The Tempest
Author(s): William Shakespeare
Company: Royal Shakespeare Company
The world is out of kilter. Political unrest and an unsettled climate make for stormy times.
People are out of kilter, too. Sibling rivalry and family ruptures cause heartache and uneasy souls.
On an island full of noises, a mother and daughter strike a truce with nature to survive. Then one day, their long-lost enemies sail into view on the horizon. Against the power of a furious sea, the reunited foes are forced to confront their pasts and themselves.
The Tempest asks us to examine the delicate balance in our personal relationships as well as with the fragile ecosystems around us. What damage do we do to each other—and to the natural world? In the end, young love brings hope for a better life: perhaps healing ourselves and mending the planet are one and the same thing.
Alex Kingston returns to the RSC to play Prospero in Shakespeare’s elemental tale of survival and forgiveness. Elizabeth Freestone (former Artistic Director of Pentabus Theatre, whose previous RSC directing credits include The Rape of Lucrece in the Swan Theatre and Crooked Dances at The Other Place) makes her Royal Shakespeare Theatre debut.
