Geraldine James leads the cast in The Tempest in a Zoom reading directed by Jenny Hall for the SHAKE Festival
Theatre-maker Jenny Hall is continuing to bring Shakespeare to everyday audiences during lockdown with a Zoom performance of The Tempest on November 19 at 7.30pm.
Jenny, Suffolk resident and daughter of legendary director and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company Sir Peter Hall, is directing a star-studded cast led by Geraldine James as Prospero and Rebecca Hall as Ariel with a cast of young stars of TV and film, including Lauryn Canny, Amesh Edireweera, Antonio Aakeel and Aidan Cheng. Olivier Award nominee Robert Hands reads Sebastian, and Wendy Morgan, Tim Fitzhigham and David Sibley are also part of the excellent cast.
The reading is part of SHAKE Festival, launched by Jenny last year at The Cut in Halesworth to celebrate Shakespeare’s plays in a way that blends fun, scholarship and theatrical expertise, in an inclusive, immersive event designed to appeal to all ages. Last year’s event took place over the half-term week in October.
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Jenny, who once played Miranda in The Tempest at the National Theatre, directed by her father, says: “At a time when our theatres are closed and live theatre feels like a distant memory, I saw the opportunity Zoom gives us to present a live reading with a magnificent international cast, and where we can pass on the great skills of verse speaking to a new generation of outstanding young talents.”
Lauryn Canny, said taking on the role of Miranda with such an extraordinary cast was a dream come true, and felt even more special this year. “To get to soak up the boundless knowledge of legends such as Geraldine James is a complete honour and I feel especially lucky to venture into the world of Shakespeare for the first time surrounded by so many talented folk.”
Zoom Tickets for The Tempest are £10 per household.
www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-tempest-shake-festival
