Shakespeare at the Coal Loader
Image: Dream-Tit on bridge, Come You Spirits. Image: supplied
It would be hard to find a theatre group that rivals the innovative Come You Spirits for truly unique, immersive theatrical experience. The four-band Shakespearean troupe blends traditional performance with spirituality, performing in unusual spaces and interacting with the audience in a way that defies the normal edge-of-stage boundaries.
The quartet will return to one of their most successful venues, the Coal Loader in Waverton, for a double bill this weekend: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest.
These two Shakespeare plays are not only among his most well known and liked, but they are both ideal for outdoor performance. Each play has been trimmed and reworked, preserving their essence while allowing four actors to play all the significant characters without compromising the story or looking rushed and comical.
Additionally, the performances are sustainably produced, using solar-powered equipment when possible. The actors use the existing features of the surrounds as set and props, whether that be the crows nest atop the tall sail mast, rock ledges and trees in a park, or, in the case of the Coal Loader, the cavernous coal shafts and stony walls. They move in, under, around, and through the environment, often taking the audience with them.
An important aspect of the performance is the meditation at the end, using healing sound and soft lighting.
Come You Spirits is made up of Jo Bloom, Charles Mayer, Sontaan Hopson, and Ciarán O’Riordan, with composer, Brandon Read, contributing original music.
You can see either one or both of these abridged plays this Saturday. You’ll walk away feeling magical.
