To refer to If Room Enough as an adaptation of the Tempest is risky. While it borrows the language, some character names and general plot details from Shakespeare's play, enough has been changed, condensed, and physically reframed to give it a vibrant life of its own. In fact, it seems to add as much as it borrows from Shakespeare's chaotic story.
When a storm shipwrecks and separates a crew on an island, three narratives emerge: one of love, one of grief and one of revenge. Tying these separated narratives back together is difficult to accomplish within an hour, but withWings have handled it brilliantly. Through their use of incredibly inventive set design and brilliantly choreographed physical theatre, the play moves forward with wonderful rhythm. Despite the need to resolve the three castaway’s plotlines in under an hour, the play never feels rushed but instead paces itself beautifully to its conclusion.
A nine song soundtrack - a couple of which borrow their lyrics directly from Shakespeare’s text - backs most of the story's events. Nearly all of the music in the play is original, and its constant presence makes the island feel strange and magical. The songs are often genuinely hilarious, and always wonderfully entertaining.
Along with its music, the play's physicality is a tremendous point of strength. The coordinated movements of actors, along with the previously mentioned innovative set design - centred around a rotatable cabin - gives the whole play a sense of manipulated motion, reflecting Ariel’s control over the lives of the shipwrecked crew.
It is difficult to say how much of The Tempest has been changed to create If Room Enough - but regardless, enough of its spirit remains. Its core concept of manipulated chaos remains and is enlivened by the cast of withWings through their use of set design, music and physical theatre. Everything from character movements to electricity is controlled and manipulated.
At its core, If Room Enough is a truly well-acted and hilarious adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic, full of incredible music and impressively representative physical theatre. withWings have created something very inventive and entertaining; a must see.
