Review Round-up: Did Tempest Rouse the Critics? - The Tempest at Haymarket, Theatre Royal - London - Review Round-ups - Whatsonstage.com
07/09/2011
Ralph Fiennes & Elisabeth Hopper in The Tempest Review Round-up: Did Tempest Rouse the Critics? Date: 7 September 2011
Have been curious to read what the critics thought about the Trevor Nunn directed, Ralph Fiennes starring The Tempest. I'd have given it three stars at the interval but the second half pushed it to four stars. In this round up by What's on Stage (see link above) it seems to have met with mixed reviews from two to four stars.
Tom Byam Shaw's Ariel, deservedly, gets singled out for praise but the response to the comic duo of Nicholas Lyndhurst and Clive Wood is more mixed which I'm only slightly surprised by.
More surprised is the praise for Ralph Fiennes - not by all admittedly - he didn't do much for me I'm afraid.
A common criticism seems to be the plays length and pace with such words as 'gluey', 'sluggish' and 'laboured' which I think I also agree with although I am tempted to go back and see it again to see how it beds in and also because Ariel was fab.