Given the cult status accorded to the B movie riff Return to the Forbidden Planet, any adaptations of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” that place a hefty reliance on music can seem somewhat late to the party. That being said, Mini Mall’s Tiny Tempest appeared to avoid any of the traditional trappings of singing-songs-to-Shakey with its irreverent and slapdash introduction; the audience were greeted at the door by a man in a raincoat brandishing an intrusive trombone.
The piece follows the conventional Shakespearian narrative, with the magical exploits of the overthrown Duke Prospero – wronged by brother Antonio and shipwrecked alongside daughter Miranda – presented in a fairly minimalist, albeit music-reliant, style. With large sections of the dialogue absent, we’re presented with an array of pop culture references (such as the shower score of Hitchcock’s “Psycho”) and pieces of rhythmic movement as shorthand for what is undoubtedly a more straight-forward depiction of a confusing piece. That the actors themselves are utilising the (sometimes makeshift) instruments endows the piece with an intimacy that accentuates the stripped-back storytelling.
The referential motifs, however, are also the performance’s biggest downfall. That something is impertinent, modern and therefore ridiculously detached from a conventional context does not mean that its inclusion amongst Shakespeare is funny or endearing in and of itself. This is perhaps best encapsulated by the bizarre evocation of the recent viral YouTube sensation “One Pound Fish”, which appears to serve little purpose besides providing a rather easy laugh. With many of these knowing and unconnected winks occurring within minutes of each other, it became fairly reasonable to assume that a throw-things-to-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks policy had been applied to the modernisation of the script.
Whilst the slapstick nature of the performance is well-executed, there appeared to be continual sharp intakes of breath throughout the audience as the actors crashed, banged and walloped their way around a very small and intimate stage. This issue of space is also apparent in that, as most of the players never leave the stage and observe the proceedings from the periphery, the status of characters became confusing. This omniscience becomes extremely problematic when the actors switch to different characters, as happens at various times throughout the play. Despite these flaws, and the sections of rhythmic movement that lacked depth and subtlety, Mini Mall haven’t done the unforgivable in completely denigrating Shakespeare. This interpretation is certainly not without humour or heart and is worth a watch for those seeking to reacquaint themselves with the Bard’s classic. Newcomers, however, should keep their viral videos and stage classics as two different kettles of fish.
