The Tempest
““We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep.””
Prospero, a potent magician, lives on a desolate isle with his virginal daughter, Miranda. He's in exile, banished from his duchy by his usurping brother and the King of Naples. Providence brings these enemies near; aided by his vassal the spirit Ariel, Prospero conjures a tempest to wreck the Italian ship. The king's son, thinking all others lost, becomes Prospero's prisoner, falling in love with Miranda and she with him. Prospero's brother and the king wander the island, as do a drunken cook and sailor, who conspire with Caliban, Prospero's beastly slave, to murder Prospero. Prospero wants reason to triumph, Ariel wants his freedom, Miranda a husband; the sailors want to dance.
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Cast
16 people
Heathcote Williams
Prospero, the Right Duke of Milan
Known for
The Odyssey
Basic Instinct 2
Toyah Willcox
Miranda, his daughter
Known for
Jubilee
Quadrophenia
Karl Johnson
Ariel, an airy spirit
Known for
Halo
Hot Fuzz
Jack Birkett
Caliban, a savage and deformed slave
Known for
Caravaggio
Jubilee
Peter Bull
Alonso, the King of Naples
Known for
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
The African Queen
David Meyer
Ferdinand, his son
Known for
Octopussy
London Spy
Neil Cunningham
Sebastian, his brother
Known for
The Draughtsman's Contract
My Beautiful Laundrette
Richard Warwick
Antonio, his brother
Known for
if....
Sebastiane
Christopher Biggins
Stephano, a drunken mariner
Known for
Masada
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Peter Turner
Trinculo, his friend
Known for
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Ken Campbell
Gonzalo, an honest councillor
Known for
Creep
A Fish Called Wanda
Elisabeth Welch
A Goddess
Known for
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Arabian Adventure
Derek Jarman Director · William Shakespeare Author Brian Hodgson Composer
Budget $350K · United States release September 13, 1979 · Produced in United Kingdom
Box office
Budget
$350,000
Production
Boyd's Company
Production
United Kingdom
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · September 13, 1979
Theatrical
Poland
October 11, 2024 · Premiere · Ars Independent Festival
Taiwan
May 24, 2026 · Premiere · Taipei Literature Festival
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Some details come from TheTVDB.