The Tempest

'The Bridge Project' presents Shakespeare's The Tempest in London directed by Sam Mendes as featuring a transatlantic cast.

Shakespeare's magical last play, his poignant farewell to the stage - has love, tragedy and comedy combined in equal measure. The usurped Prospero draws his enemies to his enchanted island to exact his revenge, yet ultimately finds peace and the ability to forgive.

The cast for The Tempest in London features Stephen Dillane as 'Prospero', Christian Camargo as 'Stephano' and Juliet Rylance as 'Miranda' with Michelle Beck, Ron Cephas Jones and Thomas Sadoski. It is directed by Sam Mendes with set designs by Tom Piper, costume designs by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Paul Pyant, sound by Simon Baker, music by Mark Bennett and choreography by Josh Prince. The Tempest and As You Like It are performed in repertory by the same acting company and creative team. Prior to tickets going on sale it was anounced that Anne-Marie Duff, who was expected to play 'Ariel' in this production, had withdrawn due to illness in her family.

Performance schedule for The Bridge Project / Old Vic Theatre 2010 - The Tempest / As You Like It:

"BAM's transatlantic Bridge Project got off to a shaky start last month, when director Sam Mendes sucked all the playfulness out of Shakespeare's As You Like It, and the American actors paled next to their British colleagues... But several weeks into the program, the ensemble has gelled and the discrepancies have been evened out, while Mendes' downbeat approach fits this fantastical, melancholy show better... Stephen Dillane's Prospero is a gentle father and scholar, both manipulating and observing the proceedings with a benevolent detachment. It's a contained, thoughtful portrayal that matches Mendes' elemental staging: a circle of sand, a shallow pool." The New York Post

"Sam Mendes' Tempest, premiering in New York, is the latest instalment from the Bridge Project... Shakespeare's final masterpiece is well suited to directorial innovation and Mendes revels in the opportunities available to him without imposing any over-deterministic readings... Tom Piper's sparse set is complemented by Paul Pyant's lighting, which uses a vibrant colour palette to evoke sunrise, sunset and nightfall. There is much to admire in this production but not all of Mendes' innovations work... The action is muddled at times and the occasional line is forgotten or swallowed up in translation, hopefully faults that will be mended before the play transfers to London in June." The Independent

"The overall mood of the entire production is one of almost torpor-like calm. It is full of beautiful effects, but not much dramatic tension... But then, right at the end, Mendes pulls off a brilliant coup. As Prospero gives Ariel his freedom and breaks his staff, giving up his power and his 'rough magic', the light suddenly disappears and the wall is black; the enchantment has literally vanished. This is the grey reality of the real world, of life outside the theatre, away from a place where everything can be resolved. It is a wonderful stroke, and it makes you hope that by the time this Tempest arrives at the Old Vic in London in June, it may have deepened and developed to the point where such richness informs the entire play." The Daily Telegraph

This production of The Tempest was staged at Brooklyn Academy of Music's Harvey Theater in New York where it previewed from 14 February 2010, opened on 24 February 2010 and closed on 13 March 2010.

The Bridge Project is an unprecedented three-year, transatlantic partnership uniting The Old Vic Theatre in London with The Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, and Neal Street Productions. Each year a single Anglo/American company will perform a double-bill of classic works in repertory at both the Brooklyn Academy of Music and at The Old Vic Theatre, and make at least one other international visit. The project is borne out of the group's shared desire to produce large-scale, classical theatre for international audiences. The Project started in 2009 when Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard where presented. Now, for the Project's second year in 2010, two of Shakespeare's play will be performed - The Tempest and As You Like It. The Bridge Project was originally due to start in 2008 with Shakespeare's Hamlet and The Tempest with a company lead by Stephen Dillane but was postponed by a year when Stephen Dillane withdrew "due to personal reasons arising from family reasons."

The Tempest in London at the Old Vic Theatre as part of the Bridge Project 2010, previews from 18 June 2010, opens on 23 June 2010 and closes on 21 August 2010 - playing in reperotry with As You Like It.