The Tempest- Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot

Writer:  William Shakespeare

Director: Nel Crouch 

A masterclass in the absurd, The Tempest is Shakespeare like you’ve ever seen it before. Much like what would happen if The Mighty Boosh did Shakespeare, the Handlebards transformed The Tempest into a full-blown comedy, with only some compromise on the impact of its more serious themes. You won’t believe your eyes.

The Tempest follows the story of Prospero, a duke who was usurped of his claim to the throne by his brother and exiled to a distant island with his daughter. But this is no ordinary island, as it is filled with sprites, spirits, and mythical creatures. Prospero, with each passing year since his exile, harnessed his craft of magic and lies in wait, plotting his revenge. Until, with a mighty tempest, he shipwrecks the king’s boat on his island. 

This production is The Tempest reimagined as a comedy. It strays from the source material unapologetically with its improv and wacky humour. It’s relentlessly funny, the audience hardly stopped laughing. There’s no comic relief character in this play because every cast member and every scene is so funny in their own way, you can tell from watching this production that the cast are having just as much fun as the audience, thinking on their feet and trying to make each other laugh.

Be warned, those in the front row are in the splash zone for the frequent improv and audience participation in this show. Before the show had even begun, the tone was set by the actors chatting to the front row. Prospero did cheesy magic tricks with the audience, clumsily making items disappear and reappear in a ‘what’s that behind your ear?’ style dad-joke.

It’s this slow build-up to the more bizarre and absurd parts of the production which really builds your trust in the cast’s impeccable absurd comedy. In Act One, when Prospero is explaining his plot to Miranda, his daughter, he takes a binder out, which is labelled ‘My Project’ in high-school swirly handwriting and waves about a file titled ‘MY ENEMIES’. It’s in props like this which give the production such attention to detail, making the show accessible to Shakespeare newcomers while also creating visual comedy.

Prospero, played by Lucy Green, wears an oversized suit and fake moustache, looking like a cheesy used-car salesman. Rather than being intimidating and all-powerful in his magic, he is a lunatic schemer who seems to be away with the fairies. He manipulates everything around him to his wacky master plan, and in a Basil Fawlty-esque way, he believes he’s got everything together but flails and panics when things don’t go his way. 

To demonstrate his slave ownership of the spirit Ariel, he takes a gold sticker sheet out of his jacket pocket and waves it in front of his nose as if luring a small child to its reward. It’s these small moments of absurdity which walk so the second act of the performance can run, with lots of off-book improv and one very dramatic comedic sequence set to ‘The Final Countdown’.

If you’re looking for an on-book interpretation of The Tempest, this isn’t it. The play’s greatest success comes from how it dances between accuracy to source material, with audience participation moments which stray into modern conversation.

First-time Shakespeare audience members might be a bit lost with some of the multirolling of characters, due to the Handlebards taking on the full cast of characters with only five actors. The B plot of the King’s crew, especially, gets a little clustered by the swapping of roles. But what is lost in a difficult-to-follow character list is more than made up for by an engagingly energetic interpretation of the text, which reinvents and modernises Shakespeare for a younger audience. 

An impressive element of the show was its thoughtful use of sound and lighting. The magical character Ariel has command of the lights and sound with the flick of a wrist- this really brings in an element of wonder to the magical character and lets you feel the full force of his power on a small stage with limited special effects. 

The overall costuming and eclectic style of the show is also something to be admired. Miranda and Ferdinand’s teenage romance is amplified through their costuming, with Ferdinand wearing a geeky Tardis hat and Miranda wearing a skirt made of children’s clothing. It was refreshing to see the production act them closer to their age of 15. 

In all, with an open mind, Shakespeare fans and first-timers alike would find it hard not to be drawn into this hilarious once-in-a-lifetime production of The Tempest. It sets an example to modern Shakespeare that anything can be done with the source material when you have true imagination and a talented cast. 

Runs until 25 October 2025