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!
Love “relentlessly bleak,” “fatally dull,” “unrelentingly bleak & sorrowful & mournful,” “palpable heaviness.” If the Shakespeare can’t be satisfying, at least hearing about it is.
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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!😃
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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...
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! 🎉
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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!
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.....
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.
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.
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
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 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 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 😕
@@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.
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 😅)
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
Yeah I saw this opening night and had a really hard time with it. I'm a massive Shakespeare nerd and this just struck me as the worst kind of production by someone who doesn't seem to understand or care to understand the material. Like you said, there didn't seem to be a reason or idea behind any of it beyond "look, we got Sigourney Weaver!" or, if you read the programme notes "screw you Gielgud we brought Shakespeare back to Drury Lane despite your predictions!". I hate the flutey ethereal line delivery that lacks any emotion. I hate the GCSE Drama "everybody circle around the main character" bit at the end. I found Caliban's fetish gear vaguely terfy in the sense that he and Ariel were clearly being styled similarly as being natives of the island but while the gender neutral angle is often employed and works well for Ariel it felt nasty here applied to Caliban especially given his referred to attempted rape of Miranda. I didn't hate Sigourney Weaver; I thought she was regal but that the direction wasn't doing her any favours. I loved Mason Alexander Park and really liked a lot of their appearances alongside the singing and the billowy curtains etc. By far the best thing in it. I have tickets for Much Ado which is my favourite Shakespeare play. I adore Tom and Hayley and under normal circumstances I'd be excited to see a lot of this cast back in these different roles but given the soulless mess this turned out to be I'm very, very worried.
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.
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 saw the last part of the 1980 movie of the Tempest with John Cassavetes, Gena Rowland and Susan Sarandon. a bad review of the next production could spark a duel.
Not sure, i thought it was alright, i liked the stage, and overall the atmosphere. But certainly the stage seemed unnecessarily big and the acting was alright
Everyone loves the tempest but I have never seen the appeal. I love shakespeare when it is it’s most simple and human. That doesn’t There can’t be magic. Macbeth is fabulous. (Though that’a more just prophecy and bad life choices) and winter’s tale is mystifying because it is magic plays into very human pitfalls or helps to rectify them. Still though, funny I am such a Shakespeare nerd and am not what for super contrived plots. Anyway, yes, much ado is absolutely the correct answer for a favorite as it is mine as well. (Though it’s really close with as you like it. I love people just being… people in all their ridiculousness and glory. Never been one for the clowns in Shakespeare. But give me a teenage boy jumping out of a bush shouting “i warn you, I’m on the wrestling team!” Is so hilarious because it’s so real
Saw this a few days ago and yeah it was very uninspiring and the comedic sections were jarring in contrast to the rest of it. Very concerned what Much Ado is going to be like, its my favourite Shakespeare play with one of my favourite actors in Tom Hiddleston and i'm afraid now its going to be the worst versoon of it i've seen.
Also I commented something similar on the Romeo and Juliet review but this really does sound like a presentation of the tempest that someone would put on in a skit trying to make fun of Shakespeare or their preconceptions of it…just dull, gray and obtuse. It’s a shame since the performance I remember seeing a while back in Pittsburgh was very entertaining 😅
I am feeling dejected for Andrew Lloyd Webber He has put his bank behind Jamie Lloyd, all his productions are insipid. Shakespeare is lively, topical and fun, JL is not
During the first act she was unintelligeble. Could not make out any words coming out of her mouth. It was better in the second act. But indeed… dull overall.
Why do productions nowadays always need some gimmick or other? Please may we have some traditional productions of Shakespeare again? For example, a female Prospero (as here) would not have inherited the position of ruler of Milan with a brother extant, entirely negating the reason for Prospero's feeling betrayed by Antonio. 'She' would simply have had to accept that, as a woman, she had no right to inherit the dukedom. (BTW, the phrase 'pre-planned' is always tautological; one cannot 'post-plan' anything!)
@@MickeyJoTheatre Well, as things stand, the portrayal of certain male characters, such as Propero, by women is interfering with the sense of the narrative. In The Tempest, unless Prospero is a male character, any angst he feels at being cast aside by Antonio is meaningless.
You mean, Sigourney Weaver should have been playing Prospero as the traditional male character? Turnabout being fair play, ‘n’ all? I’d love to see that, & even more, a female playing Caliban!
But this sort of theatre isn’t about being factually accurate- it’s using storytelling to express something about human nature. Prospero is an archetype so to my mind it doesn’t matter what gender or colour or whatever the actor is- what matters is them engagingly portraying a human experience we can relate to or have an emotional reaction to. It seems a shame not to be able to just go with it because you’re thinking about historical accuracy. And bearing in mind that the central character of the play controls the weather with magic and hangs out with a fairy, I don’t know how bothered Shakespeare would’ve been
MJ- flashes pic of Sigourney Weaver as Prospero “..who may not be as familiar with Shakespeare..” Sigourney Weaver- The Tempest 1972, The Merchant of Venice 1986 and countless stage works including works by Tom Stoppard, David Rabe, Stephen Sondheim and Christopher Durang. MORE than qualified to be cast in a Shakespeare work than most currently starring actors. The disrespect is ridiculous. Just because she was in Aliens doesn’t mean she’s “stunt casting, Mickey and just because she’s American doesn’t mean she’s an uncultured buffoon who would never understand the text. Dont you come here regularly to see shows?? Wow.
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
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.
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 😭
Love “relentlessly bleak,” “fatally dull,” “unrelentingly bleak & sorrowful & mournful,” “palpable heaviness.” If the Shakespeare can’t be satisfying, at least hearing about it is.
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 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
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! ❤️
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.
The performance of The Tempest at Stratford with Christopher Plummer in 2010 was beautiful and thrilling
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.
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
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
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. 🤣
Can't wait for that mournful, aggressive Much Ado 😄Thank you for this intelligent and amusing review!
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!
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.
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!😃
More people need to watch the recording of the Simon Russell beale production from 2017!
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!!
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.
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 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
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.
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...
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! 🎉
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!
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.
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.
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.
The saddest thing is this man is getting great actors and actresses dragged because if his bad choices
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
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
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.
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
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!
I saw a non consept version at Utah Shakespeare festival. It was great and silly dramatic and slapstick.
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.....
Also Alex Kingston was Prospero in stratford a few years ago!
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.
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.
Your reviews are always my first port of call Mikey. Thank you for your excellent content! :-)
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
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.
Im very sad you didnt like, thanks for explaining so clearly.
Loved the plot explanation.....but sad no visual aides haha
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 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 saw the recorded hi-tech version with Simon Russel Beale and it had everything that you could want in a production. of The Tempest.
The 2017 RSC production (available on dvd) is a great one in my opinion
I keep seeing rush tickets still available at 1pm! That's how I know it's bad 😂
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.
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 😅)
I hope they don’t accidentally make much ado about nothing depressing and weird! I love it so much!
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
Joe Papp's 1972 MUCH ADO will be tough to beat; the benchmark (for me) for 52 years.
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!
Yeah I saw this opening night and had a really hard time with it. I'm a massive Shakespeare nerd and this just struck me as the worst kind of production by someone who doesn't seem to understand or care to understand the material. Like you said, there didn't seem to be a reason or idea behind any of it beyond "look, we got Sigourney Weaver!" or, if you read the programme notes "screw you Gielgud we brought Shakespeare back to Drury Lane despite your predictions!". I hate the flutey ethereal line delivery that lacks any emotion. I hate the GCSE Drama "everybody circle around the main character" bit at the end. I found Caliban's fetish gear vaguely terfy in the sense that he and Ariel were clearly being styled similarly as being natives of the island but while the gender neutral angle is often employed and works well for Ariel it felt nasty here applied to Caliban especially given his referred to attempted rape of Miranda.
I didn't hate Sigourney Weaver; I thought she was regal but that the direction wasn't doing her any favours.
I loved Mason Alexander Park and really liked a lot of their appearances alongside the singing and the billowy curtains etc. By far the best thing in it.
I have tickets for Much Ado which is my favourite Shakespeare play. I adore Tom and Hayley and under normal circumstances I'd be excited to see a lot of this cast back in these different roles but given the soulless mess this turned out to be I'm very, very worried.
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.
Got tickets for Much Ado, and after being thoroughly underwhelmed with his Romeo & Juliet, I'm very very nervous
Happy 2025!! Great review
And to you! And thank you 😁
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
Its a shame directors can’t ask for your opinion during rehearsals so there would be less of these train wrecks
Oh noooooo! Bummer 😢
I was thinking of seeing this next week! 😂
I still booked tickets after reading many negative reviews!
Anyone else be like 'Hmmm, let's wait and see what MJ thinks' before giving any money to Mr Lloyd these days?
Damn, I was really looking forward to this, such a shame!
You are welcome to still look forward to it! Although perhaps manage expectations...
"come see this give us your money there is a celebrity in it" is what Jamie Lloyd has become. one trick pony.
Couldn't agree more, excellent point and people are missing this. It's just stunt casting and minimalist sets
I saw the last part of the 1980 movie of the Tempest with John Cassavetes, Gena Rowland and Susan Sarandon. a bad review of the next production could spark a duel.
I'm only going to see Mason Alexander Park.
Who is always worth seeing!
The best aspect of this play!!!!
A brilliant casting choice!
so real
Maybe we shouldn't let Lloyd touch Shakespeare for a bit. 😬I legitimately wonder if he just got lucky with Sunset.
Not sure, i thought it was alright, i liked the stage, and overall the atmosphere. But certainly the stage seemed unnecessarily big and the acting was alright
Someone please take the works of Shakespeare away from Jamie Lloyd 😭
I haven't seen the tempest but I am seeing much ado, though I am rather wary about it
I fear Much Ado About Nothing may live up to its title.
AND HE’S DOING MORE BARD. With Loki and Peggy Carter as leads…… aka Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell. The man should be banned 😩😩😩😩😩
Everyone loves the tempest but I have never seen the appeal. I love shakespeare when it is it’s most simple and human. That doesn’t There can’t be magic. Macbeth is fabulous. (Though that’a more just prophecy and bad life choices) and winter’s tale is mystifying because it is magic plays into very human pitfalls or helps to rectify them. Still though, funny I am such a Shakespeare nerd and am not what for super contrived plots. Anyway, yes, much ado is absolutely the correct answer for a favorite as it is mine as well. (Though it’s really close with as you like it. I love people just being… people in all their ridiculousness and glory. Never been one for the clowns in Shakespeare. But give me a teenage boy jumping out of a bush shouting “i warn you, I’m on the wrestling team!” Is so hilarious because it’s so real
Saw this a few days ago and yeah it was very uninspiring and the comedic sections were jarring in contrast to the rest of it. Very concerned what Much Ado is going to be like, its my favourite Shakespeare play with one of my favourite actors in Tom Hiddleston and i'm afraid now its going to be the worst versoon of it i've seen.
Jaime Lloyd can't do farse or whimsy and I think his upcoming production of Much Ado is going to be a disaster.
Should I see earnest instead of this?
yes
Maybe in retrospect it was a poor choice to give this director overlapping project after project
That is a concern I have in 2025
Also I commented something similar on the Romeo and Juliet review but this really does sound like a presentation of the tempest that someone would put on in a skit trying to make fun of Shakespeare or their preconceptions of it…just dull, gray and obtuse. It’s a shame since the performance I remember seeing a while back in Pittsburgh was very entertaining 😅
If he fks up the DREAM of Tom Hiddleston and Haley Attwell in much ado please get that man off directing forever
The horrendous amplification made much of the dialogue unintelligible. Weaver is no Shakespearean actress.
"I have a lot of time for The Tempest". What a TWAT.
FINALLY A JAMIE LLOYD FLOP HURRAH!!!!!!!
I am feeling dejected for Andrew Lloyd Webber He has put his bank behind Jamie Lloyd, all his productions are insipid. Shakespeare is lively, topical and fun, JL is not
During the first act she was unintelligeble. Could not make out any words coming out of her mouth. It was better in the second act. But indeed… dull overall.
The comic sequences drove me to drink. What a bad production.
I have seen The Tempest with the genders switched and it just doesnt work, regardless of who the actress is.
Awfulness.
i swear if he butchers Much Ado ...
Dukedom = Duchy in English (pronounced Dut-chy)
Would you believe I cut the next sentence in which I said "duchy? is that what a duchy is?" 😅
@@MickeyJoTheatre LOL - you knew! - Duchy of Cornwall is the best example of it being used / most common parlance.
@rachelsingleton2023 the reason I knew was the lyrics from Amdrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, embarrassingly...
Why do productions nowadays always need some gimmick or other? Please may we have some traditional productions of Shakespeare again? For example, a female Prospero (as here) would not have inherited the position of ruler of Milan with a brother extant, entirely negating the reason for Prospero's feeling betrayed by Antonio. 'She' would simply have had to accept that, as a woman, she had no right to inherit the dukedom. (BTW, the phrase 'pre-planned' is always tautological; one cannot 'post-plan' anything!)
How traditional do you want your Shakespeare, because if we go all the way back then women won't be onstage at all...
@@MickeyJoTheatre Well, as things stand, the portrayal of certain male characters, such as Propero, by women is interfering with the sense of the narrative. In The Tempest, unless Prospero is a male character, any angst he feels at being cast aside by Antonio is meaningless.
@@williamevans9426 how do you figure?
You mean, Sigourney Weaver should have been playing Prospero as the traditional male character? Turnabout being fair play, ‘n’ all? I’d love to see that, & even more, a female playing Caliban!
But this sort of theatre isn’t about being factually accurate- it’s using storytelling to express something about human nature. Prospero is an archetype so to my mind it doesn’t matter what gender or colour or whatever the actor is- what matters is them engagingly portraying a human experience we can relate to or have an emotional reaction to. It seems a shame not to be able to just go with it because you’re thinking about historical accuracy.
And bearing in mind that the central character of the play controls the weather with magic and hangs out with a fairy, I don’t know how bothered Shakespeare would’ve been
MJ- flashes pic of Sigourney Weaver as Prospero “..who may not be as familiar with Shakespeare..”
Sigourney Weaver- The Tempest 1972, The Merchant of Venice 1986 and countless stage works including works by Tom Stoppard, David Rabe, Stephen Sondheim and Christopher Durang. MORE than qualified to be cast in a Shakespeare work than most currently starring actors. The disrespect is ridiculous. Just because she was in Aliens doesn’t mean she’s “stunt casting, Mickey and just because she’s American doesn’t mean she’s an uncultured buffoon who would never understand the text. Dont you come here regularly to see shows?? Wow.
The actual dock doors are to the far stage right, so if they weren’t there, then they’re faking it.
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