The Belfast Tempest
The first of Terra Nova’s large-scale transformational productions and Northern Ireland’s largest ever Shakespeare production, The Belfast Tempest, and the #BelfastTempest community and audience development programme that ran along side it launched Terra Nova’s Shakespearean ambitions. The Project was created by Terra Nova productions with four key partners: the African and Caribbean Support Organisation NI, Crescent Arts Centre, LibrariesNI, and T13.
Commissioned by Belfast City Council as a ‘Creative and Cultural Belfast Project’ the production had an ambitious remit: to create an outstanding Belfast project for the world-wide celebrations of Shakespeare400 whilst also engaging people right across the city.
Directed by Artistic Director Andrea Montgomery the production was staged in a giant warehouse down in the Belfast docks. Her vision for the production started with a powerful storm that represented the past might of Belfast’s protestant ship builders, featuring Ulster Scots dance (Bridget Madden & Gary Rowntree Choreography), a choir and drummers including a Lambeg, (Music Nick Boyle & Choir Mastery by Keith Acheson, sound by Gus Leudar) and a contemporary physical representation of destruction and drowning created through contemporary dance. The production then moved through to a breathtaking intercultural betrothal masque (created by Associate Director Tom Finlay and realised with Choreographer Gary Rowntree) before culminating in an extraordinary ceremony of breaking Prospero’s staff, drowning his book, relinquishing his power over the city and setting Ariel free. A powerful score that featured in every aspect of the production was created by composer Nick Boyle, supported by a 3D soundscape from Augustine Leudar.
Andrea Montgomery’s deep knowledge of Shakespeare and his world and her historical exploration of her adopted city including its masonic past supported her vision of magic in the production, her irreverent use of gender switching, her editing of the play, and her deep exploration of intercultural themes, realised though both her careful casting of visible minority actors in key roles and her guiding of the community performance themes.
The witty and irreverent production featured outstanding Northern Irish and visible minority British talent. This included: James Doran (Prospero), Patrick McBrearty (Ariel), Nuala McKeever (Stephana), Jo Donnelly (Antonia),Gary Crossan (Caliban), Ashley Alymann (Sebastian), Parys Jordan (Ferdinand) and Nicola Gardner (Queen Alonsa). Also featured were Debrah Hill as Miranda, Rob Kane as Trinculo and Monine Dugan as Gonzala.
Set was designed by Niall Rae and was chosen in 2019 to feature as part of Ireland’s entry to the Prague Quadrennial. Costume design was Niall Rae with Cianna McDonald. Lighting Design was by Conleth White.
The Belfast Tempest team of professionals engaged 750 people across 18 months, from which a community cast and volunteer team of over 180 Northern Irish residents, originally from 52 different cities across the globe, joined 40 professional artists to create a giant temporary theatre in T13 warehouse in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. The Belfast Tempest was performed six times across four days, for 1800 people, April 20-23, 2016, as part of the global celebrations for Shakespeare400.
The Belfast Tempest was one of seven 'Creative & Cultural Belfast' projects, funded by Belfast City Council & the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the British Council, the Ulster Scots Agency, and the Halifax Foundation. Philip White Tyres provided sponsorship.
For more information about the project, including additional images, cast and crew list, video and more, please contact infor@terranovaproductions.net.