BVI Arts Company Conjures Up Magic
BVI Arts Company, Killi Killi, under the direction of Claudia Knight will be mounting a magical new production in June: Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The Tempest is the latest in a series of shows produced by this vibrant community theater. Among the group’s aims is to expose young people and adults to the theater arts through acting, singing, dancing, set design and other aspects of stagecraft.
The theater group has produced some of the most popular and entertaining productions in the British Virgin Islands, including an effervescent production of Aladdin. Fun and funny, this Christmas Pantomime ticked all the boxes for me. It had exotic costumes, changing sets, music, dance and a lively cast of BVI residents. Who would have known there was so much theatrical talent in these islands? Beautiful resonant voices, dancing and comedy were all on display.
Also well received, was the BVI Arts film production of Peter Pan. The film utilized BVI locales, including the Willy T as the pirate ship. Screened at Bobby’s Cinema, Peter Pan introduced its young cast to the rudiments of both acting and filmmaking.
The Wiz was another of the organization’s popular productions. A night of theater magic, it was an amalgamation of the hit musicals, The Wiz and Wicked, and the original classic, The Wizard of Oz. Most recently, the group brought dinner theater to the islands with the farcical comedy, Nobody’s Perfect, which was presented at select island restaurants.
Claudia’s newest production is Shakespeare’s “The Tempest, which will be shown June 28, 29 and 30th at the Lambert Beach Resort. The Tempest, written between 1610 and 1611, is a tragicomedy, and is a departure from The Bard’s previous plays – either tragedies like Hamlet, or fanciful comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The Tempest, which features an adult cast with multiple characters and intricate plots, will both entertain and engage the audience. The play’s main protagonist, Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, is on an island, a setting that should resonate with the audience as they sit on their own island.
Prospero, who has been stripped of his title and position by the King of Naples seeks revenge on the King and Prospero’s treacherous brother Antonio. Using magic, he conjures up a storm to torment the survivors of the ensuing shipwreck. But there is more. Prospero’s slave, Caliban, plots to rid himself of his master, but is thwarted by Prospero’s spirit-servant Ariel, and for a touch of romance, the King’s young son Ferdinand, thought to be dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda.Treachery and young love both ensue as does music, revenge and forgiveness. Like most Shakespeare’s comedies, there is wit and word play, and nothing will be as it seems until the end.
Enjoy the Tempest with its luminous local cast in a unique island setting. True magic indeed.
BVI Arts produces several pieces of theatre a year, including the annual Christmas pantomime. They provide opportunities to participate in a variety of roles, from technical to performance based, in family and adult productions. They also run a summer camp in theater arts for children from 4-14.
For more about Claudia Knight and The BVI Arts Company, Killi Killi read Jane Bakewell’s story at:
Also, on the group’s website at:
Find info on their summer camp this July, as well as their next Christmas Pantomime on their Facebook page::
