Ferdinand

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In the Globe Theatre Company's production of The Tempest, Ferdinand was played by Will Keen.

About Will Keen

Will has appeared in productions for the Royal National Theatre, Liverpool Everyman, Battersea Arts Centre and the Gate Theatre. He previously played Trinculo in The Tempest at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. He has also appeared in productions of The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothing.

Click on the numbered links to follow Will's journey as he creates and plays the character of Ferdinand in the Globe Theatre.

Will Keen - 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.

The rehearsal process began with a read through. We have been going through the script discussing it in detail so that we all have a common starting point for the production - but we are being careful not to make any big decisions at this stage. We have also been working on the basic language of the production - e.g. music, and the way we are approaching verse. Another area that has been occupying us is how we will create the magic of the play. This is particularly challenging on the Globe stage were there will be no recorded sound or lighting effects.

At the beginning of the rehearsal process I always make lists; of what each character says about me and what I say about each character. I don't do much work before I begin because I like the work of the rehearsals to feed in to my understanding of the role. Ferdinand is a young lover - there is an often an expectation with these type of roles, that they are 'nice', there is a pressure as an actor to come on stage and be 'nice and likeable'. Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand in the first scenes and as an actor you have to find away to convince the audience that this is plausible!

At the moment I'm looking for different clues about the character - circumstances or pieces of text that can give me a way into the role. I'm wondering if one clue might be that Ferdinand is the first to jump off the boat - there is a description of him by Ariel with his hair standing up. Does Ferdinand feel that he should have stayed on the boat longer - was he a coward? Should he have stayed to help his father? These thoughts have led to me to ask if Prospero uses Ferdinand's conscience or feelings of guilt to magic, control or manipulate him.

Another area I'm thinking about is the difference between Ferdinand's two love scenes with Miranda. In the first he is more possessive and presumes that he can 'have her', in the second he is much more aware of her as a person and realises he cannot operate in this manner.

Talking to Lenka (Udovicki, director) yesterday about the first scene - I'm aware that it would be possible to play Ferdinand as a very wet, very dull, nice guy. When I started reading the play I did find myself starting to play the part in this way. Lenka and I have been talking about the moment when Ferdinand first sees Miranda - he thinks she is a goddess and assumes that she does not speak his language. Then, however Miranda answers Ferdinand in his own language. Lenka has suggested that hearing his own language reminds Ferdinand of who his was before the shipwreck - a person with princely powers. I've been thinking about who Ferdinand is before the shipwreck. Although this will not be acted out on stage it will help me build the character of Ferdinand and might inform my motivation for his behaviour in certain scenes of the play.

I've also been thinking about what Ferdinand's religion is - I can't find a reference to just one god in the play. In the first scene the king and prince are at prayer - I think it makes sense that the shipwreck and the island would effect Ferdinand's religious beliefs. This is just one of the areas I am thinking about. At the start of the rehearsal process you are aware of so many different possibilities - there are many different ideas in your mind.

We've been working a lot with music and sound. Nigel Osbourne (musical director) has been teaching us about sound formation and Balkan music. We've also been thinking about the way vowels work and the way in which we create sound.

I've been exploring what Ferdinand's relationship with his sister might be. I can't find any textual clues but I feel that he and his sister might have been very close. Basically I'm trying to build Ferdinand's back history - his life before the play begins. Alonso refers to me as the heir of Milan and Naples - Terry who is playing Alonso told me that it was Alonso's intention that the dukedom of Milan should be brought under the fold of Naples (Ferdinand's dukedom) but had not told this to his court this before the shipwreck. If this were true it would make Ferdinand an even more powerful figure.

Activities for Students

  • At the beginning of the rehearsal period Will makes lists about what is said about his character by others and what his character says about themselves. Make both of these lists for Ferdinand. Send them to Will so he can compare them with his own.
  • Will must convince the audience that Miranda could fall instantly in love with Ferdinand. How can he do this? Imagine you are directing Will at that moment (Act 1 Scene 2). Write instructions telling Will how to play the scene and send them to him, or post them on the Adopt an Actor discussion board.
  • Will has been thinking about Ferdinand's 'back history', in other words his life before the play begins. Look again at Will's notes on this subject. In small groups improvise a scene from Ferdinand's life before the shipwreck. Photograph, tape, video tape or describe your findings from the improvisations and send them to Will to help him in rehearsal.

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Will Keen - 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.

This week we have started being called for the particular scenes in which we appear. This means that the company does not rehearse as a whole anymore. However, rather than sitting down discussing the text, we have started to stand up and act or ‘move’ each scene. The first moment when you have to stand up with a script in your hand is nerve-racking. You have to just start experimenting.

On Tuesday I worked solely with Tim (Carroll – Master of Verse). We tried lots of different exercises with the verse in order to find its rhythm. We looked at how we can use the iambic pentameter. We did this by tapping the rhythm with our feet and talking over the top. This was to discover if the verse makes any sense if you speak regularly all the time. We also experimented with an operatic style. It is always nice to begin ‘over the top’, as its easier to bring something down once its been taken to the ‘max’, rather than the other way around. We also tried sitting opposite each other just speaking the lines normally, making sure that it all made sense to us, and then sometimes translating the lines into our own words. We also did a lot of work on finding the pace of the scene. This type of work is liberating, as you feel that you don’t have to get everything right first time.

On Wednesday we began to rehearse the first scene which we will continue to do all week. This is a very difficult scene. Ferdinand can’t see Prospero or Miranda, Miranda can’t see Ferdinand, Prospero and Miranda talk and Ferdinand can’t hear them, and Prospero has asides that none of the characters can hear. We began working on the scene through improvisation, especially on moments such as Ferdinand and Miranda's meeting. We worked to find a shape to the scene, by trying out lots of different approaches. Once we have the shape that we want and the scene is blocked, we begin to add in the specifics. I find this hard but very challenging. Lenka (Udovicki, director), likes to establish a skeleton before she starts to put the skin on the bones. She has a pretty firm idea of what she wants, but we have to get there through experimentation and find out why some ideas work and some don’t.

I have also continued to look very closely at Ferdinand, asking myself questions such as what is he like when he's not in a crisis. The first thing he asks Miranda is whether she ‘be maid or no’. This shows Ferdinand's awareness that he's now a king. We have decided to make something of the moment when Ferdinand sees that Miranda speaks his language. Ferdinand thinks he has power and authority as king and that if he wants to marry Miranda he can. I like this idea, as it makes Ferdinand less ‘airy fairy’ and not such a ‘nice’ person, a problem we discussed in the last bulletin. We must also remember that Ferdinand has just experienced several life changing moments. He has lost his father, he is now King, and he has instantly fallen in love - possibly because of the previous events.

There is also something very dreamlike about the first scene. This could be because of the music, the magic and the way Prospero is lovely at one moment and then suddenly bitter and sour. It is very difficult to know how to communicate this dreamlike state subtly on stage - I think it would have to be some sort of physical representation.

At the moment I’m thinking about specifics - exactly what I am doing, including why I’m speaking or not at a particular moment. Often these are worries that work themselves out during rehearsal. In rehearsal you are working with other people who have their own ideas. It often becomes obvious why you are not speaking because you are reacting to the words and movements of others.

I have also been thinking about the effect of magic and music on Ferdinand at the beginning of the first scene. I think that he is clearly in some sort of alternate state. Currently in rehearsal Ariel is just leading me around. I need to discover what physical state Ferdinand is in at that moment. This is especially important at the Globe where there are no lighting and stage effects to suggest magic. The magic has to come from within the person and be conveyed physically.

Activities for Students

Ferdinand's ‘dream like’ state

Will has been exploring how he can communicate Ferdinand's dream like state in Act 1 Scene 2 to the audience. Look again at Will's notes where he discusses this issue. Do you think the scene will work if Ariel simply leads Ferdinand around the stage? Send your ideas to Will.

Ferdinand's thoughts

Will has been thinking about what is going through Ferdinand's mind when he is on stage but does not speak. Look at the second part of Act 1 Scene 2 (lines 439 – end) What is going through Ferdinand's mind at this moment? In small groups try acting these moments for yourself. One member of the group could play Ferdinand while another speaks aloud the thoughts that go through his mind while other characters are speaking. Send an audiotape or a written version of these thoughts to Will.

Try to find evidence in the text to ‘back up’ your ideas.

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Will Keen - 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.

This week we have begun to do some work on the stage. Going on stage for the first time is very different, and you find yourself pushing the lines out the whole time, especially in such a big space with no audience. We’ve had tour groups in, which was difficult at first as it feels like being watched. Now I’m used to them, I like having them there. They provide some sort of audience, and in this space, you need to get used to talking to specific people.

In a rehearsal room you seem to make the space you work in into a square created by the pillars. When you’re on the stage you realise how much more space there is around, behind and beyond the pillars. I have discovered that around the pillars and in the corners are actually very strong spaces. I want to work out how I can use them more. It's hard when you see others rehearsing and they seem to have it all worked out, and you don’t feel that you do. Especially in this play where we have been working in isolation from others. It's not until the final scene that all the characters are together. Sometimes watching other people makes you change your ideas - seeing how they use the space. I have seen that less is sometimes more and am beginning to work on that.

I have been thinking about the idea of royalty – Prince William in particular, especially footage and photographs after his mother died. I have been trying to see what his response was to grief. I’ve noticed that many of the royal family seem to touch their cuffs when they enter a room. I am not sure whether or not I will use this. It's just an idea and something to bear in mind. I’m not sure that it needs to played up, but it is important to remember that Ferdinand is royal and has grown up in a royal family.

Early on in rehearsal I had come up with the idea that it's Ferdinand's feelings of guilt that makes Prospero able to control him. I’m not sure if this would be very clear on stage, so it's something that I’m using internally. I do think that Ferdinand is feeling guilty, but, in terms of

staging, there has to be a bold physical manifestation, which I’m not sure if we have found yet. It is about his guilt and cowardice, though. I think that the guilt starts when Ariel sings his song remembering Ferdinand's father. Ferdinand sees this as an accusation. It's difficult to know if this will work on the stage. I’m not sure whether it will look like guilt, or just magic.

This afternoon we’re going to rehearse Acts 4 and 5. Act 5, the reconciliation, is proving to be very difficult. I have to ask myself, what do I expect my father to think of Miranda? He does almost apologise, but until that moment I don’t know what he's going to say. There's still plenty to do and think about at the moment.

Activities for students

Royalty

Will is working on how to portray royalty. Watch royal figures on the news and see if there are any mannerisms or character traits that you can pass on to Will to use in his performance.

Guilt

Will is working on ways to show Ferdinand's guilt at the beginning of the play. Can you suggest ways in which he might do this?

Give reasons for all your answers. Try to find evidence in the text to support your ideas.

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Will Keen - 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.

We have started to perform the Tempest now. The audiences have been amazing. They seem to come to have a good time rather than coming to be entertained. I am very happy with the scene where I carry the logs, Act 3 Scene 1. It has a really clear shape. I am not so sure about the opening scene yet. It's very complicated and I don’t think that we have cracked it.

I have been very pleased by the audience's reaction to Ferdinand. They seem to really like him. I have seen lots of productions of the Tempest and have always found Ferdinand to be rather dull and boring. He speaks lots of lovely poetry but he seems rather pathetic and wet. Lovers are often portrayed this way. I have tried to make him a light character as well as his lover status. It's all about finding the right balance. Love scenes don’t have to be deadly serious.

I was very surprised to find out quite how much control an actor has over an audience on the Globe stage. But I also began to feel how vulnerable that control is if you don’t hang onto it and use it correctly. If you bore the audience they’ll let you know. It is a wonderful space to work in, but extremely frightening. You feel extremely exposed on stage. With no lights and no scenery you see just how much everything is down to you.

I am finding it is much easier to perform when we have a matinee and an evening performance. I find that the evening performance seems to move up a gear. Moving straight into it tends to leave me all ‘fired up’. Yesterday afternoon was extra special. We had the most amazing thunderstorms and it was almost magical. The audience was cheering every reference to rain and storms.

We’re only previewing at the moment so we still have a lot to do. I feel that the opening scene still needs plenty of attention. I don’t feel that we have the shape. Once you find the shape, as I feel we have with Act 3 Scene 1, it is very easy to play around and have fun with the scene.

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Will Keen - 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.

We are now well into the run of The Tempest. I am finding that I am much more at ease with Ferdinand, and am able to perform more freely on the stage. I think that when I first got on the stage I was very aware of how large the space is and how exposed you feel in it. In the first scene I found that I was clinging to some rather weedy decisions that I had made earlier. Since we have begun working on the Two Noble Kinsmen I find that I am far more willing to experiment with The Tempest. I find that I am listening to the words clearly and feel as though I am hearing them afresh each time. I think that this is partly to do with an increase in confidence and security in the space. Rehearsing The Two Noble Kinsmen has helped because it helps you to focus on something else and makes The Tempest fresh every time you come back to it. I also think that going to see Hamlet has helped me. I hadn't seen a play performed at the Globe since last year. It really helped me to see things from an audience's point of view. I stood as a groundling and then I sat in the lower gallery, so that I could get a good idea of the difference between standing and sitting. I have found that seeing the stage from the audience's perspective has made performing on the Globe stage less intimidating. As an audience member you feel great warmth from the actors. You want the actors to entertain you. You are not waiting for them to fail.

I have been thinking about some of the questions that I have received from you. Act 1 Scene 2 has many changes of emotion in it for Ferdinand. He is devastated by the loss of his father and then struck by the beauty of Miranda. I have been thinking about where these emotions are in the text and how other characters manipulate them. Ariel's first song plays a role in allaying my fury and my passion. When the music stops I am thrown back to reality. 'but 'tis gone' (line 392) is a great moment of despair. Then the music begins again and I have a great sense of relief and excitement. Then I begin to hear and understand the words of the second song and they break me. I burst into tears as Ariel talks about my father being under the sea.
I convey this through expression. Every time I mention my father my voice begins to wobble and break. Not because I think it should, but because I understand how Ferdinand is feeling and the images that any mention of his father conjure up in his mind.
Ferdinand comes onto the stage in a state. He then has to explain to the audience why he is so upset. I find that this is very helpful to him because he is forced to face up to what has happened by talking about it.

Some of you have speculated as to whether or not Ferdinand is showing off in front of Miranda. I don't think that Ferdinand would say that he is. Line 428, 'I am the Best of them that speak this Speech,' can be interpreted as him showing off but I think it is more about him trying to convince himself that he is under control again. Now that he is talking to a beautiful woman he knows that he has to pull himself together again.
But, as I said, he does think she's beautiful, so, like any young man he is trying to impress her. But I don't think that its in an arrogant, 'showing off' manner.
Any showing off is more about him trying to make himself behave like a normal person than trying show off in front of Miranda.

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Will Keen - Character Notes 6

The rehearsals

These comments are the actor's thoughts and 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 are now rehearsing The Two Noble Kinsmen, which I am finding a lot of fun. There are lots of fight scenes, which I am enjoying. I have done stage fighting before, but never with a broad sword, which is what we’re using. They aren’t as heavy as I thought they would be. In films, for effect, the swords are made much bigger than they actually were. I love the play. At the moment the text seems difficult because the verse is much more complicated than I thought it was when I first read it. I am finding the lines very difficult to learn.

I am playing Arcite, who is one of the noble Kinsmen. There are similarities between Ferdinand and Arcite because they are both royalty. But they are not quite the same. Ferdinand has a responsibility to an entire people. Arcite is firstly a soldier. His responsibilities are more to himself than to others.

The Two Noble Kinsmen is written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher. The verse in The Two Noble Kinsmen is very different from The Tempest. I find some of the Fletcher verse much better to work with. Tim (Carroll, Master Of Play) has cut more of the Shakespeare parts than the Fletcher parts (see interview with Tim Carroll). Shakespeare's verse is complicated. It is very clever, but hard to work with. The Fletcher verse is more direct and modern, and therefore much easier. In terms of rhythm, however, the Fletcher is weaker. The distinction between the two writers is very clear. The scenes they write work very differently. Fletcher's scenes are far more dramatic with lots of big surprises. Having said all this when the play is run together it is difficult to tell who wrote what. You can only tell when you are working closely with the text.

As well as rehearsing The Two Noble Kinsmen we are still playing The Tempest. I sometimes try and think about how much the show has changed since it opened. It is getting more and more difficult to remember what it was like when we started. I know that the production has changed, but it happens slowly over a series of shows, which makes it hard to tell exactly where and how something has changed. My relationship with Prospero has developed a lot. We are completely different creatures who don’t understand each other, but at the same time there is a tremendous mutual respect.

Activities for Students

Ferdinand and Prospero

Will feels that Ferdinand's relationship with Prospero has developed a great deal in performance. Look again at Act 4 Scene 1. How would you direct Ferdinand and Prospero to play this scene to show their respect for each other?

Will Keen - Character Notes 7

These comments are the actor's thoughts and 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 are now performing The Two Noble Kinsmen and I am really enjoying playing Arcite.

I have found that performing The Two Noble Kinsmen on the stage is a completely different experience to rehearsing it in the rehearsal room. I found the rehearsal process for this play very intense.

I find that there is a major conflict between comedy and tragedy in The Two Noble Kinsmen. In rehearsal, we explored the tragic elements of the play. In performance, the audience laughs a lot. I find it hard to know what is supposed to be the overriding feeling. Is the play funny or serious? The best way that I could find to deal with the conflict is to try to lead the audience on a journey where they can laugh at one moment but their laughter is juxtaposed with serious moments. I think that it is important that the audience is able to engage with the play at all times and respond to each moment as it occurs.

Tim (Carroll – Master of Play) was very concerned in rehearsal, that Palomon and Arcite were differentiated clearly. I feel that the only difference between them is that Arcite is a little more intelligent, more of a thinker, than Palomon. I have worked hard to make Arcite appear physically different from Palomon. I hope that this will not only allow the audience to understand them as different people, but to also make them appeal to different audience members.

I am finding The Two Noble Kinsmen a very different experience to The Tempest. However, I have discovered that my knowledge of the stage, gained through performing The Tempest on it for so long, has informed my rehearsal process for The Two Noble Kinsmen.

Storytelling is also very important to The Two Noble Kinsmen. It is a really good story but we had to work very hard to make it clear to an audience. In the Globe you have to make very clear decisions about your character. If you have ideas set out properly in your head then they will come across to the audience. I felt very happy when some friends of mine came to see the show and said that they could follow the story at all times.

The season has almost come to an end now. I am going to enjoy all my last moments on the stage. I will be very sad when it is all over.

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