This summer The Pantaloons are touring their inimitable version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest – a magical production that is coming soon to an open-air venue near you.
The critically-acclaimed Pantaloons are the company that successfully and safely staged 70 socially-distanced open-air performances in summer 2020 and are once again ready to perform when restrictions are lifted.
Join them on a voyage to an enchanted island full of adventure, romance, magic and… monsters!
“Shakespeare suggests that theatre itself is a kind of conjuring,” says The Pantaloons artistic director Stephen Purcell, “summoning up whole imaginary worlds from just the shared creative efforts of actors and audience. In our production, the cast create all the magical effects live onstage – with the help of the audience.”
The Tempest is also a play about other kinds of transformation: from tears to laughter, from cruelty to forgiveness, from enslavement to freedom.
Shakespeare wrote the play right at the end of his career, when he’d moved beyond writing straightforward comedies or tragedies and blended both genres into a new form.
The Tempest is the most perfect example of this, putting the audience through some charged emotional scenes but also presenting them with hilarious comedy.
“Ultimately, it’s a play about the power, potential, and sheer joy of the human imagination,” says Purcell, “and that’s what The Pantaloons are all about!”
The Pantaloons began life 17 years ago busking plays for donations in parks and on the streets, where they developed an attention-grabbing, interactive and playful performance style.
They company characterises its work as post-modern folk theatre, taking well-loved tales and giving them a contemporary twist to make them accessible.
The Pantaloons have picked up plenty of loyal followers, garnered lots of critical acclaim and have quickly become one of the country’s most prolific touring companies, indoors and out.
So pack a picnic, bring the whole family and enjoy one of Shakespeare’s most magical masterpieces – in the open-air where it belongs.
See full tour dates and book tickets at https://pantaloons.wpengine.com/the-tempest/
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