Talking to up-and-coming director, Zoë Tuffin, you understand her passion for the arts burns at her core. She aims to take bold international elements in dance and fuse them together with traditional Shakespearian text.
In her upcoming Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’, in conjunction with the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble, Zoë has teamed up with some of Australia's creative heavyweights. Her hope is to transport the audience to an island filled with magic and adventure where playgoers will come face to face with spirits, nymphs and other creatures.
She has travelled extensively in search of unique, dramatic techniques. “We looked very closely at the Butoh Dance company in Japan, so certainly trying to integrate that into this production. “It is really a fusion of ideas taking the best of my experiences and the best of the companies’ experiences.”
The play is designed by Matilda Award-winning designer, Angel Kosch (A Midsummer Night's Dream, 2013), and features live music and Butoh, a form of Japanese dance theatre. The idea of Shakespeare taking a back seat to the visuals of the performance is an interesting talking point.
“We wanted the ensemble to use their bodies and tie together text and movement. The Tempest is full of so many weird and wonderful creatures, Music Director Rob Pensalfini was open to the possibilities, so I jumped at the opportunity.”
It is not often that one can experience theatre outdoors in Brisbane. The Tempest will no doubt transform the Roma Street Parklands into a magical island.
“It is an island adventure, come and experience the Roma Street Parklands, come on this adventure with these characters.”
The Tempest will play in The Amphitheatre, Roma Street Parklands 20 Aug–6 Sep.
