Sometimes it’s risky to take liberties with Shakespeare. Big changes can be strokes of genius (think Orson Welles) or clunky disasters that make purists howl.

Dream in High Park’s new production of The Tempest switches several of the male characters to females, apparently to even out the play’s extreme gender inequality. It mostly works, thanks to some good casting. Director Sue Miner’s version of the Bard’s fantasy (which runs to September) is a fast-paced, energetic retelling – with a slight Caribbean flavour.

Believed to be one of Shakespeare’s last works, The Tempest is the story of Prospero - Prospera (Karen Robinson) in the latest version. The banished duke/duchess enlists magical spirit Ariel (Audrey Dwyer) to shipwreck her enemies on the uncharted island where she lives. Prospera then uses Ariel’s powers to control her sister and political usurper, Antonia (Tracey Ferencz), plus her crewmates, before confronting and finally forgiving them.

Set/costume designer Robin Fisher fills the play with colour, creating a bright island set of tree-trunk browns and background water blues. Her costume for Ron Kennell’s Caliban (Prospera’s deformed, bestial slave) makes him an unusual reptilian hybrid of Quasimodo and Freddy Krueger.

Miner’s kinetic, cinematic staging adds to the production’s visual appeal. The play moves quickly without feeling rushed. It doesn’t hurt that she cut several minor characters; the play lasts well under two hours.

Stratford veteran Robinson carries the show, endowing Prospera with a mix of wisdom, authority and compassion. Dwyer is fun to watch as Ariel. She fills the character with childlike playfulness and mischief early on.

Ferencz’ Antonia has the right sarcasm and ambition to make her hateful and admirable at once. The character’s gender-change inspires a clever sexual subtext between her and Sebastian (Karl Ang) as they plot to overthrow the king of Naples (Robert Dodds). Ferencz appears to channel Lady Macbeth in this scene.

Another standout is Jason Gray, very funny as drunken butler Stephano, whose soused singing and panicky energy out-clown Mark Crawford’s so-so Trinculo.

The cast’s weak link is Liz Gordon as Gonzala, the honest councillor in Antonia’s group. Gordon seems uncomfortable with the Shakespearean language and telegraphs lines with forced hand gestures. Patrick Kwok-Choon and Taylor Trowbridge slow things down a bit with their bland performances as the lovers Ferdinand and Miranda. (But then, Shakespeare’s young lovers are never the meatiest roles anyway.)

Not a perfect Tempest, but a good gender-balancing reinterpretation for the 21st Century.