The Stage is Set.....

Just one more chance to see The Tempest at the Apollo this evening, so make the most of it!

The first puzzle facing the audience entering the auditorium for this show is the stage setting: anyone familiar with The Tempest knows it starts on board a ship and the main action takes place on a desert island – so why is the stage set to resemble the back courtyard of The Ship Inn?

That - and other questions - is resolved by the actors, but many people have commented on the amazing sets The Apollo comes up with for its shows: recent directors have required the interior of a whole flat, another flat upstairs and exterior; a study whose furnishings change and which becomes gradually smaller; a London exterior street scene to be swapped for a Victorian sitting room and a lounge with a view of a haunted castle, doors my hat move by themselves and a flying bat!!

It's down to our fantastic team of set designers and builders to do the impossible, and each time, whatever the apparently bizarre requests, they manage to come up with exactly the right set.

Alongside these wonderful people we have teams of costume designers, props people and sound and lighting engineers whose work often goes unnoticed by audiences, but who are also vital in creating the the atmosphere of the piece.

So next time you’re in the theatre, spare a thought for these backstage talents, and if you fancy getting involved, please do – we always welcome new members both on and backstage, so if you have artistic talents, practical abilities or are just happy to wield a paintbrush or hammer, please contact Dan Burns via our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/groups/apollotheatre/ or on 07401 306577, or just turn up to any workshop evening - they're held Monday and Tuesday evenings at The Apollo.

The Tempest, by….er……someone called Will, I believe….

I have seen this play staged several times, but never has the Boatswain received almost a standing ovation, and never has Prospero’s memory ‘failed him’ so dramatically!

The Apollo Players have decided to give their audience a true taste of the theatre of the time, so on entering the auditorium ones expectations of seeing a representation of a sinking ship or an enchanted island are immediately challenged by the courtyard of the Ship Inn. The players similarly are milling about dicing and chatting, as they would have done in Will’s day. There is even a traditionally Elizabethan ending, which I shan't give away….

The Boatswain acts as stagehand, scene marker and comic turn: once used to this device his every appearance was greeted by laughter and applause, and he was in grave danger of stealing the show – and would have done had it not been for excellent performances from his colleagues.

The shipwreck was cleverly presented, although at times it was difficult to hear the words over the noise of  the eponymous tempest, but as we moved on to dry land every character was clearly drawn and thoughtfully acted.

Prospero was, as he should be, the dominating figure: now ordering his spirit Ariel to her task; now silently observing the results of his magical intrigue; now confronting his past enemies, enjoying having the upper hand. Yet he still managed to be a sympathetic figure - his deep sense of the injustice he had suffered and his tender love for his daughter Miranda were skilfully drawn.

Miranda herself was as sweet and naïve as her love interest Ferdinand was heroic and dashing – the effect helped by his rich blue doublet of course!

The shipwrecked nobles can sometimes be presented as a homogenous group, but in this production the gentle old Gonzalo and the despairing yet regal King Alonso were set against the calculating, sneering usurper Antonio and his sidekick Sebastian, who was played as slightly stupid but ready to engage in Antonio’s plot.

Set against the foiled plot to kill Alonso (showing of course that Antonio was still as evil as when he took Prospero’s dukedom) was the comic plot to kill Prospero and rule the island hatched by Caliban, Prospero’s deformed slave, along with the drunkards Stephano and Trinculo. Caliban was suitably deranged and monstrous, and the double act staggered about the stage hilariously.

For me, one of the stars of the play is Ariel: her graceful movement, beautiful singing voice and ethereal presence contributed to the magical atmosphere of this enchanted isle. It was during one of the exchanges with Ariel that Prospero appeared to forget his lines, to be prompted by the ubiquitous Boatswain – a rehearsal lapse that was so amusing it made it into the final play, much to the audience’s appreciation.

The denouement settled all matters to everyone's (well, almost!) satisfaction – certainly the audiences – and while, as Prospero says, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on”, the plots hatched on this island to gain power could perhaps have something to say to contemporary politicians?

Be that as it may, this is a most entertaining Shakespearean feast, whether you are a devotee of the Bard or not.

I'm a Magician - Get Me Out Of Here!!

Milan's deposed duke Prospero and his gorgeous daughter Miranda have been discovered alive and well - on a desert island. And now wedding bells are ringing for young Miranda and Ferdinand, the dashing heir to the throne of Naples. 

Prospero, believed murdered when his brother Antonio took over Milan in suspicious circumstances, had actually been living in luxury on the island for the past twelve years. Always a bit of a wizard, the deposed Duke had used his magical skills on the island's inhabitants - airy spirit Ariel and moody monster Caliban - who waited on him hand and foot. 

Despite his cosy life, he was set on paying back his double-dealing brother and Antonio’s crony Alonso, King of Naples, who'd conspired to dupe him of his dukedom. So when their ship came sailing by, it was revenge time! 

With a wave of his wand, Prospero BEACHED the ship and: 

CONVINCED Alonso that his son Ferdinand was drowned;

Left the shipwrecked lords AGHAST with magical visions;

TERRIFIED the traitors Antonio and Alonso;

Finally, he FOILED a plot between Caliban and drunkards Trinculo and Stephano to take over the island.

But the magician soon showed his softer side. When Miranda and Ferdinand fell for one another, Prospero finally approved the match.

And after Ariel gave him an earful for his treatment of Alonso and Antonio, he freed and even forgave them.

As the happy group left the island, Prospero had one last command for hard-working Ariel that must have come as a great relief to everyone - "calm seas"!

A Happy Landing!

No sooner had former drama teacher Keith Larkin landed on the Isle of Wight, than he landed a part in the Apollo Theatre's next production of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.

Keith will play the Boatswain after the previous cast member had to drop out. 

The play's director, Mike Whitehead, said: "It was obviously meant to be. This is Keith's favourite Shakespeare play, and he arrived on the Island by ship - just as his character does!"

The play is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan (played by Michael Arnell) plots to restore his daughter Miranda (Susan Simpson) to her rightful place in the court. He uses his magic powers to summon up a storm, which wrecks a ship carrying his usurping brother Antonio (Alain Smith), among others.

First performed in 1611, it is one of Shakespeare's shortest plays, and is renowned for the beauty of its language, its dreamlike quality and some rich and colourful characters, including the spirit Ariel (Ginnie Orrey), and Prospero's slave Caliban, played by Danny Carmichael.

The Apollo's production will feature authentic period costume, matched with the use of modern technology to create sound effects and lighting.

You can catch it on May 15 and 16, and from May 19 to 23.

For more information and online booking, go to www.apollo-theatre.org.uk