Friday Headlines
the weekly newsletter from EHS
A Fascinating ‘The Tempest’ Theatre Trip
07 February 2025
On Thursday 30 January, Year 11 GCSE Drama students and Year 12 and 13 English A Level students set off to London to watch Jamie Lloyd’s highly anticipated theatre production of ‘The Tempest,’ starring Oscar winning actress Sigourney Weaver as Prospero.
Here, Year 12 English Literature Scholar, Millie, describes the day:
“After arriving at Euston Station from Birmingham New Street, we went on a short walk to Covent Garden in order to grab a bite to eat before the performance (and do some shopping if there was any time left!). Once our food was eaten and with shopping bags in hand, we set off towards the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and took our seats inside the historic building.
The production started in complete darkness leaving us all in a state of high alert and apprehension as to what was to happen next. As the light gradually increased in the auditorium, we looked down upon the set: a rocky, mountainous area which looked ethereal and almost like the moon. The character of Prospero appeared on stage, which was long-awaited for many as the well-known actress Sigourney Weaver played the lead role. This adaptation was intriguing as both Prospero and Gonzalo were played by women and in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ they are both played by men, with Miranda being the only woman in the whole play. Furthermore, Shakespeare set his play on an island rather than a moon-like setting which could be a nod to Sigourney Weaver’s past roles in Sci-Fi movies such as ‘Alien.’
Later in the performance, we met the character Ariel, who descended from the theatre ceiling dressed in gold armour and appeared as quite a sinister and alarming character due to some eerie, captivating vocals. During the performance, Ariel was always placed under a golden spotlight which contrasted with the other characters as they all stayed under the same white light. This clever use of lighting emphasised that Ariel is a spirit and holds otherworldly qualities that the rest of the characters do not have. In addition, we met characters such as Caliban who was presented as a chilling and merciless monster, desperate to have revenge on his old mistress, Prospero. Trinculo and Stephano brought humour to the performance, adding some light-hearted relief to the storyline. Finally, Ferdinand and Miranda demonstrated the power of young love and further highlighted Prospero’s control over her daughter due to the marriage test. Shakespeare often set tasks for the characters in his plays as it was a way to prove their worth.
Interestingly, in Jamie Lloyd’s adaptation of ‘The Tempest’, no props were used and instead gestures were made in order to resemble different actions with the non-existent props. The only item that was introduced, however, was Prospero’s robe which was of a similar colour to the clothes of the royal court (which she was once part of). It was introduced in the second half of the play and symbolised Prospero’s forgiveness and belonging with the rest of her old compatriots.
Overall, the production was a fascinating adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and provided all of us with an invaluable insight into a modern day approach to the play.
Moreover, for the A Level students that went on the trip, it extended their knowledge of different stage adaptations of the play, which can be included in ‘The Tempest’
section of the course. This hits the learning objective AO5 which includes using critical interpretations in students’ writing. Thank you to Mrs Smith, Mrs Rowntree and Miss
O’Hare for organising the trip and making it such a momentous experience!”
