(Michael Billington’s article appeared in the Guardian, 9/7.)
The Tempest, as Anne Barton once pointed out, is an obliging work of art. It can be seen, among myriad other things, as anti-colonialist tract, theatrical metaphor and spiritual allegory. And Trevor Nunn, in this new production, leans very much towards the last.
It's a deeply traditional production, with none of the startling innovations of a Rupert Goold, but one that coherently and satisfyingly treats the play as a parable about the triumph of virtue over vengeance.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/sep/07/the-tempest-review