by Bev Clark

Synopsis

A contemporary re-imagining of characters from Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Prospero is the old Duke and his dying wish is to see his young servant Ariel again. Unbeknown to him, Ariel has been watching. He now makes himself known to his old Master. He tells him of where he has been and what he has seen. Across the world and into the future – and it isn’t good! Man has basically got it all wrong. The symbolic caged bird who Ariel’s sets free explores the idea of master/slave relationship and questions about freedom.

In this short piece; sometimes funny, sometimes poetic, Prospero decides he can be the one to help the world through his magic and he and Ariel embark on another journey. 

This two-hander won best original play at the Cheshire Drama Festival, 2023. Its an ideal short piece  for festivals as it calls for a simplistic set and costumes. 

Duration

Characters

(1m, 1m/f)

• Ariel – young, needs to be able to sing a little (the tune can be a modern interpretation), physical, playful, innocent (but has learned to be more cynical from his/her travels), as an ethereal being he/she uses movement to express ideas and emotions. Wears the modern jeans & t-shirt dress of a traveller/back-packer (m/f)
• Prospero – 65+, his daughter Miranda is now Queen to King Ferdinand of Naples, a shadow of the man he was as a powerful wizard