q&a with bob carlton 2007

The Tempest

Bob Carlton, Artistic Director, talks us through directing at the Queen’s, the joys of Shakespeare and his current production of The Tempest…

Q1. Shakespeare was absent from the Queen’s Theatre programme for fifteen years – why was this?

In 1984 the Queen’s Theatre lost its Arts Council grant and relied almost solely on box office revenue to stay open. I think that there was a lack of confidence in Shakespeare as a writer to attract a large populace audience; which is a shame.

Q2. What made you decide to re-introduce his work?

Having built back a large audience with a populist programme of work I felt it was time to re-introduce the man, who I regard as the World’s greatest writer, to Havering.

Q3. How successful do you feel that this has been?

In a word… very!

Q4. The Tempest is the fifth successive Shakespeare production at the Queen’s. What made you decide upon this play?

Having been associated with this play for many years, I suddenly realised that I had never actually directed it. It’s a lot more fun than Titus Andronicus!

Q5. Shakespearian language can be quite intimidating. How do you approach telling the story in a clear and concise way?

We are a theatre company that tells stories. We tell them very well. If a story is well told the language becomes clear. I once saw the Rustavelli Company perform Richard III in Georgian and understood every word of the play. It’s all about engaging the audience.

Q6. As writer of Return to the Forbidden Planet, a musical based upon The Tempest, did you find that you went into this production with any preconceptions?

No. Planet was a long time ago and was a very different production altogether; both in genre and style. I felt like I was coming to The Tempest with fresh eyes and a clean slate.

Q7. How did the creation of Return to the Forbidden Planet come about?

I was running an ensemble of actor/musicians who performed a lot of Shakespeare. After the show we would do a late night concert and, one year for a bit of fun, I decided to link the songs to a story. The story I chose was Macbeth and the show became From a Jack to a King. The success of this show led me to experiment the following year with The Tempest which developed into Return to the Forbidden Planet; and the rest is geography.

Q8. Why do you think Shakespeare’s work is so adaptable to different interpretations and settings?

The themes of Shakespeare are very big and relevant to any age. I believe this is why his plays have really stood the test of time and continue to be so heavily produced.

Q9. Why don’t you set Shakespeare in period?

I don’t set Shakespeare in period because he didn’t. Shakespeare set everything in contemporary costume whether he was writing about ancient Rome or medieval Scotland.

Q10. The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s most magical plays. How have you reflected this magic on stage?

You can make up your own mind about that.

Q11. To you, what are the central elements of the play?

Regeneration, repentance, forgiveness, love, magic, nurture versus nature, power, reconciliation. I could go on but I’ll stop.

Q12. Mark Walters has designed an impressive stage set, encasing the action within a large globe. What is the thought process behind this?

It’s not a globe it’s an astrolabe; an instrument used by renaissance astrologists and alchemists. These sciences are practiced by Prospero. It encompasses the island which Prospero controls.

Q13. How important do you feel the stage design is to this production?

Of intrinsic importance. I just hope Mark doesn’t go over budget!

Q14. What were the main challenges you faced when staging The Tempest?

Trying to do the play with an ensemble of ten was difficult. In the end I had to insist on casting an extra person.

Q15. The musical score has been influenced by Rodrigo. Where did the inspiration for this come from?

The music of Rodrigo suggests heat, love and melancholy. It’s a musical echo of some of the themes of our production.

Q16. What do you think it adds to the production?

The music helps to create atmosphere and evokes the emotional journey of the characters. As a company of actor-musicians we are fortunate that music is one of our strengths, and it helps to set us apart from other productions.