UNDER the June sun, Shakespearean magic with a modern twist was released as the Walled Garden at Down Grange provided a picturesque backdrop for some of The Bard’s much-loved work.

On Friday, June 23, The Proteans, the adult drama group linked to the Proteus Creation Space, presented The Tempest, as part of the 2023 Basingstoke Festival.

The Tempest tells the tale of a luxury yacht carrying Italian Aristocracy, A-Listers and social media influencers returning from a wedding, which sinks off the coast of a remote island.

The inhabitants of this island are a magician, his daughter, a shape-shifting spirit Ariel and a member of a drowned airline cabin crew with amnesia who everyone calls Caliban. 

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As we settled down on our camping chairs to watch the performance, I was worried that having not studied Shakespeare since I was at school, I wouldn’t be able to follow what was going on, but my fears were soon allayed.

Bryn Strudwick’s comedic monologue at the start acted as an instruction manual, giving the audience a quick guide to certain characters, and making the play easier to follow.

Prospero, played by Martin Palmer, then burst onto the green stage, with his fantastic cape – adorned in gold foil – setting the scene so eloquently, telling the audience how the former Duke of Milan came to inhabit the deserted island.

Martin certainly had a difficult job, having a mountain of lines to learn, but even though they were in Shakespearean English he excelled – not just delivering them but drawing the audience into his life and mysterious plan to get his dukedom back from his brother.

The Proteans cleverly gave the play a modern twist, incorporating David Bowie songs into the performance, these were brought to life by the shape-shifting spirit Ariel serving Bowie vibes, played by Kat Cornelius-Fend.

Kat’s performance straddled between the classic interpretation of Ariel and the glam rock of Ziggy Stardust, capturing the audience with their mysterious yet powerful performance.

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Initially, you may think that pairing Shakespeare and Bowie together wouldn’t work, but the unconventional music of Bowie really brings alive the spirit and mystery of the play and the island it is based on.

The whole cast really brought us in to join the laughter, hope, pain, and love that ultimately triumphs at the end.

A special shout-out should go to Jeanette Hobden who brought plenty of laughs to the performance, often lifting the mood when things seemed to not be going well in the storyline.

The final performance of The Tempest will take place on Sunday, June 25 at 5pm.

Tickets are priced at £11, £9 concession and are available to buy at the gate on the day (up to one hour before the performance starts).