The Tempest

The Tempest

Written by William Shakespeare
Performed in English
1988–1989

“There is something very modern about this character who is desperately learning to forgive. Prospero is learning how to deal with the fact that reality is not how he would like it to be; and he has lived in a very controlled universe and he is trying to break free of that. He has got to sort out the relationship with his daughter, his relationship with his environment and his relationship with himself.

He must learn how to forgive, and the play is about someone screaming noisily trying to learn how to forgive and leaving the world of revenge behind him. It’s a very anarchic play.”
– Declan Donnellan, Artistic Director, on The Tempest

Produced by Cheek by Jowl. The first performance of The Tempest was on 11th August 1988, at the Villa Communale in Taormina, Italy.

“Declan Donnellan’s Tempest is the most inventive I have ever seen. A gripping rediscovery of the play”
The Sunday Times

Cast and creative team

Cast

Name	Character
Timothy Walker	Prospero
Cecilia Noble	Miranda
Charlie Roe	Antonio
Anne White	The Queen of Naples
Lloyd Owen	Ferdinand
Dale Rapley	Sebastian
Trevor Baxter	Gonzalo
Paterson Joseph	Adrian
Keith Bartlett	Stephano
Michael Jenn	Trinculo
Peter Darling	Ariel
Duncan Duff	Caliban

Creative Team

Role	Name
Director	Declan Donnellan
Designer	Nick Ormerod
Music	Paddy Cunneen
Lighting Designers	Nick Ormerod & Steve Rate
Assistant Director	Declan Hughes
Choreographer	Sara van Beers
Voice	Patsy Rodenburg

Previous performances

Previous Performances

Date (first performance)	Location	No. of performances
5 April 1989	Ankara, Devlet Tiyatrosu, Turkey	2
31 March 1989	Istanbul, Devlet Tiyatrosu, Turkey	2
23 March 1989	Bucharest, Teatrul Nacional, Romania	3
18 March 1989	Bratislava, National Theatre, Slovakia	1
13 March 1989	Prague, National Theatre, Czech Republic	2
7 March 1989	Oslo, Norske Teatret, Norway	3
21 February 1989	Stratford Upon Avon, The Swan, UK	4
6 February 1989	Perth, New Fortune Theatre, Australia	7
27 January 1989	Kuala Lumpur, Aud Dewan Bandaraya, Malaysia	3
21 January 1989	Singapore, Victoria Theatre, Singapore	3
22 November 1988	London, Donmar Warehouse, UK	28
14 November 1988	Coventry, Arts Centre, UK	5
7 November 1988	Winchester, Theatre Royal, UK	5
31 October 1988	Basildon, Townsgate Theatre, UK	4
27 October 1988	Cambridge, Cambridge Arts Theatre, UK	2
17 October 1988	Brighton, Gardner Castle, UK	5
10 October 1988	Bury St Edmunds, Theatre Royal, UK	4
4 October 1988	Bracknell, Wilde Theatre, UK	4
30 September 1988	Taunton, Brewhouse Theatre, UK	3
11 August 1988	Taormina, Villa Communale, Italy	3
More	See also – Cheek by Jowl’s 2011–2014 production of The Tempest