Shakespeare’s Last Play

»In the history of art, late works are the catastrophe.« (Theodor Adorno)

Shakespeare’s last play »The Tempest« takes place nowhere. The magician Prospero − also believed to be Shakespeare’s last role as an actor − rules over an unnamed island, a place where those stranded on it experience boredom, terror, grief, euphoria and despair. In other words, they are in a theatre. Some have suggested that »The Tempest« was Shakespeare’s farewell to Art. Through the character of Prospero, he assembles the world on a stage and begs them to let him go. But art seems unwilling to grant him his freedom − the Death of the Author is not permitted − and 402 years after Shakespeare died, we are still keeping him alive, perhaps against his will. Humanity insists on its Gods. Heiner Müller said: »We have not yet arrived at ourselves, so long as Shakespeare writes our plays.« Perhaps it is time for Shakespeare’s last play. »The Tempest« presents us with a world of lost people, lost in their own worlds, struggling to understand where they are. Prospero watches over them, knowing their every move − as we see them move inexorably towards the end. Shakespeare showed us that whatever your role, King or beggar, all of humanity meets in the democracy of the grave.

Dead Centre are based in Dublin. They have made four works, and have toured throughout Europe, Australia and North America. They have presented three works at Schaubuhne, as part of FIND festival: »Chekhov’s First Play«, »LIPPY« (2016) and »Hamnet« (2017).

www.deadcentre.org

>>> Essay about the production in Pearson's Preview: Shipwrecked with Dead Centre and »Shakespeare’s Last Play«