Hell might be empty, but there were no devils haunting Mermaids’ production of The Tempest. With the house lights still up, the actors were already immersing us in the action of the island - unsure whether to stop talking or not, boundaries between the fantastical and reality were blurred from the beginning.
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| ID: Ethan Cartwright threatened by Orsolya Haynes. Credit: Emily Allen. |
As one of Shakespeare’s plays of which I only remember flashes from a 30 page version I read in primary school, I went in unsure what to expect, but was hooked from the very beginning. With haunting lights, uncanny melodies and a set which can only be described as ethereal, transforming 601 from the place of my drunken nightmares to a dreamlike fantasy, it was impossible to look away. The parallel stories of the blossoming romance of Miranda and Ferdinand, the plotting of the shipwrecked and the vengeance of the monstrous Caliban all under the orchestrations of the sorceress Prospero unfold in a tale drenched in tension, culminating in an expertly crafted final plea to the audience from Prospero, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats until the lights go up.
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| ID: Phoenix Carlson, Eva Rieckewald, and Jack Dams. Credit: Emily Allen. |
Every performance was undoubtedly perfectly cast, with intense moments of unadulterated emotion contrasted with comic relief which had the entire audience in stitches. The comic trio of Jack Dams, Phoenix Carlson (Trinculo) and Eva Rieckewald (Stephano) prompted unstoppable laughter, with Dams’ physical contortions as the fishlike Caliban leaving the audience creasing from the moment he popped out from under the stage, while the drunken shenanigans of all three running rings around each other failed to leave anyone unamused.
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| ID: Sarayah Shaw and Ethan Cartwright. Credit: Emily Allen. |
Similarly, the amusingly adolescent pining between the two lovers, played by Sarayah Shaw and Ethan Cartwright, left everyone rooting for these crazy kids and their undying commitment to someone they met three hours ago, and I’ll admit there was a point when I was more focused on the flirtatious UNO game and the fact that four +4 cards got stacked on top of each other. In complete opposition was the power-hungry dynamic between Iha Jha and Joseph Vilar-King’s traitorous plotters Antonia and Sebastian, with their devious schemes dripping in sarcasm keeping everyone entertained. And undoubtedly every single cast member played a part in bringing to life this liminal, fantastical island, with each performance contributing to seamlessly transporting the audience through the unfolding drama.
However, the standout performance undoubtedly belonged to Orsolya Haynes, whose lofty presence dominated as Prospero, accompanied by the mystic machinations of Daniel Ribardo as her trusty spirit Ariel. From loving mother, to vengeful sorcerer, to merciful master, Haynes commanded the stage as her island, and needed no sorcery to silence her loyal subjects, with every word cementing her authority. And backing her up every step of the way was Ribardo, whose haunting melodies had everyone spellbound, with movements which transported them into the sprite longing for freedom despite an undying loyalty to their master.
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| ID: Daniel Ribardo and Orsolya Haynes. Credit: Emily Allen. |
And while the actors sold the show, credit must indubitably be given to co-directors Ona Wright and Aria Fraser, who clearly had a very specific vision in mind which was executed sublimely. Every decision felt deliberate in creating this world which blurred the lines between fantasy and reality, and the dreamlike nature of this production was ubiquitous in every aspect. Costumes might have ranged from undoubtedly supernatural to somewhat realistic, but the stylised make up which no character was exempt from created a push and pull between these contrasting dynamics which felt completely cohesive among the cast. Each design helped to tell the character’s story before they even spoke, and despite the outlandish designs somehow all felt perfectly natural.
And (of course), it must be highlighted that it was as camp and queer as Shakespeare deserves to be. From the genderbent casting, to the different dynamics and gestures between certain characters, it raised many interesting questions of gendered power dynamics. Particularly through the tumultuous relationship between Prospero and Ariel, and the many dynamics the two embodied as master and servant to ambiguous declarations of love kept the audience hooked on both them and the drama they masterminded among the other characters.
TL;DR, if you see no other Shakespeare adaptation for the rest of this semester (I don’t think there are any others [ed. - there aren’t]), The Tempest has one more performance tonight and you are missing out on a brave new world if you don’t get yourself a ticket to this beautiful performance.
By Anjali P (she/her)
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