Meet the team
THIS year, the National Drama Company(NDC) of Guyana continues its annual tradition of staging a play that is currently on the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Literature syllabus by reaching back through the centuries and pulling William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” through time to showcase a raucous, magical, unprecedented version of the play that will undoubtedly contain all of the strong hallmarks of theatre that the NDC has become known for. “The Tempest” is being directed by NDC members, Keron Bruce and Esther Hamer. Bruce and Hamer, past students of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama, both copped the Best Student in Directing Prize upon graduation from the school in 2013 and 2014, respectively, which only showcases the fact that they are both more than competent when it comes to directing and that the NDC’s production of “The Tempest” is indeed an event to look forward to. Shakespeare’s plays are not staged as readily as they should be in Guyana, so this does represent a rare treat, and after speaking with both directors, one does get the impression that this particular incarnation of the play will have enough spectacle to keep even the most skeptical theatre critic hooked on the story in “The Tempest.”

STRENGTHS
Wisely, the directors are also playing to their strengths to ensure the success of the play. For example, Bruce has built a name for himself in Guyana, particularly because of his work in videography and photography, and a decision was made to employ these technical skills into the production by projecting on to the stage some elements of the play (including the shipwreck scene) that would serve to enhance the production through this use of technology. The use of modern technology (videos, projections, etc.) is a still relatively new technique in Guyanese theatre, and the NDC continues to establish itself as a group that is intent on remaining current in terms of theatre practices.
Hamer has built a reputation as being one of the best costume designers and dancers in modern Guyanese theatre, having designed and choreographed for almost all of the NDC’s productions. For this production, she is working alongside her husband, Jonathan Hamer, and company member, Le Tisha Da Silva, in order to produce on a mass scale all of the costumes that are supposed to reflect everything from sailors and noblemen to spirits and monsters. For “The Tempest”, she has also included a number of musical and dance sequences, which is another element that local audiences should enjoy since well-incorporated musical numbers in a play is a rare treat in Guyana. Choreography for the production is being done by company member, Melinda Primo-Solomon, assisted by Hamer.

Shakespeare’s The Tempest
The plot of “The Tempest” is intricate and mainly concerns the sorcerer, Prospero, and his daughter, Miranda, who live on a lonely island, where fate gives Prospero, the chance to restore himself and his daughter to the positions they were removed from when they were banished to the island. Also involved in the plot are Prospero’s brother, Antonio, Alonso – King of Naples, his son – Ferdinand, Caliban the monster, Ariel, a spirit who serves Prospero, and several others. The cast of the play is large, and this was one of the reasons for the NDC reaching out beyond its company members in order to fulfil the quota for the number of actors that were needed for this production. “The Tempest” promises to be a play with one of the largest casts ever hosted in an NDC production.

The cast
On casting all of the roles in the play, the directors said they sought out actors who were available and willing to put in all the necessary work that was required to ensure that the best possible version of the play was performed. In some cases, they also took into consideration some of their actors’ natural leanings. A good example of this is seen in Lorraine Baptiste who plays Ariel, the spirit. She was chosen for the role not only because of her acting skills but also because she happened to be one of the best dancers in the NDC. Another example the directors also highlighted was Clinton Duncan who exudes an aristocratic aura and, therefore, was cast as Sebastian, a nobleman. Apart from Baptiste and Duncan, the play also stars many other young talents who have been making their presence felt in the theatre scene over the last few years and are representative of the New Wave of Guyanese theatre, such as Onix Duncan as Caliban, Nicholas Singh as Ferdinand, Kevin Kellman as Antonio, Christophe Greaves as Alonzo, Andrew Belle as Adrian, Charles Adrain as Gonzalo, Kimberly Samuels as Iris, Akbar Singh as Trinculo, and others. Additionally, there are many popular actors with years and years of experience also lined up to star in “The Tempest.” In the lead role of Prospero, there is Mark Luke-Edwards, while Nirmala Narine plays his daughter, Miranda, with Sonia Yarde as Ceres and Nathaya Whaul as Juno.

Director Bruce has pointed out that the NDC is “the most creative and dynamic theatre group in Guyana” at the moment and that the production of “The Tempest” is a stepping stone in rekindling the fire of theatre within the Guyanese viewing public, an ongoing theme in the NDC’s mandate, and one that the company works to fulfil with each new production. He also says that the play is going to be an experience on stage that is different from other viewing experiences that one can have in Guyana. He also notes that ticket prices are affordable so as to be able to accommodate as many people as possible.
Hamer points out that Shakespeare is not only for the upper class, as some people may believe, and that Shakespeare wrote his plays for everyone, and that the NDC’s staging of it complements this idea. Hamer says that the production is “for the youngest child” and “for the oldest adult.” Hamer also notes that Guyanese people should give other types of plays, besides the popular farcical plays, a chance and highlights how “The Tempest” represents the NDC’s attempt to bring other kinds of theatre to the local audience. The directors also noted that their production would not be possible without the support of local businesses such as Giftland, GBTI, Tropical Rhythms, Dinah’s Embroidery and Royal Castle, and they have stated that more can be done in theatre and the arts as a whole if more patronage comes forth from the business community.

While the production does cater to students who are studying the play at CSEC – with special matinee showings for schoolchildren on the 17th, 18th, 19th April, there are also three night shows for the Guyanese public on the 13th, 14th, and 15th April. The directors are keen on encouraging parents to come out with their children and to share in an educational event that will be ultimately beneficial to students at the CSEC level, and to engage with the directors and cast at the end of each performance in the question and answer segment. All performances of “The Tempest” will be held at the National Cultural Centre.