Review: THE TEMPEST, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 21 November 2016

Whilst Simon Russell Beale's return to the Royal Shakespeare Company after a 20-year-long absence has been met with justified excitement, the most hotly anticipated aspect of Gregory Doran's new production of The Tempest is the innovative use of digital technology.

In a quest to add new dimensions to Shakespeare's most magical play, Doran has collaborated with Intel and Imaginarium Studios to created an augmented reality with Ariel portrayed as a digital avatar. Although this sounds like a new and radical concept, Doran points out there is a masque in The Tempest and, in Shakespearean times, the very latest technology would have been used to bring it to life.

The use of video projection provides visual stimulation from the outset. A stormy sky with scudding clouds rolls across a semi-circular screen, beads of golden light thread their way across the mirror-darted floor, and luscious flowers bloom on the voluminous skirt of Ceres, goddess of the harvest. On an isle "that will not let you believe some things certain", and where nothing is quite what it seems, the overblown colours and shimmering effects of these projections highlight the fine line between reality and illusion.

The most ground-breaking use of technology is the live performance capture used to create a digital avatar of Ariel. Sensors concealed in actor Mark Quartley's costume are rendered into real-time movement performed by a host of computer-generated characters. We see Ariel trapped, shuddering in a pine cone, soaring as a winged harpy and floating as a watery sea nymph.

However, whilst the use of digital technology certainly presents an intriguing and innovative concept, Quartley's portrayal of Ariel is infinitely more absorbing than any virtual trickery. With fluid movement, piercing eyes and resonant, poetic voice, Quartley's Ariel is an intelligent spirit who, rather than resenting Prospero as his master, revels in the final task he must complete before he is granted freedom.

Simon Russell Beale's magnificent Prospero lends weight and substance to the intangible, digital world of The Tempest. At first he appears as remote as the island on which he was marooned, with blunt, quick speech and guarded facial expressions. When recounting the story of their betrayal to Miranda, Beale is brisk and businesslike. He creates a hermit-esque, introverted personality that belies exactly how the bookish Prospero allowed himself to be tricked and overthrown by his brother, Sebastian.

However, emotions bubble under the surface and break free as Prospero unleashes his final act of sorcery upon the nobles of Milan and Naples. After planning the lengthy and gaudy masque to celebrate the union of Miranda and Ferdinand, Beale suddenly cries "No more!", clutching his temples and dismissing the spirits with frantic urgency. The final scenes of forgiveness and reconciliation are very touching; Beale relishes the injustice of his 12-year exile and "the rankest fault" of his brother before offering a dignified handshake and very deliberately reassuming the role of Duke of Milan. Beale's prolonged cries of anguish, loss and pain when he finally admits he will miss Ariel carry huge significance in contrast to his usually restrained, calculated persona.

The excellent performances of the supporting ensemble give rich detail to this production. Jenny Rainsford's Miranda is bold and impetuous, showing a charming, comedic fascination with the sudden abundance of males in her life. Simon Trinder gives a slick performance as the jester Trinculo, with polished physical humour, ad-libbed lines and a knack for adding a contemporary twist to the Shakespeare text.

The innovative technology, live avatars and stunning projections create a visual feast for the audience, blurring the boundaries between the digital and the physical. However, what sets this Tempest apart is the considered, intelligent performances of its cast, particularly Simon Russell Beale's remarkable, multi-layered Prospero. Whilst this digi-Shakespeare certainly shows how we can begin to make sense of the modern technology that will inevitably make its way into the traditional world of the theatre, this production shows us that no digital trickery can replace the attraction and immediacy of the live actor. It is curious and a little surprising, but the Royal Shakespeare Company's most digitally advanced production yet serves to reaffirm my belief in the power of pure, simple theatre.

The Tempest at Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 21 January, 2017, and at the Barbican 30 June-18 August, 2017

Photo by Topher McGrillis (c) RSC

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