Y8 enjoy ‘The Tempest’ at Hertford Theatre

Y8 enjoyed a ‘pared-down, intense and urban production’ of Shakespeare’s last play, featuring stunning contemporary African dance choreography. It was a powerful, passionate, and magical performance and this is what Holly thought:

‘When I went inside the theatre, I knew it was going to be a good play. The small theatre in the centre of Hertford has been known to put on impressive productions and today was no different. The foyer smelt of coffee and I thought it was a welcoming feeling. When we went to get our seats, there was an exciting atmosphere in the air. The play started with someone playing a fast, dramatic beat on the drums and then two Ariels came out and, doing quick dancing, symbolised the tempest Prospero was making by acting like fire. I was especially impressed by the music and the sounds because I thought they worked really well with the story line.
There were a few changes, for instance: Trinculo was played by a woman instead of a man (which was actually quite funny) and you never see the King of Naples, Antonio and Sebastian. I think that the story was still told moderately accurately, but I would have liked the story line to have been a bit more clear. My favourite part was when Trinculo went under a blanket with Caliban because she wanted to take cover. It looked very funny! Another part I enjoyed was how Caliban spoke in Malawi and English so you had to look at subtitles to know what he was saying!’

The English Department organises regular trips to see productions that relate to the curriculum. We are lucky enough to have great theatres like the Cambridge Arts Theatre and ADC theatres in Cambridge. The college theatre productions are also a great resource, (Pembroke College being a very vibrant local choice,) as are regional theatres such as Hertford and Harlow.