The Tempest
at the Royal Botanical Gardens (Venue 193), Edinburgh

James Panton

Unfortunately, there really was a tempest outside in Edinburgh the night I went to see this play.

For this reason, the Festival Players' Theatre Company's outdoor rendition of The Tempest had been moved into a hall inside. More unfortunately still, as one of the cast came out to tell us before the play began, fire regulations meant that only 30 of us were allowed to watch the performance and more than 70 people with tickets had been turned away at the door. And as if this wasn't enough, one of the cast had been taken seriously ill that morning and was unable to perform - a replacement had been found, but he would have to read from the book as he acted out his parts.

I would have made my excuses and left had I not forgotten my wetsuit. However, in true thespian spirit the show went on. In the face of adversity, the Festival Players performance was gripping. Prospero and Ariel in particular stand out for a unignorable presence on stage (neé floor). Even our poor book-reading friend gave a great performance. For anybody interested in a great piece of classical theatre performed with humour and vigour, Festival Players' Tempest should not be missed as it tours around outdoor venues in the UK. Watch the local press for details and hope the rain stays away.