An unusual production of one of Shakespeare’s plays will be performed in the gardens at Rydal Mount near Ambleside next week.
The Three Inch Fools company will stage The Tempest in the grounds of William Wordsworth’s home, in the gardens that the poet designed.
And the touring company will set up camp next door at the Rydal Hall campsite, staying in their own tepee, and using home-made costumes and props.
“We are a troupe of travelling actors in the true Shakespeare tradition,” said James Hyde, who founded the company with his brother Stephen earlier this year. This is their first tour, and takes in locations in Northumberland and Scotland as swell as the Lake District.
The collaborative venture involves ten company members, nine actors and a stage manager, who perform their own music. “It’s a creative and modern approach while being true to the Shakespeare tradition,” said James. “We think it is really important to bring this kind of theatre to the north of England and Scotland. My brother and I grew up in Cumbria and we really want to contribute to the cultural scene in the north.”
In The Tempest, magic and the supernatural come to life in a tale of monsters, drunken butlers and stormy seas.
The curator of Rydal Mount, Peter Elkington, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting this production. The company will use the mound in the grounds which creates a natural amphitheatre setting for the actors and the audience.”
The performances at Rydal Mount are on August 19 and 20. Tickets at the door £12.50/ concs £10.
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