SYNOPSIS
The Tempest
Appearing as part of “The Bridge Project”, now in its third year, “The Tempest” is presented by the Old Vic in 2010, starring Christian Camargo, Juliet Rylance, Stephen Dillane, Michelle Beck, Ron Cephas Jones and Thomas Sadoski, a group of actors also appearing in “As You Like It” in the same series.
With director Sam Mended taking the reins, “The Tempest” is sure to be a compelling piece as we follow the perils of Prospero, the Duke of Milan, following his usurpation at the hands of his brother Antonio, leaving him without a kingdom, dukedom, or even a home. Prospero had ruled the nation with more thought behind practising magic than tending to the needs of others, leaving him unpopular with some and fit for removal by others. As a result he travels out at sea alongside his daughter, Miranda where they happen upon an island on which would be suitable to set up a new life, with his magic coming in handy to build a new home. However, one day a passing ship gives Prospero the urge to conjure up a massive storm, delivering to him the members of his usurping court and allowing him to exact revenge on an old friend, a group of traitors and a treacherous brother.
The final play from William Shakespeare, “The Tempest” is believed to have been penned between 1610 and 1611, shortly before his death in 1616. Some regard it as one of his greatest works, with an easy to follow plot and a host of themes that are commonly discovered in many Shakespearean plays, ranging from love and fantasy to comical moments of relief.
Amongst the actors appearing in the production is Christian Camargo, who stars as Ariel. The American performer is best known for his role in the television series “Dexter”, though he has also appeared in a range of productions in New York and in movies. His credits include “Steve Martin’s Underpants” for the Classic Stage Company, “Kit Marlowe” at the Public Theater and more recently in “Hamlet” at the Theatre for a New Audience at The Duke, with movies such as “The Hurt Locker” (2009), “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” (2007) and “Plunkett & Maclaene” (1999).
His wife Juliet Rylance, daughter of actor Mark Rylance, plays Miranda to Stephen Dillane’s Prospero. She is an English actor who has appeared in “Medea Redux” at the Trafalgar Studios 2 and runs her own Shakespeare Company called “The Theatre of Memory”.
“The Tempest” runs alongside “As You Like It” as part of “The Bridge Project” at the Old Vic from Saturday 12th June 2010 to Saturday 21st August 2010.
