''I'll Be The Devil'' is a play by

Leo Butler Leo Butler (born 1974 in Sheffield) is a British playwright. His plays have been staged, among others, by the Royal Court, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Almeida Theatre. His plays have been published by Bloomsbury A & C Black. His 2001 ...

commissioned by the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

and written in response to '' The Tempest'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. It was staged for the first time at the

Tricycle Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as ...

in 2008, directed by

Ramin Gray Ramin Gray (born 11 October 1963) is a theatre director of Iranian (Muslim) and British (Jewish) heritage. Personal life Born in London in 1963, Ramin grew up in Oxford, Tehran, New York and Paris before graduating from Christ Church, Oxford with ...

. It featured Derbhle Crotty, Tom Burke, John McInerny, and Gerard Murphy.

Synopsis

The play is set in Ireland during the 18th century. An English soldier has two illegitimate children by his mistress, a local woman. His pending departure for England triggers dramatic events. Young cattle-killer Dermot is a Celtic

Caliban Caliban ( ), son of the witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own work: as Russell ...

. He becomes the instrument of his mother Maryanne's revenge against his father, Lieutenant Coyle. Butler said of the play, "More than anything I want to put the audience in the eye of the storm. There are a lot of plays about war and colonialism that are wry and ironic and theoretical and that’s all very well, but it’s always taking a step backwards from the reality''."''

Reception

Dominic Cavendish of ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'' said, "this lush, savage, nightmarish imagining of colonial Ireland circa 1762 suggests an imagination that has suddenly, gloriously and recklessly taken wing", claiming that he was "thrilled at the provocation of it, transfixed by its darkness" and that "as a vision of a world without hope, it is too terrifying to dismiss." Andrew Billen of the ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

'', however, "resented having been trapped in a room for 110 minutes with a work that took itself so seriously it did not even allow us an interval", commenting that "it was like being held hostage by a violent lunatic." Michael Billington of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' felt that "while Butler makes clear the irony of conscripted converts to Protestantism helping to oppress the local Catholics, he clouds the action with cloudy symbolism", admitting, however, that he "was left to enjoy the handful of scenes that really work". Rebecca Omonira, writing for ''IndieLondon'', commented that the "enigmatic play had me – and the rest of the audience – enthralled from start to finish", praising it as "a graphic depiction of the worst of humanity" which "relentlessly shows how ordinary people become complicit conspirators in torture and rape.". Julie Carpenter writing for the ''

Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

'' described it as "a violent, unforgiving and immensely powerful play that is not for the faint-hearted".

Other reviews

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References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 2008 plays Fiction set in the 18th century Plays and musicals based on The Tempest Plays by Leo Butler Plays set in Ireland