Mason Alexander Park!!!) are coming back for Much Ado and I’m worried it’ll be so jarring for people (me) who would’ve just seen Tempest staged in the same theatre a few weeks ago.
I realise that I preempted you entirely since you mentioned it at the end! Haha can wait to hear your take.
I’ve also got tickets to see Richard II and it’ll be an interesting March for me to say the least’!
Interesting and a shame. Shakespeare can already be intimidating though when well done it shouldnt be, it's sad when a production seems like it might put people off his works. I remember studying The Tempest in school and it's still one of my favourites. If you're looking for a Shakespeare adaptation with plenty of levity I'd highly recommend HER Productions "Taming of the Shrew" in Manchester. I saw it at Shakespeare North (near a Liverpool) last year and had never read or seen the play before but it was one of the best bits of theatre I've seen, I loved it. So funny but so heartbreaking at the end.
Much Ado About Nothing is my favourite Shakespeare play as well, and I have tickets for March so I was really looking forward to it. Getting quite nervous now given what I’m hearing about Jamie Lloyd’s other recent Shakespeare adaptations :/
Anyone else be like 'Hmmm, let's wait and see what MJ thinks' before giving any money to Mr Lloyd these days?
Stratford's 2019 production was a jewel, with Marth Henry presenting an imposing, yet somehow vulnerable, Prospero/a. The entire company was brilliant, as was every aspect of the production. BTW, I'm always team Caliban.
I have mixed but slightly more positive views of this show. I thought this show had some very amazing moments such as all the amazing technical elements, like the fabric work and lighting. I also very much enjoyed the added song and sound work although it seemed a bit unnecessary at some points. Saying this, these moments seemed only as amazing as they were as the rest of the show was so still and boring. Grey, dull and still yet with entrancing moments of colour and some very interesting effects and even dare I say one or two wow moments. I did enjoy the sort of sci-Fi take on the design of the show through the moon like set and the dune-ish costumes. Mason Alexander Park’s performance as Ariel was amazing, as well as the entire cast although I was slightly disappointed by Sigourney Weaver’s performance; not sure if she was bored or tired on the day that I watched it but she (in my opinion) stood and spoke her lines without much emotion or passion behind it, almost as if we were watching a script read through not a full and fledged performance. She felt bored and as if she just wanted to get it over with. I have tickets booked for Much Ado and had done before seeing this production and I am still very much looking forward to seeing Jamie’s take in this show as it’s one of my favourite. Anyway thank you for the review Mickey, always love your videos!
James Wilby as Ferdinand, CFT Tent, 1985. Maggie Gordon-Walker as Gonzala, King's Head, early 90's. I've seen more, SRB at Stratford was lovely. I think you only need see The Tempest a few times... Ruby Wax tells a hilarious tale about the production she was in at Stratford with Michael Horden as Prospero.
I have tickets to Much Ado. I'm thrilled to see Tom Hiddleston on stage, but I am seriously nervous about the direction, especially with the cast having been announced and no sign of Dogberry.
Exactly my worry too!
@MickeyJoTheatre I have faith at least that Hiddleston (and Atwell too, though I've not seen her do Shakespeare before) knows how to deliver the language. Also Mason Alexander Park has been one of the universally praised parts of the Tempest to my knowledge so I'm sure they'll also be great.
Your reviews are always my first port of call Mikey. Thank you for your excellent content! :-)
I'm not sure if I can watch this video all the way through because I haven't seen this play YET. But I'm about to hop on a plane and see it among some others... and I agree with your opinions more often than not. :D I mean... organising theatre trips is a bit more difficult for me because of health issues and I can only be hopeful that they'll be worth it. So prettyplease just tell me that the thumbnail is clickbaity? :DDD
Urgh totally agree. I actually went on Saturday and was one of the people who left in the interval. I was getting worried during the first half that there wouldn't be an interval and I wouldn't be able to leave! I too am deeply worried about Much Ado as it is also my favourite and I love the cast but I'm losing faith in Jamie Loyde.....only plus was that ticket sales are obviously pretty poor so my cheap balcony seat was upgraded to row H of the stalls, which at Theatre Royal Drury Lane is somewhere I never thought I'd get to sit! Shame it wasn't for a better performance.....
Omg this is breaking my heart and I’m not even half way through.
People leaving the auditorium is a terrible sign, particularly if they can’t wait till the interval!
You’re right, it is so damning for Shakespeare overall (I have a bit of a beef about amateurs dramatics doing Shakespeare because they mostly back up people’s school memories of that Shakespeare is boring (granted some are better than others and the occasional stand out does emerge every now and then ((however, I honestly saw a Twelfth Night where Malvolio shot himself at the end!))
I’ve seen quite a few Tempest productions (Alex King was Prospero in RSC a couple of years back) - I’m not overly fussed about gender swapping Prospero, it doesn’t add anything better for me.
Also, please don’t miss out that Calaban attempted to rape Miranda! That’s a pretty clear reason for his treatment, but also shows the extent of Prospero’s character because he didn’t kill him.
I digress
I have tickets for much ado next month for a big birthday and although I was already worried that my preferred casting may not be on that night because it’s a Monday and still the previews, so a chance it could be an understudy run or something is running rings in my head.
But now, I am worried that the production is not going to meet my standard (which as a regular RSC frequenter is pretty high!)
I will put faith in Hiddleston as an actor who can knock Shakespeare out of the park. (But I won’t hold my breath with it being Jamie Lloyd)
Dreading how they are going to do the chapel scene (usually my favourite for the Beatrice and Benedict bit) and the treatment of Hero!
But I am worried. I’m worried it won’t be worth the expense of the trip (not just our own for tickets, travel and accommodation, but for the time getting grandparents to travel almost 3 hours to babysit overnight!)
Plus, my poor hubby is not a Shakespeare fan but taking me because it’s my big birthday! If it’s sh!t then, I’m going to feel bad for him too.
Theatre is too expensive to be p!ss poor 😢
(And for the record, I love Much Ado, it’s my favourite Shakespeare and saw it for my last big birthday when it was Love Labours Won at the RSC 😂 obsessed? Me? Noooo 😅)
Also Alex Kingston was Prospero in stratford a few years ago!
and it was great
Im very sad you didnt like, thanks for explaining so clearly.
Loved the plot explanation.....but sad no visual aides haha
It's starting to feel like Cyrano was the rare success, based on the growing number of Jamie Lloyd's failures 🤔
Cyrano was also divisive in fairness, but credit where it's due he's been working for years and staged many well received productions pre Cyrano.
I'm like the biggest Jamie Lloyd hater there is, but you can't say that when both his productions of urinetown and assassins exists
@@MickeyJoTheatre Well, all I can say is that what felt like intentional features thoughtfully created and executed to strengthen and truly show off Cyrano have gradually turned into an empty gimmick that make Jamie Lloyd look like a one-trick pony with every subsequent production where he deploys the same methods with zero thought as to whether they fit. If nothing else, he should probably leave Shakespeare alone, he's setting himself up to fail with what he's doing.
Looks like I'm in the minority here but I've just watched this show and I loved it! It's a special take for sure, and not for everyone I'll give you that-but as someone who loves anything ethereal and mysterious or dream-like, it was right up my alley. The music is magical, the production design and the lighting mind-blowing, and Ariel's singing knocked my socks off every single time. I also loved Sigourney Weaver, though the lisp was noticeable and I kept wondering what happened to her...I'd say if you liked Villeneuve's Dune, you're going to love this - if not, catch a different adaptation. Even though I had a few nitpicks myself, I'd still give it 5 stars. BTW, in my interpretation this adaptation is focusing on political and social commentary-Weaver represents a centrist/leftie government trying to rule society on both sides of the spectrum (ethereal Ariel and brutish Caliban), while also trying to punish those who'd attacked her...and just like today, she realizes that in this strife she's become just like her enemies and so she forgives and movies away from power. My two cents, that is;)
I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but as soon as I saw the poster I knew that the tone wouldn’t be right for me. Shame, it’s one of my favourites.
As a big Much Ado enjoyer, Im also kind of concerned about a Jamie Lloyd version. Making it actually bleak and stark ruins the point of it being something of a study of the melodrama of the wealthy and bored. He can go for it after the wedding, but if it's like that from act one, it'll be tonally weird.
I saw the recorded hi-tech version with Simon Russel Beale and it had everything that you could want in a production. of The Tempest.
I think you are right this makes people think that Shakespeare is dull, when I went people left before the interval. This was very disappointing I could go about how bad it is, but what is odd is that this production seems as if it had originated in a tiny pub venue and had transferred into a huge theatre, the comedy doesn't work and none of he actors have swords or even a staff for Prospero to use so some lines or scenes don't make sense
I saw it last month, the same week as the press night, and the only thing I liked was being in a box at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. And without hundreds of little kids singing along to Elsa! Lol
An amazing venue and such great material but such a lackluster play! Shame that Sigourney felt like the weakest link.
Hoping that Much Ado will be treated better 😕
Im meeting friends for dinner on saturday after theyve bern tobthd matinee of this, im curious to see how they find it.
Great video! Will you post your review of death becomes her?
Sadly I saw it too early in previews and it doesn't feel fair to review BUT I'm hoping to see it again to review!
I have one slot left in my trip. Tempest or Prada?
I'd go for Tempest tbh. It's still a technically impressive production & it's a limited run. Prada should be on for longer in case you can make another trip some day...
I do wonder how much Jamie Llyod actually has to do with this production when it is advertised as Jamie Llyod Company, and considering he was in New York for a lot of the Sunset Blvd promotion etc.
I saw this on its first preview - and was hugely underwhelmed - the “revels now are ended” speech came out of the blue as there were no revels staged. SW was inert throughout. The staging meant there was no tension at all.
Joe Papp's 1972 MUCH ADO will be tough to beat; the benchmark (for me) for 52 years.
I've seen Vanessa Redgrave as Prospero at the Globe and Simon Russell Beale at Stratford, which were both great in different ways. I hated Jamie Lloyd's Seagull but thought i'd give him another chance as everyone had loved his Sunset Boulevard so much, I didn't dislike this Tempest as much as you but i unfortunately saw it on the same day as Robert Icke's Oedipus which was fantastic, so it didn't compare well. It's put me off booking for Much ado which is a shame as i'd have liked to have seen Tom Hiddlestone's Benedick - i saw his Coriolanus twice and enjoyed him in Cymbeline at the beginning of his career. However I have booked for Jonathan Bailey's Richard ll which i'm looksing forward to.
I hope they don’t accidentally make much ado about nothing depressing and weird! I love it so much!
I feel like Jamie Lloyd’s thing is working against script and conventions (in some ways) which is fine for some shows, but some conventions are conventions for a reason. The show doesn’t work without it.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury called… they want their everything back
Like it’s a pretty loose Tempest adaptation but like we got an actual mecha anime version of The Tempest in 2022-2023
Also why does this version of The Tempest look like it is actually set on the planet Mercury? (Still kinda salty about never actually seeing what Mercury looks like in that show)
Maybe we shouldn't let Lloyd touch Shakespeare for a bit. 😬I legitimately wonder if he just got lucky with Sunset.
I keep seeing rush tickets still available at 1pm! That's how I know it's bad 😂
I always buy my tickets for shows pretty far in advance bc I travel and see a bunch of shows on one trip. I was so disappointed to see the same seats I bought were 50% less the day before I saw it! That was definitely not a good sign lol
I went to see this for Sigourney Weaver, having never read or watched anything Shakespeare before. I didn't grow up in an English speaking country so it was never something I'd come across.
Skimmed a very brief summary before I went but I was still utterly confused the whole time 😅 most definitely wasn't the best show I've ever been to, wasn't the worst either but I wouldn't see it again. Enjoyed Ariel's character the most.
Won't be my last touch with Shakespeare though, I'm determined to see more!
Not strictly Shakespeare's last play but that is another story. I would avoid these big name productions unless the actor has established Shakespeare chops. Max von Sydow played Prospero at the Old Vic back into 80s and was rather good. Sam Mendes did a beautiful version at Stratford in 1993 and it was the most intelligent and funny production I have ever seen. My favourite Prospero was Simon Russell Beale in a high tech RSC version.
I didn't notice the lisp.But there was certainly a lack of light and shade in Sigourney Weaver's performance.
Not sure why Caliban was dressed like he was on his way to Taboo.
Ariel was excellent and the ensemble give a more poetic reading.
Selena Cadell would have made an admirable Prospero.
The horrendous amplification made much of the dialogue unintelligible. Weaver is no Shakespearean actress.
I fear Much Ado About Nothing may live up to its title.
Damn, I was really looking forward to this, such a shame!
You are welcome to still look forward to it! Although perhaps manage expectations...
Thank you so much for this review. As with Benjamin Button, I was waiting for your views and to see if I was correct in my opinion. Alas, I was not familiar with the plot, when I went to watch the play and after the first half I was completely lost and utterly dismayed. I can’t say I hated this Jamie Lloyd production but I left utterly disappointed and feeling that something is ‘very wrong in the Dutch kingdom’. This makes me weary going to see Tom Hiddleston next month
Got tickets for Much Ado, and after being thoroughly underwhelmed with his Romeo & Juliet, I'm very very nervous
I’ve just got home from watching this mess, I was upgraded from the top level to row f of the stalls! The top 2 levels were empty/closed as everyone had been moved down. I did enjoy Mason Alexander Park as Aerial but Sigourney was poor and very one note throughout
9:38 love to hear this when his next project is MUCH ADO
I don’t know this play that well - saw it at the Globe a couple of years ago with a wizened old Prospero dressed in just tiny yellow Speedos. Not the best image to have seared into the brain.
This was the fifth Jamie Lloyd production I’ve seen. First was Betrayal - three actors sitting on seats, reciting the script. (And what a horrible play that is.) Second was Cyrano de Bergerac, actors standing in line reciting rap nonsense. Third was The Seagull, great actors sitting on green waiting room chairs.
I felt cheated by all three. I’d begun to think that Jamie Lloyd has no idea of what a theatrical performance is. Theatre isn’t just words. Ten people sitting in a line on stage reciting a script is not a play - it’s a table read. What wonderful direction is involved when actors do that? What a waste that was of Emilia Clarke, Indira Varma, Robert Glenister. A child could have directed it.
Then came Sunset Boulevard. He tried his best but he couldn’t spoil the beauty of the score and of course he had a fantastic performer in Nicole Scherzinger. But just what does this director have against actually creating a world on stage?
So I was a bit worried about The Tempest, and having spent so much money on a good seat to see a genuine Hollywood superstar in the flesh.
But actually I rather enjoyed it. I thought the set was very dramatic - a very different island to the one I’d always envisioned. I don’t know where you were sitting but I was in the stalls, row D, and when the wind machine started blowing that curtain around, I could definitely feel the fury of the storm.
The acting was good all round. I understand that Sigourney forgot her words a few times earlier in the run, but for this one she was word perfect, very commanding, fearsome and protective. At the start I thought she was doing a kind if neutral accent - I didn’t notice any lisp, I have to say - but found it funny that by the end she had gone back to her normal voice and I could hear Ripley speaking from the stage. All the supporting performers were good too, and though I was rather put off by the grotesque Caliban but gradually warmed to the portrayal.
As I was near the front I couldn’t see what went on behind me, but I saw no one leave during the performance itself and only noticed one drop-out after half-time.
So what bout Much Ado? The thing is, I saw this not long ago at the National, with Katherine Parkinson, and it was inventive and hilarious, with wonderful set design. Humour does not seem to be Lloyd’s strong point and I’m worried we’ll lose everything that makes the play so enjoyable.
None the less, I’ll be there.
I was thinking of seeing this next week! 😂
I still booked tickets after reading many negative reviews!
I enjoyed the production; but I suspect it's because I'm not familiar with the story. My friend, who loves the plot and characters, was disappointed with Weaver. I'm glad there were no mics and cameras tho - that got old fast! 😅
The 2017 RSC production (available on dvd) is a great one in my opinion
Someone please take the works of Shakespeare away from Jamie Lloyd 😭
I'm clearly in a minority here because I didn't think this production was that bad (and I also quite enjoyed R&J as well). Though I do agree on some aspects like the end scene with the circling, and maybe it was a bit too minimalist for my liking. But in terms of the performances, I rather enjoyed them, particularly Ariel and Caliban.
I do have my ticket booked for Much Ado, and I am more nervous about that one as it is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, plus it is a comedy and I do worry about him interpreting it too far that it comes across as pretentious.
Happy 2025!! Great review
And to you! And thank you 😁
AND HE’S DOING MORE BARD. With Loki and Peggy Carter as leads…… aka Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell. The man should be banned 😩😩😩😩😩