The Tempest

A stellar performance by a stunning cast

If you enjoy Shakespeare's comedies you should not miss out on this edition of The Tempest. Sir Ian McKellen as Prospero is everything you might hope for and more, which is no surprise from an actor of his caliber. The remainder of the cast excels similarly and the recording is produced seamlessly. This audio performance is a real treat.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Last of the "top-shelf" Shakespeare

Me, poor man, my library
Was dukedom large enough.
- William Shakespeare, The Tempest

The last of the "top-shelf" Shakespeare plays. Those written after are either only partially written by Shakespeare or phoned-in. This one is just a trip and is a director's dream. There is so much room for interpretation and ability to get funky. This year, as I started reading Shakespeare, I saw a high school perform the Tempest and loved it. It was a HS performance for sure, but it translates well to a whole variety of people and ages. For me, the Tempest is next to A Midsummer Night's Dream in tone and style. While I'm usually not a fan of music and Shakespeare, this is one of those plays with its supernatural qualities, where music seems not only appropriate, but essential.

Favorite Lines:

- Hell is empty and all the devils are here. (Act 1, Scene 2)

- Good wombs have borne bad sons. (Act 1, Scene 2)

- You taught me language, and my profit on't
Is, I know how to curse (Act 1, Scene 2)

- So. Lie there, my art. (Act 1, Scene 2)

- Watch out he's winding the watch of his wit, by and by it will strike. (Act 2, Scene 1)

- Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. (Act 2, Scene 2)

- Let us not burthen our remembrance with
A heaviness that's gone. (Act 5, Scene 1)

- I'll break my staff, bury it certain fathoms in the earth, and deeper than did ever plummet sound, I'll drown my book! (Act 5, Scene 1).

- This thing of darkness I Acknowledge mine. (Act 5, Scene 1)

- O, brave new world
that has such people in't! (Act 5, Scene 1)

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Gandalf is great

I've always had trouble following Shakespeare plays in text. It's difficult for me to identify the tone of the scene, and the story becomes hard to follow.

Listening to these voice actors solves that problem. It's easy to follow the story when the lines are being delivered with the correct emotion.

That being said, The Tempest is a bit romantic for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Ian McKellen could literally read a dictionary to me and I would like it.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Great Story, audio needs a little tweaking

Would you listen to The Tempest again? Why?

Absolutely! It's a fairly entertaining story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tempest?

"I did not give the lie!"

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

No narrator. This is recorded as a stage play. You get a different actor for every part.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction. Of course I was already familiar with the story.

Any additional comments?

Be prepared to rewind every now and then to catch what was said when the actors whisper. Having a hard copy of the play would probably help. Of course, then you could just read it.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Shakespeare's Great Last Play

What did you love best about The Tempest?

The quality of the language and dialogue. I can listen to it over and over again and learn something new.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Caliban was my favorite. He represented peoples of color who lost their lands from colonization. As a character, he was ahead of his time.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Again Caliban. I can imagine myself as him. He is a lot smarter than he sounds and has a wicked sense of humor as well as a keen sense of anger, that he was dispossessed of his heritage and land.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I wanted to listen to it all in one sitting. I opted to listen to it a second time.

Any additional comments?

i highly recommend this fine play.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good, not perfect

This is a perfectly decent recording of The Tempest. Sir Ian is an excellent Prospero and the rest of the cast are competent, although the Caliban is a bit awkward, The sound quality is a little murky sometimes.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Delightful Performance

A wonderful performance of "The Tempest". I particularly enjoyed Ian McKellen and Emilia Fox as Prospero and Miranda.

I believe this is a recording of an actual performance and that is the cause of my one complaint. There are very few or no clues to distinguish between Sebastian and Antonio. To my ear, their voices are close enough that it's a bit difficult sometimes to separate the two. (In the actual performance this wouldn't have been an issue.) Since I'm familiar with the play, it didn't bother me too much, but it did throw me a bit at first.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in "The Tempest".

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

not good quality

What disappointed you about The Tempest?

I love William Shakespeare, and obviously The Tempest is one of his greatest plays, so I didn't have a problem with that. The reason for such a low rating is purely how book was presented. The background noises was very loud, distracting, and annoying. Then when it came to the speakers I could hardly hear what they were saying! I had bought this book on audible because I thought hearing Shakespeare read out loud would be enjoyable, but instead I found myself cringing every time I turned it on because I was wondering if there was going to be anther part were tons of people were loudly screaming franticly in the background. And usually there was. I have absolutely no idea what was being said in the book. I got the general idea from the bits and pieces I heard, but I'm going to have to actually buy The Tempest in print to read to know what was going on.

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great performance; a little too quiet at times

This was a great production. Sir Ian McKellen presented a powerful and engaging Prospero. My only complaint was that the dialogue got a bit too quiet at times, making it difficult to hear even with the sound cranked way up. Overall, very well done, though.

Beautifully performed

Among Shakespeare’s best plays, at least top 5 in my view, and here with a masterful performance by McKellen as Prospero. An excellent selection.