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Caliban
In the Globe Theatre Company's production of The Tempest, Caliban was played by Jasper Britton.
About Jasper Britton
Jasper has appeared in productions for the Royal National Theatre, the Salisbury and Bridewell Theatre, the Nottingham Playhouse and the Gate Theatre. He has also spent a season with the RSC. His television work includes Casualty.
Click on the numbered links to follow Jasper's journey as he creates and plays the character of Caliban in the Globe Theatre.
Jasper Britton - Character Notes 1
These comments are the actor's thoughts or ideas about the part as s/he goes through the rehearsal process-they are simply his/her own interpretations and frequently change as the rehearsal process progresses.
I was apprehensive about coming to the Globe because I've spent so much time in one building recently, working at the Royal National Theatre. At the 'Meet and Greet' on the first day, I felt really welcomed by Mark (Rylance, the Globe's Artistic Director) and everyone at the Globe. I thought that Mark gave a particularly great speech in the afternoon to the acting company, in which he conveyed the sense of acting at the Globe. After the speech I felt very excited about being here. I also felt a responsibility I hadn't expected to feel about performing Shakespeare at the Globe.
The first weeks of rehearsal are always difficult. We are still getting to know each other. The company is reading the play, discussing every line to make sure everyone knows what it means. I want to stand up and start performing.
I recently researched Caliban on the Internet. I've found pictures of past productions, mostly from America. I've also found essays from high schools or universities in the States, many of them talking about the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. There are great sites about what Caliban might be-the animals and creatures that were thought to have existed in the 17th century.
The company read the scene where Prospero and Miranda first meet Caliban (Act I Scene 2). Someone suggested that Caliban should be in chains. I resisted the idea. I tried finding references in the text to prevent my character from being in chains.
I want the parameters to be as wide as possible for as long as possible. I often find that the real work starts once I start to play on the stage. When I'm up there and really concentrating, there are many choices that appear to me that I don't necessarily see in rehearsal. As the performances go on, I realise I have more options. I learn more and see more in the text with every performance.
A challenge for me is finding what Caliban looks like, what he sounds like, and how he moves. I have to make him funny and at the same time sympathetic.
I often seem to play parts where a transformation is required during the course of the performance. I've just finished playing a cat (for the musical The Honk!). For me, it requires both an external as well as an internal transformation. I have to find the rhythm of the character.
At the moment my key word for Caliban is 'earth'. He's heavy but I don't want him to be slow. I also want to show that English is his second language. I've looked vainly in the text for anything that can 'back that up'-but he's really quite articulate. I may try speaking with an accent or have a broken way of speaking-but he speaks mainly in verse. I have strong feelings about how to speak verse. I think speaking verse is a discipline so I don't want any accent I might use to interfere with the structure and rhythm of the verse.
For two years I've worked with Giles (Block, Master of Play for Hamlet and Master of Verse for The Antipodes). I first worked with Giles in a workshop session and have used his techniques ever since. I've introduced the idea to other people, including Mark (Rylance, who is playing Hamlet this season at the Globe). Giles is brilliant verse teacher and director.
Sometimes people look at Shakespeare and think, where do I start? Giles' technique is simple, but it's like having an X-ray of the words. All I have to do is look at the page. It might be a verse speech that takes up an entire page. Right away I can see a pattern to it. I just take it line by line by line. I look at the punctuation. I look at the second word of the line and the last word of the line.
Shakespeare's verse is like music. There are bars. There are beats. There are rests.
Before working with Giles, I didn't pay much attention to the differences between verse and prose. Now I see that Shakespeare wrote verse for a particular reason, that it meant something to his audience. They would have been able to hear the difference when an actor is speaking verse or prose.
[N.B. If you would like to learn more about Giles Block's theories of speaking Shakespeare's verse, you can read an interview with him in the Directors Interviews section of the website.]
Activities for Students
You might like to think about some of the questions and issues that have been occupying Jasper during the first weeks of rehearsal. Because the company has been reading the play during these first weeks, the activities this time are mostly theoretical in nature.
1) Research the character of Caliban on the Internet. Have you found some of the same sites Jasper mentioned? Send web site addresses for any good sites to Jasper.
2) Jasper is resisting the idea that Caliban appears to Prospero and Miranda in chains in Act I Scene 2. Can you find references in the text that 'back up' his idea that Caliban isn't in chains? Send Jasper any evidence that can help him justify his decision.
3) How do you envision Caliban? Jasper called Caliban 'earth'. What words would you use to describe him? What does his voice sound like? How does he move? Improvise or discuss your own interpretation of Caliban. Send a description to Jasper.
Give reasons for all of your answers. Try to find evidence in the text to 'back up' your ideas.
Jasper Britton - Character Notes 2
These comments are the actor's thoughts or ideas about the part as s/he goes through the rehearsal process-they are simply his/her own interpretations and frequently change as the rehearsal process progresses.
We have begun to put scenes 'on their feet'. I think that The Tempest is quite a straightforward play, so there is only so much value in talking through each scene. Lenka (Udovicki, director) works in a very visual way. Even though English isn't her first language she has an amazing way of expressing herself. She talks very eloquently about what she imagines the scene to be about. She will imagine scenarios based on the words and 99% of her ideas are brilliant. I am so happy to be working with her.
We have been discussing the idea that Caliban is human, not an animal and not supernatural. We think he might have a webbed finger or two. I have been looking through the designs for my costume. I have a dark green skin, a bit like a giant bat's wing. This also acts as the gabardine. I have leather trousers, which are made out of lots of different textured bits of leather, almost like a skin. I am also going to be covered in mud, seaweed and shells, perhaps even with a tattoo on my back.
Last week the whole company went to Otley, an Elizabethan Manor House, for some intense rehearsal. Whilst we were there I decided to take a trip out to the coast. I collected lots of seaweed and driftwood and brought it back with me. I took it to the stage management team as I thought it was the perfect type of wood for Caliban to carry. I don't think that he should have neatly sawn pieces, I think that they should look natural. These were some of the most water soaked and rotting pieces of wood I have ever seen. However, it was pointed out to me that use of driftwood might suggest that Prospero was sinking all the ships that sailed past the island!
I have continued to experiment vocally with a deep voice. At first Lenka said that she thought it sounded fake in places, and that I must work on this because Caliban needs to sound like he's come from the earth. It seems that the more I learn the lines, the more instinctive and natural Caliban's voice is becoming. I am also trying to think of a way to make Caliban sound as though he hasn't been speaking the language he is using for very long. I want him to have some strange form of pronunciation. I'm not sure whether or not this will work in a theatre without a roof. At the Globe, speaking clearly is very important. Consonants are vitally important. You can't rely on vowels alone. I'm going to try and see if there is any way that I can make this idea work without losing the clarity of the lines.
I have been thinking about the way Caliban's voice might change as the play progresses. By the scene in which Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo go into Prospero's cell and try on the clothes, I believe that Caliban has become more eloquent. Like all the characters in Shakespeare's plays, he has been on some sort of journey. He seems to have become more civilised from being with Trinculo and Stephano.
I've also been thinking a lot about Caliban's relationship with Prospero and Miranda. I believe that Caliban still loves Prospero even though he plots to kill him. Caliban was born on the island and adopted by Prospero. He used to play with Miranda and, as a teenager, I feel, that he fell in love with her. When he tried to show this love, Prospero disowned him. I think that even now Caliban is still in love Miranda. I need to think about a way to show this on stage every time they appear together. Miranda, however, now hates him. I want to show how this makes Caliban feel emotionally.
I spoke before about the idea of using chains. It has been decided to forget this idea. I wasn't happy with it and some of my friends and family pointed out the idea was unoriginal and is much used in productions of The Tempest. Prospero does not need to put Caliban in chains in order to control him.
At the moment I am concentrating on speaking the verse. I believe that verse has to be spoken in a certain way. It was written that way for a reason. You have to take a breath at the end of each line. I think this helps to sustain the audience's attention, especially where there is a 'but' at the end of a line. I think it is a terrible shame when verse is spoken in the same way as prose.
Activities for Students
Caliban and Miranda
Jasper feels that Caliban is in love with Miranda and would like to find a way to communicate the depth of his feelings for Miranda when they appear together on stage. Suggest ways in which Jasper might communicate these feelings to the audience. How might the text help him to do this? Send your ideas to Jasper so he can use them in his performance.
Caliban's Journey
Tim believes that Caliban becomes more civilised during the play through his contact with Trinculo and Stephano. Do you agree with this statement? Chart Caliban's behaviour and relationship with other characters as it evolves and changes throughout the play. Mark each key point, explaining why it is significant. Send your ideas to Jasper - this will help him chart Caliban's journey through the play.
Try to find evidence in the text to 'back up' your ideas.
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Jasper Britton - Character Notes 3
These comments are the actor's thoughts or ideas about the part as s/he goes through the rehearsal process-they are simply his/her own interpretations and frequently change as the rehearsal process progresses.
We have begun to preview the Tempest now. It has been but the weather has been appalling. One night the storms were so loud that it was virtually impossible to hear anything. The water was thundering off the roof. It was wonderful though, because the storm began at the beginning of Act 5 as Prospero says ‘Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves’. It then stopped abruptly at the end of the speech. The audience was cheering - it was very spectacular. It created quite an atmosphere. Some nights though it has just been drizzling, which isn’t so nice. It's unpleasant for everyone. The audience is uncomfortable, which feeds through to the actors.
I’ve have been surprised by the great response that Caliban has got from the audience. They are really ready to respond vocally. I was expecting it to be very hard work. It so different from an audience who sit in the dark where they almost seem to have their arms folded saying ‘come on then, make me laugh’, but here they want to be talked to and taken notice of. They want to enjoy themselves. It's very seductive and you have to learn to edit yourself, otherwise you will be playing everything to the audience. You have to be disciplined about it. The story that I’m telling is comic, but also quite dark. It's murder plot. I have found it hard to make them be quiet and understand that Caliban is not such a cuddly monster. I find it very annoying when there are people in the audience who think that I come on stage just to make them laugh, no matter what I am saying.
The first night was hard because we had an understudy on stage. Paul Chahidi, who plays Trinculo, broke his ankle just before the opening performance. Mark Rylance went on stage with only a few hours notice. He was wonderful and the audience loved him. He plays to the audience a lot. It surprised me how cheeky he was on stage. But it was very challenging for me, as I didn’t know what he was going to do or where he was going to be on the stage. But he was very generous to play alongside.
He would set things up for me so that I was able to mock him and get a laugh from the audience. I thought he did a wonderful job.
We now have a new Trinculo. This has really changed the dynamic of the Caliban, Stephano, Trinculo trio. The rhythm is very different. The new actor has had a very difficult job. He had to learn the part in just one day.
Some people are surprised by how Caliban has turned out to be the ‘groundlings friend’. He has been the first character they warmed to. I wasn’t. I have played parts like this before and I have found that the best approach is to talk to the audience. Then they are on your side. I was surprised by quite how much that they are willing to give back in return. On the first night they were screaming ‘aaaarrrrr’, when I was telling them about what the spirits were doing to me. But, this also means that they often find it difficult to change their response to Caliban when he changes into a more aggressive character and starts talking about killing Prospero.
I still have so many choices to make for Caliban. Is he intelligent or is he stupid? Is he horrible or does he react to people thinking he's horrible by behaving that way – or, in terms of the play – is he just drunk? How much is he manipulating Stephano and Trinculo into killing Prospero for him? I’m thinking about all of these things at the moment and as yet haven’t come up with many answers.
Playing in the Globe Theatre is a very powerful and wonderful experience. From the stage you can only see a tiny bit of sky, and it feels like you could be anywhere in the world. It almost doesn’t seem real.
Jasper Britton - Character Notes 4
These comments are the actor's thoughts or ideas about the part as s/he goes through the rehearsal process – they are simply his/her own interpretations and frequently change as the rehearsal process progresses.
The character Caliban continues to develop. I just keep pushing things to see what works and what doesn’t. The audience is also very helpful for this. My performance is changing and developing. I used to take my first sip out of Stephano's bottle in Act 2 Scene 2, and look at the audience and say that it was ‘good’. One night, by accident I blew my cheeks out as if I had a mouthful of liquid. People in the yard immediately moved away from the stage and it occurred to me that they thought that I was going to spit on them. So I explored that, by going up to them and working them into a state of terror before finally blowing out air from my cheeks. The actors are much more relaxed on stage together now. We give each other a lot of space and time to pursue any ideas that occur during a show.
We’ve done 40 performances now and we’re all tired. I’ve bruised my foot, hurt my back and my voice is tired. We’re all a little battle weary. The audiences have changed a lot, especially at matinees. They used to be very enthusiastic, and they are more subdued now. Although they are still filled with young people I think that we aren’t getting the same response because some of the audience members don’t speak English as a first language. I think this because it seems to be a lot of the verbal jokes that they don’t get, whilst still responding to the physical ones.
We have also started to rehearse The Two Noble Kinsmen. I am playing Palamon. Rehearsing and performing is making me very tired! We did have an idea that Will Keen and I would alternate between Palamon and Arcite, playing each part on alternate nights. However, we both realised the work that this would entail and decided not to do it. We found that we were unable to focus on either part. I was worried that instead of playing one part properly I would be playing two parts badly. It was a constructive experience though. I learnt a lot from hearing Will say my lines. He sometimes stressed things in different places, making the meaning much clearer to me.
Tim Carroll (Master Of Play) has a very different rehearsal approach to Lenka Udovicki (Master Of play for The Tempest). He may have lots of ideas in his own mind, but in rehearsal he lets us improvise scenes and discover things for ourselves. It's a very free rehearsal process. I find this a very constructive way of rehearsal. Lenka had a much clearer idea of what she wanted when she came to rehearsal. I think her ideas were wonderful and am a very big fan of hers, but is interesting to see how different her approach was from Tim’s.
I am working on The Two Noble Kinsmen slowly, discovering things every day. As yet I’m not very clear on the story as it's very confusing with lots of subplots. We’re making creeping progress.
Yesterday I began to try on costumes for the Palamon. I never complain about costume but I did try on a particularly ugly pair of boots yesterday. There were quite tatty with lots of straps. I’m not sure if they’re appropriate for Palamon. We shall have to see.
On a more serious note, the big question for me with regard to The Two Noble Kinsmen is a question of nobility. How do ‘noble kinsmen’ behave towards others and how does that differ from the way they are in each other's company. Noblemen are courteous and loyal, but at the same time they are also warriors.
It's still only early days in rehearsal and I’m enjoying myself. I still have lots to discover.
Activities for Students
Audience Interaction
Jasper has developed a good rapport with the audience as Caliban. He is able to play with the audience in the manner he describes in paragraph one. Do you think this type of interaction with the audience is helpful to the production? Should Jasper develop this kind of playfulness in the role or should he play the part without overtly communicating with the audience? Give reasons for your response
Jasper Britton - Character Notes 5
These comments are the actor's thoughts or ideas about the part as s/he goes through the rehearsal process – they are simply his/her own interpretations and frequently change as the rehearsal process progresses.
Playing Palomon in The Two Noble Kinsmen has been difficult at times because there seems, at first, to be relatively little difference between him and Arcite in the text. Will (Keen, Arcite) and I have worked hard to find the two characters very separate identities because, of course, they are two different people. Arcite and Palomon are dressed virtually identically in the play, which means that we have to make them appear physically different with our bodies, as we can’t rely on clothing. In rehearsal we used to think that they were quite similar. It was not until performance that I began to see Palomon as being quite different. I think that he is much more flamboyant than Arcite. The more I looked at the play the more I began to believe that they are almost opposites and that that is why they get on so well.
I have also noticed from the text that it almost seems as though Palomon has a death wish. He mentions dying far more than Arcite. He says ‘prithie kill me’, ‘let's die together’. When he loses the fight, Emilia says that she thought Palomon would not win but she does not know why. It is implied that Palomon does not want to win. He does care whether or not he lives or dies because in some way he is not satisfied with his life. He loves his cousin so much that he would rather his cousin lived and was happy because he thinks that he may not be happy even if he did marry Emilia.
Palomon seems to love Emilia in a very different way from Arcite. Palomon only says that he loves Emilia once during the play and that is in the middle of the fight scene. Arcite says to Palomon that he loves her as a woman, to enjoy her. Palomon tells Arcite that he loves her as a goddess. I think that Palomon puts Emilia on a pedestal. This is one of the big differences between Palomon and Arcite.
The Two Noble Kinsmen is an unusual play because it juxtaposes a tragic story with moments of great wit and comedy. Its wit can be very difficult to pick up on. When I had first read the text I wanted to play it as more of a comedy, but Tim (Carroll, Master of Play) said that we were going to play up the story and not make a joke out of it. Normally I like to take the comic approach, as I love to make people laugh. I don’t think comedy makes the story any less pointed. Tim said that he was not directing it as a comedy. It's a witty play and if they laugh they laugh. Taking the serious approach sets me lots of exciting challenges. I was astonished by how funny the audiences have found the play.
The Two Noble Kinsmen uses the yard in performance. This has proved to be quite difficult for me. At one moment I have to hide underneath the staircase in the yard. It is just a set of wooden steps so the audience can see me. But they are not supposed to know that I’m there. However, they all keep staring at me and I have to try and make myself invisible. I want to say to them ‘ignore me and concentrate on the play’, but, of course I don’t.
Another problem for me, at this point, is that I have to crawl out of a little whole in the steps wearing chains. The steps have metal bits on them, which means that the chains make a terrible noise. I have had to develop a routine to try and make as little noise as possible. It is very complicated.
I do enjoy exiting though the yard at the end of the play. I carry Arcite's body. I improvised this during the dress rehearsal and I thought that Tim would not like it as it is a bit sentimental, but he did, so it has stayed in.
We had a fantastic performance of The Tempest last night. The audience were great and the company were also really excited because Lenka (Udovicki, Master of Play for The Tempest) was in and she hasn’t been there since the opening weeks of the show. We wanted to show her how much the play has developed and changed over 59 performances.
I have found that coming back to The Tempest when we have been playing The Two Noble Kinsmen for a while is very difficult. The Tempest has a very different vibe to The Two Noble Kinsmen. It's not that either show requires more energy or concentration, it is just that The Tempest is harder to return to. I don’t know why that is.