The Tempest First Night & Colin Morgan’s Performance Review by Donna
I bought Island & Parked and fell in love with his talent and skill and ability to turn his hand to anything. I watched him in the 24 hour musicals at The Old Vic (Dec 2012) even had the pleasure of meeting him. Yes I admire his good looks (who wouldn’t?) his youth, his ability to catch & hold your eye…but it’s his acting, his career post Merlin that interests me. How will this young actor fair away from the magic of Camelot? Will he maintain the massive fan base he has? Or lose it over time? The answer after watching him perform in The Tempest is simple…No!
From arriving at The Globe, to starting to queue for seats in the Yard, through to entering this remarkable theatre I was spell bound. I have never seen a Shakespeare play, not really read much, but Colin in The Tempest? This I have to see!
So I bought the book and read it beforehand. I knew exactly when to expect ‘Ariel’ and so I waited….
What I didn’t expect was a play so full of laughs, so well acted by all the cast it would be rude to not mention them. I was transfixed by Roger Allam & the actor who played Caliban. I was in admiration for the cast who physically threw themselves around the stage – on and off it! I didn’t realise how involved the audience would be.
The first sighting of Colin is when he literally rolls onto the stage and leaps up. No doubt about it he has arrived! Throughout the play he astounds with his agility, flexibility, strength..cartwheels, climbs, swings…all done with ease and poise. 
He runs around the stage with speed yet at other times is totally still, with ethereal qualities, transfixed on his fellow actors, intense and unwavering. Wide-eyed yet with an intense blinking of eyes that has you mesmorized, he maintains this throughout.
At one point I watched him sitting cross legged, listening to the other actors. He sat stock still, no movement apart from little turns of his head, small expressions on his face that spoke volumes. You could almost read his mind as to what he was thinking, yet he didn’t move nor speak. This degree of acting is what I admire so much in Colin. To be able to portray so much in one look is a skill not all actors have.
All around him actors (and audience) laugh and create noise throughout the play, but Colin remains still, quiet, in character until at the end when he breaks into a gorgeous smile. The dancing at the end of the play is worth the long wait …& yes he can dance too!
I knew Ariel sang & I was nervous for Colin. We have been told he has a good voice but have not heard it as yet. Is it good? Yes. Is it powerful? No. But it is a sweet voice, a controlled voice that with time and confidence will grow. I loved it but other critics may not. This is just my opinion and I’d happily listen to him sing again.
I don’t want to give anything away, to give spoilers..but pictures have been posted of his outfits so Iwill add.. You will not be disappointed. The skinny boyish merlin is a fit young man now, with a tight fitting costume highlighting this. His agility demonstrates his fitness. His costumes are not the most flattering but it doesn’t detract that it’s Colin underneath. The ‘harpy’ costume is quite amazing with Colin on stilts and wings operated by other actors. Working together can’t be easy but they do so making it a brilliant scene. The intense scene is a show stopper.
At the end the cast received massive applause and lots of shouts of appreciation. What struck me was how surprised Colin looked – almost like he was surprised the play was such a success. Humble to the end.
So overall? Two hours after being home I cannot sleep, my mind still buzzing, and I am left with a sense of awe. Yes. Colin Morgan is a damn fine actor! Yes. He is charming, intelligent and good looking. And no..he will not lose his fan base but instead it will grow, along with him, as he continues with his brilliant career.
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