Sisata Theatre Company will perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest outdoors this summer in a production that will share the impact of climate change on England’s coastal communities.
The performance sets the scene on the Isle of Portland, where ocean plastic and sewage pollution are drastically affecting the island’s tourism and fishing industries.
Props, puppets and costumes are made from recycled materials acquired through beach cleans, whilst the words are Shakespeare’s own, used to highlight the theme of climate change.
This is a playful outdoor production, so bring your picnic baskets and get set to enjoy the plot:
A great storm is coming, bringing trouble to Portland. Prospero’s spells wash ashore the ghosts of his past, triggering strange magical consequences for Miranda, Ariel and Caliban. The human lust for power and control have become toxic, causing devastating pollution, endangering lives and the future of the land itself. Can the tempest unite them to live and love and work together with nature to battle the inevitable tide of climate change? Will love win the day?
Adapted and Directed by Charmaine K
Musical Direction by Alastair Simpson
Leeds Performance Dates
Thursday 17th August, 6.30pm
Kirkstall Abbey Cloisters
Abbey Rd, Kirkstall, Leeds LS5 3EH
Sunday 20th August
Lotherton Hall Gardens
Off Collier Lane, Aberford, Leeds LS25 3EB
Tickets for both these shows can be found at https://sisata.co.uk/
Photography by Rob Jayne.
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Lighthouse, Poole, Arts University Bournemouth and Bournemouth University.
#thepowerofnature #PortlandTempest
This SISATA production draws from experiences of climate change and the power of nature through our work with coastal communities on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. The project will culminate in an original site-responsive promenade play cycle of three dynamic and nature-connected pieces that are inspired by the original Shakespearean text and will be performed on the Isle of Portland as part of the b-Side festival. These three plays in a cycle are being written, co-created and performed by diverse groups of local community performers, led by a team of professional writers and SISATA.
