ANYONE who speculates Shakespeare or the theatre are not as popular as they once were would be proved wrong by this stunning performance.

Perhaps it was the appearance of veteran Shakespeare actor Patrick Stewart, of X-Men fame, who drew in the crowds, but whatever the reason, a packed auditorium was certainly in for a treat.

Probably the bard's last play, The Tempest offers a mixture of adventure, comedy and romance on a faraway island ruled by the magical Prospero, played by Stewart.

From the moment he steps onto the stage, he commands the whole theatre. His stage presence cannot be talked down at all and is thoroughly impressive.

Of course, you might think other less experienced actors would be dwarfed by such a theatre idol, but they all proved themselves more than capable of producing equally quality performances.

The whole play was slick and beautifully produced. The difference between a well-performed Shakespeare play and an average one seems to be in how much the actors actually understand - if they know what they are saying rather than merely repeating lines parrot-fashion, this is conveyed to the audience. The result is an easy to watch and understand evening of theatre, rather than a watch-watching few hours!

The Tempest is part of the RST's Complete Works Festival, which promises productions of all Shakespeare's plays in Stratford. And if this show was anything to go by, the rest should be well worth a watch.

ECB