Director: Blaise Barham
Musical Director (music): Sam Meikle
Musical Director (singing): Meko Ng

Sahara BreeZe (SBZ) Productions

A visually, aurally, and physically stunning multidisciplinary version of William Shakespeare’s fantastical play.

Award-winning Otago theatre company Sahara Breeze (SBZ) Productions will be staging William Shakespeare’s most fantastical play The Tempest, regarded as the most lyrical, profound, and magical of Shakespeare’s comedies.

Prospera, the exiled duke of Milan, has been stranded on a remote island with her daughter Miranda for 12 years. She uses her magical powers to conjure up a fearsome storm, so that her enemies, including her treacherous brother Antonio, are shipwrecked onto the island. There follows a play filled with murderous plots, drunken confusion, love, and redemption.

SBZ turns the former church building of Hanover Hall into Prospera’s enchanted island. Holding true to the original text and music, director Blaise Barham adds contemporary music, stunning costumes, and physical theatre to put a new contemporary spin on this classic, whilst further exploring themes of entrapment and forgiveness. With a performing cast of 25 actors, singers, dancers, and musicians, the spectacle of the piece is brought to the fore.

Venue: Hanover Hall, 65 Hanover Street. Dunedin

Dates and times: 13 June from 8pm, 14 June 1pm & 7.30pm, 15 June from 7.30pm & 16 June from 2.30pm 2024

Tickets ($15-$35) can be booked online at https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2024/the-tempest-by-william-shakespeare/dunedin

Sahara BreeZe (SBZ) Productions (https://www.sbzproductions.com/) was founded in 2019 as a touring theatre company and has been based in Dunedin since 2021. Since then, it has produced multiple shows including Two by Jim Cartwright, Dracula the Bloody Truth by La Navette Bete, Wonderful by Richard Huber, Out at Sea by Slawomir Mrozek, The John Show by John Goudge, Shotglass Shorts Play Writing Competition, The Bear and The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov and has received multiple nominations and awards, most recently an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Dunedin Theatre’ award in 2024.
Refer reviews of previous productions: https://www.theatreview.org.nz/?s=sbz+productions

CAST in order of appearance:
Alonso: Don Townsend
Ferdinand: Jack Hanan
Sebastian: Thomas Makinson
Master/Adrian: Matthew Brennan
Boatswain/Francisco: Zac Henry
Gonzalo: Josh Black
Antonio: Chris Cook
Miranda: Elizabeth (Lizzie) Thomson
Prospera: Sarah Barham
Ariel (air): Sacha McConnon
Ariel (fire): William Larkins
Ariel (water): Alexander (Xandy) Julian
Trinculo: Brent Caldwell
Stephano: Aimee Freeman
Deities: Jay Bailey, Kelly Siu & Meko Ng.

A physical ensemble of mariners, nymphs, reapers and spirits played by:

Becky Hodson, Esther Smith, Hannah Davis, Imogen Duncan, Oliver McKeown, Rochelle Brophy & Stella Wispinski.

CREATIVE TEAM:
Director: Blaise Barham
Assistant Director: Kaiser Coles
Musical Director (music): Sam Meikle
Musical Director (singing): Meko Ng
Costume Design: Sofie Welvaert
Technical Design: Josh Wiegman
Physical Theatre Leader: Becky Hodson

CREW:
Production Manager: Linda Brewster
Stage Manager & Properties: Christine Wilson
Assistant Stage Manager: Sheena Townsend

Multi-discipline , Theatre ,

120 minutes