The actors involved in this scene are:
Trinculo - Iain Robertson
Stephano - Richard Clothier
Ariel - Daniel Evans
Caliban - Louis Hilyer
Spirit - Chris Polick
Spirit - Christian Mortimer

Week 1
Karen Simpson (Education Director)

Day 1
Michael Grandage (Director) addresses the whole cast and outlines his concept for the production and the rehearsal process. This week each scene will have one rehearsal.

Rehearsal of Act 3 Scene 2
The company read through the whole scene. Michael asks the actors a series of questions to establish what is happening in the scene and to clarify their understanding of the text. What is happening before the scene starts? Where have they been and what have they been doing that would provoke the first line of the scene -

"Tell not me:- when the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before: therefore bear up and board 'em. Servant monster drink to me."

Who is doing the drinking? What does that do to the character that is not drinking so much? How does that effect their relationships? Each section of text is then re examined and the meaning defined. The meanings of particular words are clarified. Michael has prepared for rehearsals by sourcing a range of definitions from different editions of the play from which he makes suggestions when appropriate, if there is any ambiguity, and an agreement is made as to the interpretation. This process immediately requires the actors and director to establish a relationship and for all early thoughts to be explored and considered.

During the second part of this rehearsal, Michael and the cast block the scene; this is simply a first attempt at staging the scene. The actors establish a provisional set of directions - where they will be positioned on the set, their entrances and exit points within the scene.

At a separate music rehearsal, Julian Philips (Composer) and Jonathan Williams (Musical Assistant) work with the actors to establish their vocal range and introduce them to the songs.

Week 2
Nikolai Foster (Assistant Director)

In rehearsals for Act 3 Scene 2, the arrival of Ariel provoked several questions. Why does Ariel decide to interrupt the action with his outbursts? Is it all a game? Is it simple mischief? Caliban's rants about Prospero are all true in his eyes, though Ariel does not agree, and we decided 'Thou Liest' must come from a genuine pride and loyalty for his master. This gives the actor playing Ariel a strong objective (to defend his master), and a direct link to the heart of the scene.

We also began to explore the wider questions of 'what's the play doing?' and 'what's the scene doing/ what is the scene about?' The two questions are often very different, and the struggle to reconcile the two (often conflicting) answers is complex, intriguing and often exhilarating.

Ariel and the spirits learn the tune for 'Flout 'em and cout 'em' in a special rehearsal with Jonathan Williams (Musical Assistant).

Week 3
Sophie Hunter (Education Projects Officer)

Michael is now running rehearsals for each scene in 30 minute timeslots. This means that there is usually time to run the scene twice, and to discuss any problems that arise.

All the actors are off their scripts now, although sometimes they require a prompt from Cath, the Deputy Stage Manager. Rehearsals are precise and disciplined - the actors enter the room ready to work and focussed on the scene in hand.

The scene is run through once. Michael pauses and encourages the actors to think about how they will sustain their energy through the entire play. As audience members we notice when the actors lose concentration or focus, even momentarily. He encourages them to remember that they need to trust their motivation - if they come out of trusting their motivation for a second, it all goes to pieces. Are they uncertain about any of the choices they have made so far? Michael refers to the process of 'filleting out what we don't want and putting in what we do'.

Michael begins to talk to each actor in turn about precise detail from the scene. Stephano needs to be charmed by Ariel's music more quickly - needs to lose the drunken moment he's playing faster. The whole group need to respond to the enchanted music at the same time.

The music for this scene is sung unaccompanied by Ariel and the 2 spirits - the tune to 'Flout 'em and cout em.' In rehearsal there is a discussion about the precise moment that they should start singing. Ariel should pause and allow them to try to sing the song a second time before he comes in with the 'right' tune - this allows the story to develop. The actors discuss the development of their fear in the scene, why they are frightened by the singing coming from nowhere, and how they should show their fear.

The discussion moves onto the positioning of Ariel when he says his line 'Thou liest'. Should he stand raised up on the proscenium stage at the rear of the stage, or should he stand directly behind Trinculo? The two versions are tried out, and it is decided that he should be up on the stage - it's more believable somehow.

Finally, we discuss the blocking at the end of the scene. Michael is keen that the spirits and Ariel have time to head down to stage right vom and are almost off the stage before Trinculo says 'The sound is going away; let's follow it, and after do our work.' There should be a distance between the two groups on stage - so that there is something to follow!

The scene is performed again, with all of this in mind. There is a noticeable change to the clarity and performance levels in the scene.

Week 4
Sophie Hunter (Education Projects Officer)

The first two days of this week Michael re-runs each scene and adds or takes out detail. From Wednesday to Saturday the cast begin to stagger through - and then run - the play. It is the first time that actors have seen scenes that they are not performing in, and the first time the entire company is together since the start of rehearsals.

The runs are not in costume, and happen in the Lyceum rehearsal room. All props are in use. Prospero wears his magic cloak and has his magic staff; Miranda wears a practice skirt and Caliban is bare chested - as he will be in performance. Huw Williams, Head of Sound, has been in rehearsal all week, slotting in the music cues in and between scenes, so the runs are done with the Assistant Stage Manager cueing the show from a table next to the sound desk in the rehearsal room.

At the run I watch on Thursday afternoon I notice that Act 3 Scene 6 has changed since the last rehearsal we went into. Ariel is no longer arriving from upstage left and standing on the proscenium stage for 'thou liest' - now he is entering from the downstage vom, and standing behind Trinculo as he speaks. When he and Trinculo go to sit on the stage after Stephano has beaten Trinculo, they have established a funny routine where Trinculo lights a cigarette and Ariel - still invisible - keeps blowing out the flame of his lighter.

When I talk to Daniel Evans (who plays Ariel) after the run, and we discuss the changes he tells me they were ideas they had had in rehearsal at the beginning of the week… but he's not sure if the cigarette moment will be kept in as it is in danger of upstaging the action between Stephano and Caliban!

Technical Rehearsal

Description to be added

Dress Rehearsal

Description to be added