Preview: Shakespeare’s The Tempest at Sunderland Roker Seafront

 A storm in a teacup? Something is brewing…

Shakespeare’s The Tempest

A modern verse translation by Kenneth Cavander

Theatre Space North East

Sunderland Roker Seafront (The Pods)

Thursday 17  - Sunday 20 August 2023 at 7pm

Bold, localised, bard adaptations are being staged this summer in Sunderland – and hot on the heels of ‘Romeo & Juliet’ in July, Theatre

Space North East now present Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’ set against the 

epic backdrop of Roker seafront.

Theatre Space's Summer of Shakespeare heads to the seaside this August – in the year that marks the 400th anniversary of the Shakespeare’s First Folio – where a magical storm is brewing. Set sail on an open-air adventure with an epic retelling of Shakespeare’s classic, which will see a full professional cast, trainees, and a ‘Tempest 

Ensemble’ community choir use the natural landscape and evocative shanties to explore Sunderland’s industrial past – overshadowed and overlooked by visitors seeking a ‘prosperous’ future.

This modern verse translation by Kenneth Cavander maintains the mastery of the original whilst artistically updating the most unfamiliar language, making it sympathetic to the modern ear, as part of a long-standing relationship with Oregon's Play On Shakespeare. 

Corinne Kilvington, who will direct the piece, commented, “Sunderland’s industrial shipping boom, its loss, and its legacy, will always be a prominent feature within this community, and incorporating that into such a renowned play gives us a great opportunity to amalgamate the heritage of the area, alongside our national cultural heritage.” 

Producer Jamie Brown commented further, saying, “It’s a special year for all things Shakespeare, and we are going bigger and bolder with our offer than ever thanks to Play On Shakespeare, Arts Council England, The Barbour Foundation and Sunderland City Council. We have an excellent cast in place, the setting is perfect, and the style in which we’ll present the material will resonate with people today, from both the city and the wider area.”

Tickets:

The Tempest takes places at Roker Seafront (The Pods) from 17th to 20th August 2023, with performances at 7pm daily. Tickets can be booked at www.theatrespace.org.uk. 

As always, Theatre Space’s Summer of Shakespeare is free to attend - with those who are able being invited to make a donation at point-of-sale or following the event itself - but tickets for The Tempest must be reserved in advance.