The Tempest’s Miranda and Caliban make the ideal couple for a modern retelling of teenage friendship, love and rebellion. Laura Turner’s The Buried Moon at The Rose Playhouse, directed by Jake Smith, transposes the pair to 2015 and the Lincolnshire fen communities.
There’s an immediate sense of where we are, thanks to the contemporary camping equipment laid out on the small stage of the Rose Playhouse, while the sprawling remains of the Rose Theatre form the marshlands. Combined it’s an eerily mystical staging that works absolutely perfectly.
Struggling to come to terms with her Mother’s death and to form a relationship with her Father in a new home, Miranda finds comfort in Cal, the strange and scarred boy she encounters when she’s at her lowest ebb. There are plenty of nods to the characters’ original incarnations; Cal describes his alcoholic Mother ‘bewitching men’, while Miranda goes on a date with the unseen ‘Ferdy’.
In the first half it feels like Miranda may lack the strength of character she was known for and that Cal may not be the monster he’s been portrayed as. Slowly it starts to turn, so subtly you hardly notice and you find yourself somewhere closer to where you expected. Laura Turner has used the relatively short space of time to really explore these characters and it’s fascinating to watch unfold.
Georgina Hellier as Miranda brings a gentleness to the role that’s hard not to adore, and in the very short moments where she sings, it’s as if everything else in the world has paused. As Cal, Michael Kinsey is wonderful, he is animated and wrought with emotion, with a little mischievousness thrown in. Together they make a formidable pairing.
Jake Smith has directed a really beautiful play, Shakespeare fans will revel in the reimagining, while those unfamiliar with the Bard need not worry. The Buried Moon very much holds its own and can be enjoyed for its imaginative plot and strong performances, with little or no knowledge of Shakespeare required.
The Buried Moon is at The Rose Playhouse 3rd – 13th May 2017 before transferring to the Petersfield Shakespeare Festival.
