The Tempest

Hudson Players Club presents William Shakespeare’s mystical and romantic adventure, The Tempest from July 12-22. This production will mark the club’s seventh outing with its popular Shakespeare By The Lake series. As before, the show will be taking place at the scenic & natural local of the outdoor amphitheatre at Jack Layton Parc in Hudson. Previous Shakespeare By The Lake productions include As You Like It (2014), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2015), For The Love Of Shakespeare (2016) and Romeo & Juliet (2017).

“Jack Layton [Park] is the perfect venue for The Tempest.”, says Hudson Players Club member, former president and Tempest producer, Steve Walters, “With the water all around and the beautiful sunsets, audiences will be transported to the magical Mediterranean island of Shakerspeare’s play!”

Believed to be Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest is set on a remote island where Prospera, the banished Duchess of Milan has been living in exile with her daughter, Miranda. Prospera uses her arcane knowledge of magic and the help of an island spirit, Ariel, to conjure a tempest to shipwreck a boat with Alonso, the King of Naples, his lords and servants on the isle. The very men who usurped her as Duchess! Through the manipulation of events, and splitting the castaways into smaller groups, Prospera intends on setting right the foul treason done upon her.

The Tempest is being directed Mary Vuorela. This is a much anticipated follow-up to her critically acclaimed Midsummers Night’s Dream (2015). On her approach to Tempest, “So much in the text lends itself to a woman playing the title role and given the current climate of debate around gender it is my hope that this play will not only entertain but also continue a very important conversation! But first and foremost, The Tempest is a story of betrayal, young love, fantastical creatures and magic!

Enjoy the show!”

The Cast

David Anderson – Caliban

Clive Brewer – Gonzalo

Bill Fletcher – Boatswain

Patrick Gareau – Ferdinand

Diana Gausden – Prospero

Phil Gausden – Alonso

Sophie McCafferty – Miranda

Kyle Gregor-Pearse – Arial

Marc Roy – Trinculo

Jean Frederick Samson – Antonio

John Sheridan – Sebastian

Stephen Walters – Stephano

The Spirits

Elizabeth Aiken
Kim Boyle
Chanel Damours
Deborah McCaffrey
Anjali Ramcharan
Holly Ruddock
Madeleine Samson
Donna Stewart
Dominique Thornhill
Joe Tyas

The Production Team

Directed by Mary Vuorela

Music Direction by Roy Vuorela

Stage Manager Shelley Walters

Assistant Stage Manger Olivia Pontecorvo

Costume Designer Donald Anderson

Costume Designer Norma Murphy

Producer Steve Walters

Executive Producer Elizabeth Harwood

Set Builders Marc Roy, Phil Gausden and Kyle Gregor-Pearse

Props Ashley Lang

Masks Julie Hebert

Front of House Karen Delorme

Publicity John Sheridan

Photographer Val Provost