Oxford Shakespeare Company present THE TEMPEST

Time Out Critics' Choice - "Smart, funny, reworking of Shakespeare's late play"

"There is a strong reliance on the skills of the actors and the illustrative quality of their costumes to establish the scene and fortunately both are first rate...The musical accompaniment is refreshing and innovative in the capable hands of composer Nick Lloyd Webber" The Stage (Read full review click here)

"overall, this is a thoroughly entertaining evening. It’s performed with brio and some humour by a hard-working cast: a perfect antidote to the World Cup." Whats On Stage

"Gordon presents it in a more sprightly fashion, with a touch of camp. It’s a fresh strategy, and the original score by Nick Lloyd Webber (son of Andrew) has a puckish quality" Evening Standard

Oxford Shakespeare Company present THE TEMPEST
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Mick Gordon
Musical direction by Nick Lloyd Webber

9th June – 30th August at: The Walks, Gray’s Inn, London;
Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxon;
Shakespeare House, Grendon Underwood, Aylesbury, Bucks;
The Observatory Garden, Greenwich Royal Park;
The Lamb and Flag Inn, Blagdon Hill, Taunton;
The Walled Garden, Wadham College, Oxford (in rep)
and East Front Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, London
Press night: 11th June, 7.30, The Walks, Gray’s Inn, Theobald’s Road, London

And
PRIVATE LIVES
By Noël Coward
Directed by Nick Green
At the Walled Garden, Wadham College, Oxford, in rep from 25th July – 20th August
Press night: 28th July, 7.30pm, Wadham College Gardens, Parks Road, Oxford

“The isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not”

The Oxford Shakespeare Company continues its tradition of producing theatre in remarkable places with a magical version with music of Shakespeare’s late, great Tempest this summer, in a variety of historic open air venues in London and Oxford. This marks the shared 400th anniversary of both the play and the founding of Wadham College, where the company began, and will be part of the college’s own celebrations. Directed by the celebrated director and writer Mick Gordon, who is himself a Wadham alumnus, the play will be given an original musical score by Nick Lloyd Webber.

Prospero’s island, filled with music and magic, sits at the heart of this in-the-round staging where the familiar themes of freedom, revenge and the redemptive power of love are handled with tongue-in-cheek wit. The songs and incidental music will be integral to the production and some unconventional cross casting will showcase the versatility of the talented cast and add an extra dimension to each character. The company can also be enjoyed in a short run of Noël Coward’s razor-sharp comedy of manners Private Lives, which will play in rep with The Tempest in Oxford, directed by company associate Nick Green.

The OSC has built on its original foundations as a regular summer presence in Wadham College Gardens and developed relationships with several spectacular parks, gardens and palaces over the last eight years, settings which add an extra, unique layer to their high quality productions. This year, they have added the wonderful Observatory Garden in Greenwich Royal Park to their growing portfolio of venues. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet (2009), Twelfth Night (2008, Time Out Critics’ Choice) and Midsummer Night’s Dream (2007).

For more information, visit The Oxford Shakespeare Company website here