Reader Reviews
The Tempest (Old Vic Theatre, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Irritating and dull. The odd line sparkles but every character seems so insular and glib. Very disappointing. - addicted to theatre | 20 Apr 10 |
| WOW. I agree with all of the below! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (80.189.45.23) | 08 Sep 03 |
| Wonderful! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.64.5) | 02 Apr 03 |
| Definitely the best Tempest I've seen to date (out of about 10)...but I did not like an angry Prospero for "our little lives" and the pace was overfast in general. Superb Ariel and his reluctance at freedom was masterly. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (193.118.203.3) | 13 Mar 03 |
| An absolutely wonderful evening! The last act was amazing. The players were truly an ensemble which made for a wonderful theatrical journey. Glad I didn't listen to the WOS reviewer and flew across the pond to see it. Bravo to the whole cast! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (141.149.14.170) | 11 Mar 03 |
| Derek Jacobi just proves that he is our leading Shakespearian actor in this wonderful production. Go see it if you can. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (198.80.15.32) | 03 Mar 03 |
| Wonderful, glorius: oh this is such an excellent performance. I previously thought he was too Gielgudesque and unemotional to be believable - I cried after the epilogue. I will be back to see it again several times. Everyone should see a production of this standard at some point. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.64.5) | 09 Feb 03 |
| The WOS review is quite wrong: their opinion that Jacobi speaks too fast is tribute to the fact that they aren't intelligent enough to understand well-spoken Shakespeare. Don't let this review put you off: this play is wonderful and brilliantly directed. It is the best thing I've seen in over five years. Go now! Don't listen to WOS! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.64.5) | 08 Feb 03 |
| Jacobi makes these lines sound like divine music. Daniel Evans is also marvellous, and so it the rest of the cast. This is definitely a case of watching a true legend perform. No theatre lover can afford to miss Jacobi's performance. It's PURE MAGIC... - USER: Whatsonstage.com (212.143.47.62) | 05 Feb 03 |
| Just back in from Cing the show!! Wonderful!! The best production I have ever seen it beats Derek Jacobi's 1982 Tempest. A MUST SEE. GO GO GO GO BUY NOW NOW NOW NOW. MAGICAL MAGICAL EVENING. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.64.5) | 30 Jan 03 |
| Excellent, true to text adaptation: simple direction and brilliant acting combined with intelligent direction (finally!) should make the RSC jealous. Beats the last RSC Tempest 10 times over - Both Jacobi, and Evans outstanding, although the actress playing Miranda is somewhat wooden. Well worth the price of a ticket: surely a production to go down in theatre history. Go and see it! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.254.64.5) | 30 Jan 03 |
| See it, if only to experience the thrill of watching a truly great actor in his prime. The "I'll break my staff" soliloquy rises to a magnificent crescendo like an operatic aria and left me stunned and weeping. Contrast this with the almost shockingly understated intimacy of the epilogue and you will understand why the treasured few actors are loved, respected and ultimately knighted for enriching our lives. I suspect that this richness of technique is dying out ... see it whilst you can. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (195.92.194.18) | 26 Jan 03 |
| The relationship between Daniel Evan's playful Ariel and Jacobi's commanding Prospero is alarming - totally real and heartbreaking at the end. The other performances are just as exciting - Louis Hilyer's earthy Caliban, Claire Price's bashful Miranda and Sam Callis's equisite Ferdinand. The moment when Miranda and Ferdinand first see each other is a great moment of total theatre - you really believe it is love at first sight. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.49.19.104) | 25 Jan 03 |
| An absolute triumph! What a thrill to see such brilliant actors in a totally beautiful, magic and truthful production. It is rare to see work like this on the London stage - catch it now before it's too late. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.49.19.104) | 25 Jan 03 |
| I enjoyed it, but mainly for the superb Daniel Evans who I actually thought out-acted Derek Jacobi. Or at least, I preferred his style. This is an actor total at east with himself, an immense talent. Jacobi, however, was superb in the final moments when talking directly and intimately to the audience. I got the point that this was because he'd dropped the 'act', but I would have preferred a little bit less of the method and more of the man during the rest of the evening too. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (80.193.222.20) | 24 Jan 03 |
| I agree that the second half is better paced than the first half, which is also not helped by the tendency of many of the cast members to shout. The production should, however, be seen for Jacobi, who, even when not speaking, makes clear Prospero's emotions and reactions to what is happening and gives us a wonderful portrayal of a man coming to terms with loss - of a beloved child and of power -and with his anger. And, of course, Jacobi speaks the verse beautifully - his art exemplified in the epilogue, when, seemingly abandoning all his actor's skills, he displays them at their best. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (212.161.59.193) | 23 Jan 03 |
| Whilst I might agree that it was occasionally hard to hear the words in the first scene, we throughly enjoyed the performance on Monday and would encourage people to go and make their own decision. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (217.206.49.2) | 23 Jan 03 |
