Performances begin January 13 at St. Ann's Warehouse for the American premiere of Phyllida Lloyd’s staging of The Tempest, set against the backdrop of a women’s prison and starring Harriet Walter as Prospero. The Donmar Warehouse production culminates the director’s acclaimed trilogy of all-female Shakespeare productions, preceded by Julius Caesar and Henry IV, which also played at the Brooklyn theatre.
The Tempest will officially open January 18 and is scheduled to play through February 19.
“The premise was to take the most voiceless group you might imagine—women prisoners; refugees from our culture, if you like; people without any access to the internet even—and watch them electrify an audience with nothing but Shakespeare’s language,” Lloyd said of the trilogy.
Completing the cast are Jade Anouka, Shiloh Coke, Jackie Clune, Karen Dunbar, Zainab Hasan, Sophie Stanton, Carolina Valdés, Sheila Atim, Leah Harvey, and Martina Laird.
The creative team for The Tempest includes designer Chloe Lamford, theatre environment designer Bunny Christie, lighting designer James Farncombe, sound designer Peter Malkin, movement director Ann Yee, and assistant director Ola Ince. Joan Armatrading composed original music for the production.
St. Ann’s Warehouse is located at 45 Water Street, Brooklyn. Tickets are $45- $80 and can be purchased at StAnnsWarehouse.org, by calling (718) 254-8779 and (866) 811-4111.
