Dynamic theatre group let down by venue

THE Purple Cast is a young. dynamic professional theatre company with a unique approach to Shakespeare – on a shoestring ...

A Winter’s Tale tells of King Leontes (George C Francis) convinced against the evidence and the Oracle’s wise words that his Queen, Hermione (Kirsty Blakely), is expecting the King of Bohemia’s baby. He banishes her and for 16 years believes she is dead. The daughter Perdita (Eleanor Mallinson) is brought up by a Bohemian shepherd, and admired by the King’s son Polixenes (Ryan Mcken) whom she marries when Leontes finally realises his error.

The Tempest is set on a magical island inhabited by spirits and a ‘monster’ Caliban (George C Francis) all controlled by Prospero (Alan Wales), Duke of Milan banished with his daughter Miranda (Eleanor Mallinson), an undiscovered beauty on the cusp of womanhood. A shipwreck brings the usurping Duke of Milan and his son to the island for the wily Ariel (Wendy Ann Jeffries) to tease. There are coincidences and reconciliations galore.

Both A Winter’s Tale and The Tempest are dark stories and in the hands of The Purple Cast, co-directed and co-edited by Wendy Ann Jeffries and George C Francis, are busy, inventive and playful productions with so much to recommend them.

Sad to say they were seriously let down by the amateur approach of the venue. I hope they didn’t have to pay much. But no matter, I will look forward to more from them in the future.

Jane Howard