The Tempest
National Taiwan University
This was a most inventive production. The backdrop – a charcoal drawing of
bamboo stalks – is lit up in interesting ways, colours corresponding to mood
shifts from one scene to another. I liked the gilded coathanger descending for
Prospero to hang his robe on (“lie there my art”). It nicely punctuates the
temporary resignation of power. Antonio and Sebastian are dressed in robes and
cowls like monks, with silver masks. I can see the idea: to slightly surrealize this
memory. But it doesn’t quite come off. I did like however the use of bamboo rods
to beat Prospero from his dukedom. Economy of prop use is a good principle to
follow. It creates a grammar for dramatic symbolism: a way of deftly pointing up
symbols in the text (as we shall see). Red lighting signals a mood change when
Prospero exults that his enemies have been “brought to this shore”. This is clever
stagecraft and good reading of the text. Prospero is tempted by revenge. Ariel’s
entry is then signaled by a green lighting change: this is lovely, it is very well
stated. Ariel’s “I have done thee worthy service” is accompanied by a very clever
piece of stage business: he begins creating a kind of bamboo cage for himself
with large rod-like stage props. Prospero finishes the “cage” by planting the last
rod. The theme of Ariel’s imprisonment by Prospero is thus beautifully stated.
The rod-prop also picks up the earlier bamboo-type motifs: this is turning into
something like a stage grammar. The acting and diction were good all-round.
Ariel is played by a dancer. His forté was movement. Caliban managed to convey
the idea of a bewildered, savage and somewhat pathetic thing. At “I know how to
curse”, Caliban’s use of the rod-props to imprison himself (a much tighter circle
than Ariel’s) was beautifully done. At “a plague on the tyrant I serve”, the rods
are knocked down. This is an object lesson in how to achieve a rich range of
effects with a simple set of props and motifs. The final tableau: “we are such stuff
as dreams are made on”, as spoken by all three actors in unison, was a very witty
take on Prospero’s closing prayer. All in all, this was a beautifully thoughtthrough and sensitive staging of the action: correctly judging that much of the
staging of this particular play needs to convey symbolic values.
By Prof. John Gillies