The Tempest Archives - North West End UK

29Apr

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

The Tempest – Drayton Arms Theatre

Burnt Orange Theatre Rep Company bring The Tempest to life. In the black box theatre setting, the troupe form a striking ensemble with sizzling choreography as well as impressive individual performances. Such dynamic storytelling with swift transitions made Shakespeare’s language accessible and engaging. The group was cohesive and nimble, heaving to and fro throughout like the waves and the ship, and producing surreal hissing and clicking sound collages. I loved the interpretation of Ariel, with four actors embodying the spirit. They really captured the magic and elemental nature of the play. Ioan Oosthuizen’s fraught Prospero was heavy with responsibility, and it was charming to see his lighter side and fatherly affection around his daughter. As the principal storyteller in the ...

The Tempest – Liverpool Theatre Festival

31Jul

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Liverpool Theatre Festival

For the penultimate performance of the Liverpool Theatre Festival, A Place for Us brought its edited version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The setting is ideal for open air Shakespeare and the weather managed to hold off the raindrops until the last few minutes. A Place For Us are a professional creative team who work with students, in this case members of Cronton Sixth Form College, delivering this project with only five days of rehearsals and then presenting at Norton Priory woodland, before this performance at the Bombed Out Church. Director Kate Allerton has done a wonderful job bringing this all together in such a short time, with an atmospheric soundtrack, some really good movement sequences and some excellent performances from their cast of twelve young people. The...

23Jul

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Norton Priory

The Multi Award Winning – A Place for Us Theatre Company in partnership with Cronton 6th Form College aimed to present their present Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ in the stunning woodlands theatre space nestled in the 42-acre ancient grounds of the phenomenal Norton Priory Museum & Gardens. A Place for Us presently continues their Shakespeare legacy after a successful run of their previous interpretation of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth in 2021/2022. Due to our unpredictable seasonal weather in the UK nothing is a given, so a huge credit to the Creative Team, Director/Producer Kate Allerston, Chis Bastock Producer/Music & Sound Design and Stage Managers both consultant and Cronton College students for turning the show around bringing it into the breath-taking Norton Priory Museu...

25Jun

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Royden Park

Staging their first production since the pandemic, The Hillbark Players transport the audience to a magical, timeless place in their interpretation of The Tempest by Shakespeare. With the bard's magical play being set on a beautiful natural island, where better to see it than outdoors in the natural open-air arena? The setting is serene. Surrounded by historic woodland, the theatre is a rectangular area of grass that has stands around it on three sides. This setting adds a lot to The Hillbark Players somewhat steampunk performance because it places the audience both within the play setting generally and, with the movement of the actors coming in from all areas, within the 'island' itself. There is an immersive element to this production. Directed by Martin Riley, The Tempest provides...

16Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Tempest – Shakespeare’s Globe

Often played as tragedy with revenge at its heart, it is refreshing to see director Jeremy Herrin bring a fresh perspective embracing the spirit of the supernatural in this tale of forgiveness, generosity, and enlightenment set on a remote and mysterious desert island with this production from 2013. Twelve years earlier, Prospero (Roger Allam), formerly Duke of Milan, was usurped by Alonso, King of Naples (Peter Hamilton Dyer), Alonso’s brother, Sebastian (Will Mannering), and his own brother Antonio (Jason Baughan), and cast adrift with his three-year old daughter, Miranda (Jessie Buckley). Before they were put to sea Gonzalo (Pip Donaghy), his loyal counsellor, ensured he took his magic books, and now living on an island, he has used his magic art to reign over the native Caliban (Jam...