The last time I went to see The Tempest was with Michael almost exactly fourteen years ago at the Old Vic. This new production by the RSC sadly lost some impact through it's transmission to cinemas. For the first time at one of these events I felt you really needed to be there to get the full experience. I would have thought that the special effects provided by Intel and The Imaginarium Studios would have had far more impact live than on the screen.
However, the play itself was very well performed. Simon Russell Beale was very good as Prospero. I thought he was better as King Lear the first time I went to see a live screening, this time from the National Theatre in 2014. He was also great in the title role in "Timon of Athens" at the National in 2012. And he didn't compare with the Derek Jacobi we saw at the Old Vic. As one critic said at the time "The great glory of this production is Derek Jacobi's spellbinding performance as Prospero".
The rest of the cast were excellent, especially Mark Quartley as Ariel and the comedy from Joe Dixon as Caliban, Simon Trinder as Trinculo and the brilliant Tony Jayawardena as Stephano. So there was lots to enjoy, especially as the venue is only ten minutes from home.
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