Theatre Review: Lads on the Island (Circa Theatre, Wellington, until March 2)

A review of "Lads on the Island" currently at Circa Theatre (Studio/Circa 2). Based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. A clever play. Worth your time.

Lads on the Island

Direction: Nī Dekkers-Reihana (written by Sam Brooks)

Circa Theatre; Circa Two (February 3 – March 2)

Loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the world premiere of Sam Brooks’ new play has the two titular lads (Ariel and Prospero, their names and some of their magical traits lifted from the inspioration-text) on the (literal and metaphorical) island. Propero (Finley Hughes) is depressed. He’s summoned Ariel (Reon Bell) to the island, locked him there via a magical bracelet. They’ve got a guitar, a road cone, a bong, some books, chip and deep and a magical beer fridge the contantly provides.

Ariel and Propero constantly reassure one another that each loves the other, they’re besties. And Prospero needs his bestie right now - big time. You see, he just broke up with Fern. Ariel is still with his partner, Sebastian. But for right now he’s locked on the island in support of his friend. They’re going to find a way through this ‘storm’.

Visiting them, though unable to penetrate the island’s forcefield, Sebastian, also Prospero’s sister Miranda, and eventually Fern. All are played by Brownwn Ensor in a succession of walk-ons. She gets to really sink her teeth into the character of Sycorax, Ariel’s mother, and the most substantial of her four hat-switching roles. Sycorax has enough magic to make it actually onto the island.

It could be helpful to know a tiny bit about The Tempest - I’d read the script a long time back, and have seen a movie version as well as experiencing a very amateur-level run through the play. It was helpful for knowing the twists and turns of that story, something Brooks largely eschews - though there are clever nods.And of course the names, which are used.

Beyond that, you can watch Lads as entirely its own thing. And what a thing it is — in just 75 minutes, no interval, the energy sustained throughout, a lovely dramatic tension subtly increasing, we watch this charming, sweet story of friendship. The very antidote to toxic masculinity.

Prospero is maudlin, bored, juvenile and lacking in self-awareness, but he is real. He is accurate. We are familiar with these types, even if we’re not from the same generation.

Ariel is kind, concerned, caring, and stronger — but he is also nested in that Shakespearean stunted-development; the emotional immaturity that plagues The Bard’s best and worst characters, and therefore enables them to suffer slings and arrows, to be on display in such a way as for us to learn from them.

Lads on the Island is wise, and smart - and often really funny. It’s superbly acted, there are so many great decisions and executions around the lighting, sound, and special effects - and to discuss them in any depth might be to spoil the plot (and the fun) - and of course it’s supremely gathered and wrangled by director Nī Dekkers-Reihana, and always in service to the sharp script dreamed up by Sam Brooks. There’s a lot of life on display in this play, and so it deserves a long life on the stage. I think this debut voyage felt like the launching of a future classic Kiwi play. A great thing to take younger family members to, a special set of voices for the Millennials and Gen-Zs. They’re not alone. They’ve got this. If they’ve got each other. I thought a lot about the messages and messaging in this play. And that’s what you want from theatre. On every level this utterly delivers.