Book Reviews and More: The Tempest - Stratford Festival 2019

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

The Tempest - Stratford Festival 2019

The Tempest

2018 Stage

2019 Film

Stratford Festival

Director Antoni Cimolino

Designer Bretta Gerecke

Lighting Designer Michael Walton

Composer Berthold Carrière

Sound Designer Thomas Ryder Payne

Fight Director John Stead

Movement Director Philippa Domville

Producer David Auster

Casting Director Beth Russell

Creative Planning Director Jason Miller

This review is going to be a little different. For over the last few years my children and I have been attending Stratford and reviewing all the plays we attend. We have a great appreciation for the bard, and typically attend all plays of his works, and usually a few others as well. Prior to attending my son and I try and read a copy of the play, usually the Oxford School Shakespeare or the Pelican Classic Editions. And we often try and watch a production or 2 before seeing it in person. I believe the festival has put on The Tempest 9 times, the first being in 1962 and this season 2026, which we will be attending next week. This one which we watched the film version of was the penultimate production of it. It was also directed by Antoni Cimolino, 2026 is his final season as artistic director and he selected plays based on his favourites from his tenure at the festival. It will be fascinating to compare this version from stage in 2018 and on film in 2019 with the 2026 stage production, but alas that will be a future review.

I used the Way Back Machine to get a digital copy of the playbill from this specific production and publicity shots. The summary of the play on the festival site states:

“FORGIVE AND BE FREE

In Shakespeare’s great drama of loss and reconciliation, a long-deposed ruler uses magical arts to bring within her power the enemies who robbed her of her throne and marooned her on a remote island. But what revenge does she mean to take?.”

The synopsis in the house program states:

“For twelve years, Prospero, former Duchess of Milan and a practitioner of the magical arts, has been marooned on a remote island with her young daughter, Miranda. They landed there by chance after Prospero’s brother, Antonio (aided by Alonso, King of Naples), deposed her from her throne and cast her and Miranda – then not quite three years old – out to sea in a decaying and ill-equipped vessel. Prospero has spent her exile establishing dominion over the island’s other inhabitants, the monstrous creature Caliban and the spirit Ariel. Now, alerted by a sign in the heavens that Antonio and Alonso are within reach of her vengeance, she uses her magical powers to raise a storm at sea that brings them and the others aboard their ship, including Alonso’s son, Ferdinand, to the same island. With Ariel’s help, Prospero orchestrates a confrontation with her old enemies – and a new destiny for Miranda.”

When we go and see the play in person we have an almost an hour drive home, and usually spend the time discussing the performance. One of the things we often discuss is favourite performers. Having watched this on my own I was less inclined to do so, but it was great to see so many members of the company that we have followed and loved over the last 4 seasons.

The full cast is:

Prospero - Martha Henry

Master - Wayne Best

Boatswain - E.B. Smith

Alonso - David Collins

Antonio - Graham Abbey

Gonzalo - Rod Beattie

Sebastian - André Sills

Ferdinand - Sébastien Heins

Adrian - Emilio Vieira

Francisco - Johnathan Sousa

Trinculo - Stephen Ouimette

Stephano - Tom McCamus

Miranda - Mamie Zwettler

Ariel - André Morin

Caliban - Michael Blake

Iris - Chick Reid

Ceres - Alexis Gordon

Juno - Lucy Peacock

Sailors - Farhang Ghajar, Josue Laboucane, Alexandra Lainfiesta, Nick Nahwegahbow, Oksana Sirju, Gordon Patrick White

Spirits - Wayne Best, Martha Farrell, Farhang Ghajar, Alexis Gordon, Shruti Kothari, Josue Laboucane, Alexandra Lainfiesta, Nick Nahwegahbow, Oksana Sirju, E.B. Smith, Johnathan Sousa, Emilio Vieira, Gordon Patrick White, Brigit Wilson

Monsters - Wayne Best, Farhang Ghajar, Josue Laboucane, Nick Nahwegahbow, Gordon Patrick White

Harpy - Martha Farrell, Alexandra Lainfiesta, E.B. Smith

Nymphs - Martha Farrell, Shruti Kothari, Alexandra Lainfiesta, Oksana Sirju

Reapers - Farhang Ghajar, Josue Laboucane, Nick Nahwegahbow, Gordon Patrick White

Dogs - Farhang Ghajar, Josue Laboucane, Nick Nahwegahbow, Gordon Patrick White

Understudies

Wayne Best - Stephano, Alonso

Martha Farrell - Ceres

Farhang Ghajar - Ariel

Shruti Kothari - Miranda, Harpy

Josue Laboucane - Trinculo, Antonio

Alexandra Lainfiesta - Juno, Iris

Nick Nahwegahbow - Boatswain, Adrian, Francisco, Harpy

Chick Reid - Prospero

E.B. Smith - Sebastian

Johnathan Sousa - Ferdinand, Reapers

Emilio Vieira - Caliban

Gordon Patrick White - Gonzalo, Master

Brigit Wilson - Nymphs

The Understudies would have been for the stage season but I still wanted to give them their credit.

This was a fascinating production. Almost everything I could find about it only stated ‘Visually stunning!’ and it absolutely lives up to that description. The casting was perfect. The costumes magnificent. And the production incredible. It would have been amazing to see on stage, and even on film it is a powerful and moving performance. A story that takes place over a single afternoon that has so much packed into it.

I am incredibly thankful this production was available via streaming. It is a masterpiece. I highly recommend it and if you have the chance see the production in 2026 on stage at Stratford!

Note: Photos by David Hou/Stratford Festival via The Way Back Machine.