Tempest In The Firth of Forth

12-15 August

Meet at the Summerhall

14.15

£16-£20

However ephemeral the Fringe may pass, as it hits the city like a mid-west, typhoon, there was one element of constancy that obstinately refuses to leave Edinburgh every August, the evergreen Richard De Marco.  However, this year, De Marco has left the city, after a fashion, & has invited us all along to his favourite Shakespeare play, The Tempest.

Richard De Marco

The adventure begins at the Summerhall, where the audience is ushered onto a bus & driven beyond South Queensferry to the Hopetoun estate. It is there, by the side of the Firth of Forth, crunching sand & shingle with the waverush in our ears, we are treated to a most beautiful experience. The Tempest is set on an island  & its shores, & as I watched one of Shakepeare’s more perfect plays unfold, the suspension of disbelief provided by such a natural setting multiplied manifold.

,

,

The cast is young, chosen from the cream of Saint Andrew’s university only three months ago. A talented bunch, from the accompanying musicians , including dulcet harpistry, to a marvellous Ariel, whose magical aura was enhanced by playful sea-zephyrs blowing breezelings through her hair. The whole experience is a sensuous delight & I urge anyone with even only a vague interest in the theatre to sample this unique dramatic experience.

Reviewer – Damo Bullen