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Shakespeare’s The Tempest In Doha
This month, The Doha Players and sponsors Park House Community Initiative are proud to present The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Ahead of the production, FACT caught up with Mione Van Der Merwe who is playing the starring role of Prospero in this exciting show…
Considered one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, this version of the comedy is inspired by the GCC region, set on a mysterious island in the Maghreb of Northwest Africa. The play follows the story of Prospero, the double-crossed Duke of Milan, who will stop at nothing to seek revenge against his enemies and restore his daughter Miranda to royal honor. Featuring singing, dancing and music, The Tempest is being directed by renowned director and former Broadway writer James Mirrione with Shakespeare expert and author Kim C Sturgess. It features a talented cast and crew from The Doha Players, whose recent performances include highly successful productions of Macbeth and Les Misérables. We learn more about the production from cast member Mione Van Der Merwe… Hi Mione! What drew you to the role of Prospero and tell us some of the things you did to prepare to be in character? Personally, I think Prospero is one of Shakespeare’s most interesting characters. As a protagonist he is neither entirely good, nor entirely bad. His circumstances make him relatable but, because of his flaws, he is not particularly likeable. As a ruler with unlimited power he is often dictatorial and yet he never causes anyone any real harm. He is, in short, an enigma. When it comes to Shakespeare, everything you need to know is already in the text. I spent a great deal of time using exercises to help break down, understand, and interpret the words. I then delved into the character’s 20
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emotions, and with a lot of work, understanding, and empathy, I gradually adopted his feelings as my own. If there’s one tip that I always give to stage actors it’s: “if you don’t feel it, don’t act it. The audience can tell if you’re faking it.” It’s very important to do all of the preparation ahead of time so that when you get to showtime, the feelings can drive the play forward. For anyone who isn’t familiar with The Tempest – why should they come and see the play? There’s something in it for everyone: revenge plots, villains, a comedy duo, mischievous ‘sidekicks,’ power struggles, a love story, mysterious events, forgiveness and a happy ending. And as if that is not enough, there’s also music, dancing, and really good acting.
I think the regional twist will help the audience to relate to the play’s setting and some of the events that take place. There’s going to be a regional twist on the play – how do you think audiences in Doha will react to this? I think the regional twist will help the audience to relate to the play’s setting and some of the events that take place. I think it’s also quite refreshing as most of the plays that have been put on by us in recent years have been set in very different contexts. Ultimately, Shakespeare deals ➻