Stratford trip
I had a fabulous time at Stratford yesterday!
I went with a few colleagues of mine to see a William Hutt performance of The Tempest. Unfortunately, we got the understudy, Stephen Russell, instead, though I thought he is quite an amazing actor in his own right. Somehow it feels wrong to be 50+ years old (and perhaps fairly established in the threatre scene), yet remain an understudy. Granted, Prospero is one of the most coveted Shakespearean roles. The Miranda character, played by Adrienne Gould, was a tad ditsy but it seemed like a rather appropriate interpretation.
The 2005 production of The Tempest took a minimalist approach in terms of props and costumes (except for the costumes of the nymphs and spirits). I enjoyed the the second half more than the first because it was much more theatrical, complete with singing and dancing (and magnificent costumes--I'm a slave to all things beautiful!). Regrettably, the music wasn't live and the lute sounded more like a synthesiser, but hey, I'm not complaining.
Please go check out the Stratford festival if you are in Ontario; it's well worth your $30!
Here are some pictures I took by the river and in the gardens at the festival theatre:
