It was fantastic, and as such, when the female company showed up with The Tempest for this year's Fringe, it was a given we were going to see them.
And I think I may have actually laughed more and harder and longer tonight than last time.
Tempest is not quite as "everybody pretending to be everybody else" as Twelfth Night, but there is definitely a lot going on, and once again, in the Handlebards style, there's a lot of roles but only four actors, so in parts of the show both random pieces of costume and random audience members stand in for some of the characters... or in on particular instance, every other character but one.
And all of our Handlebards were excellent, Lucy Williams in the green socks as Prospero, Tika Mu'tamir in the blue socks as Ariel, Gonzalo and Trinculo, Roisin Brehony in the red socks as Ferdinand, Caliban and Antonio and last but not least Katie Sherrard in the yellow socks as Miranda, Alonso, Stephano and Sebastian. I'll be honest that I'm not 100% about the sock colour this time, but I think that's right.
But there are always favourite actors and favourite roles, and Williams was scenery-chewingly sensational as Prospero, and I don't say that just because I ended up interacting with her a number of times from my front row seat. It started out with me being thrown her cloak, then replacing the cloak, tying it in a bow (I don't do bows well, it was horrible), and then later being brought up on stage to assist Prospero with her big magic show. Not my first time being dragged up on stage, but definitely a memorable and hilarious one.
Mu'tamir was great throughout, although I think I liked her as Ariel the most, just because of the rapport with Williams. But her beatboxing moment as Gonzalo was a standout.
Then we come to Brehony as "Babyhands" Caliban... I genuinely thought I was going to pass out from laughing so hard. From the hands to the helmet to the voice, a tour de force!
Sherrard was excellent, however she ended up with the characters who don't especially steal their scenes (she had some stiff competition), but she gave it her all, and worked that clamshell bikini.
I was also entranced by the "briefcase accordion" they had... I don't know what in the world it was, but it was beautiful.
And on top of all of that, some beautifully spoken and acted Shakespeare.
So once again, hats off to the Handlebards for providing an afternoon of quality entertainment
yani's rating: 5 magic cloaks out of 5
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