Pupils at King's former school perform Shakespeare at home where he stayed
More than 200 people from the Moray area enjoyed two outside performances of The Tempest by Gordonstoun students at Innes House this week.
The late Queen and the late Prince Philip used to stay at the property when they visited the then Prince Charles and his brothers the princes Andrew and Edward, while they were at Gordonstoun.
Senior school pupils performed The Tempest on June 24 and 25, with 20 cast and crew aged 13-18 involved in the show.
Gordonstoun head Simon Cane-Hardy said: 'Innes House is an iconic venue, which has had a long-standing history with Gordonstoun stretching back to Prince Charles' time at the school.
'So, it was fitting that it provided the stunning backdrop to an outside performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest and we are grateful to the Tennant family for facilitating it.
'More than 200 people attended the free events and enjoyed a night of high drama.
'Gordonstoun is proud of its strong links with local communities and we were delighted to put on these performances in service to them.
'It was fantastic to see so many people come along and watch the students perform.
'Hopefully, this will be the first of many theatre performances at Innes House – the students are certainly looking forward to treading the boards, or grass, there again.'
Innes House owner Edward Tennant, a current parent and governor, is the grandson of Sir Iain Tennant, who accompanied a young Charles on his first day at Gordonstoun in May 1962.
Charles was involved in drama productions during his time at the school and took the lead role in Macbeth in a 1965 production.
His performance as Macbeth was said to be outstanding and he was described as the best actor in the school.
Edward Tennant said: 'My wife, Zoe, and I were delighted to be able to host the Gordonstoun Shakespeare production here at Innes House and give students the opportunity to experience performing in the open air away from school.
'It is a pleasure to continue the historical connection between Gordonstoun and Innes House, and we look forward to the school returning for many more productions in the future and for the local community to continue to have the chance to witness the superb talent of these young performers in a very special setting.'
Student Alison Turner, who played the part of Prospero, said: 'Performing at Innes House was just incredible. The scenery was amazing where we performed, with the giant oak tree, flowerbeds and the statues.
'It all just felt very whimsical and magical to perform there, and helped bring to life the story we were trying to tell.'
Student Tigerlily Toley, who played the character of Antonio, said: 'The audience were so engaged in our storytelling, which helped to bring the community together to share a collective, unique experience and love for the performing arts.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Knowing that Charles would be admitting to having an affair, Princess Diana broke royal protocol in a 'revenge dress' with a lasting legacy
On June 29, 1994, Princess Diana attended a dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in London, fully aware that her husband Charles would be admitting to his affair with Camilla that same night on TV. Determined to make a lasting impression, she chose to wear a daring black dress by designer Christina Stambolian - and while it broke a string of royal protocols in the process, it did its job, and photos of the stunning princess filled newspapers around the world.
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Inside King Charles' 'hidden and secret' home royals use for romantic getaways
The Royal Family has one 'hidden and secret' residence that has a long history of love stories, experts have revealed in a new documentary, and it has often been used for romantic getaways by the Windsors Many of the Royal Family's homes are some of the most famous buildings in the UK - with millions of tourists flooding to visit them each and every year. Buckingham Palace is the very centrepiece of London itself, and Windsor Castle - rich with history - dates back nearly 1000 years. The Windsors also have some high-profile properties that they own privately, like the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk - where they spend Christmas every year - and the imposing Balmoral Estate in the Scottish Highlands, where they spend a few weeks in every summer enjoying quality time as a family, far away from the spotlight that is usually trained upon them. But there is a little-known other royal residence that is the subject of a new documentary for Channel 5 and has long been the place where some of the House of Windsor's love stories have played out: Birkhall. A relatively modest - by royal standards anyway - lodge house very near to Balmoral, Birkhall is one of King Charles's retreats - and it's one of his favourite places in the world to spend time, the experts revealed. In Birkhall: The King's Secret Sanctuary, experts explained that it isn't just Charles who has many special memories at the Scottish residence, but in fact, everyone from Prince William to the late Queen has had a significant moment in their love stories play out in this stunning property, and it's even been dubbed the "Honeymoon home" of the Royal Family. Historian Professor Chandrika Kaul revealed that "William apparently spoke to Kate's father and asked his permission to marry Kate on a weekend visit in Birkhall," adding, "And he asked him before he asked Charles!" William getting permission from Michael Middleton to marry his long time girlfriend is by no means the only romantic moment that has occurred at Birkhall. The lodge house was also the setting of Charles's proposal to Camilla who said afterward to the press "I'm just coming down to earth," as she beamed and showed off her engagement ring back in 2005. She is said to have replied, "Of course!" when Charles finally popped the question - and the experts all agreed that Birkhall holds a very special place in the King and Queen's hearts. "I think when they land at Birkhall," said former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, "It's a case of really 'phew, here we are. We're going to enjoy one another's company, and we're going to walk, and we're going to sit, and we're going to read, we're going to have a little drink, and we're going to just be together.' "I think it is one of their very favourite place to be," she explained. Another expert said that it was the closest thing to a "marital home" the King and Queen actually has. Charles and Camilla also spent their honeymoon there - which the experts revealed is something of a family tradition. The late Queen and Prince Philip also spent their honeymoon up at Birkhall, far away from the spotlight getting to enjoy their first weeks as newlyweds in the seclusion of the stunning Scottish countryside. Jennie Bond explained, "Quite a few newlyweds have chosen to spend their time at Birkhall," with expert Ken Wharfe adding the Duke and Duchess of Kent did the same, and Afua Hagan noting Sophie and Edward also selected it for their honeymoon. "It became known as the sort of honeymoon home," explained Ingrid Seward - editor in chief of Majesty magazine. The "hidden and secret" Birkhall was first purchased by Prince Albert when he took over the lease of Balmoral. He intended his eldest son to use the property, but Prince Edward didn't much enjoy spending time there and the lodge house became something of a "Victorian Airbnb" the documentary revealed. In the 1950s the Queen Mother took over the house, and added an extensive wing to it, elevating it and making it more suitable to host multiple guests. After her death in 2002, it passed to Charles who has further put his own stamp on it, whilst leaving some heartbreaking tributes to his beloved grandmother in place, with whom he was always very close. Birkhall: The King's Secret Sanctuary, is on available to stream on 5! Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror Royal
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
The Tempest review – drama in the heavens adds real magic to tumultuous tale
Outdoor theatre is by nature vulnerable to the weather, but there is a sense of a grand coincidence when an almighty storm whips up around this Poznań street performance of Shakespeare's play, threatening to upstage its tumultuous drama. Teatr Biuro Podróży's production at the Stara Rzeźnia, a former abattoir turned into a cultural space, was delayed by half an hour. But the elements provided a sublimely atmospheric accompaniment to the drama. Thunder within the soundtrack became indistinguishable from the real thing. As lightning cracked across the shipwrecked boat carrying Antonio, who fetches up on this enchanted isle, it seemed like part of the lighting design. The company, which has long staged outdoor works across the world, spun its own magic, the actors sodden but heroically undeterred. Directed and co-written (with Marta Strzałko) by company founder Paweł Szkotak, this production is inspired by Shakespeare's text rather than being a straight-up enactment. After the opening storm, the set is cracked apart and swivelled around to form promontories on the island, as well as the grounded remains of the boat. Stumps of trees scattered in the foreground are visual symbols of eco damage. Łukasz Matuszyk's magnificent score reflects an island full of aural enchantments – 'sound and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not' – switching the tone between storybook delight and electronic rumbles, dread groans and pumping house beats. The Tempest is part of the outdoor offering at Malta festival, a multidisciplinary programme in its 35th year, and the show is travelling to the UK as part of an international tour. The festival this year is celebrating tradition and reinvention. This company give a microcosmic homage to this paradoxical mission in its early faithfulness and late disruption of Shakespeare's text. It is mostly told through mime, music, physical theatre and inventive visual spectacle. Prospera is a female magician, Caliban her indentured slave in a suit with sinister bandages around his face. He is forced by Prospera to extract natural resources from the isle, hacking away at tree stumps with his tools (the eco message of the show has been carried through in production values, with much of the set crafted from reclaimed materials, including salvaged doors from Poznań tenement houses). Ariel is an imposing fairy on stilts. All hover between the delightful and dreadful. The seven-strong cast (Bartosz Borowski, Łukasz Kowalski, Paweł Stachowczyk, Marta Strzałko, Karolina Wensierska, Tomasz Wrzalik, Maciej Zakrzewski) bring stunning physicality to their parts. The drunken scenes involving Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban play out with surprising freshness and wit, involving beer and a wheelbarrow. The romance between Miranda and Ferdinand is water-bound in its motifs – the latter emerges out of the storm in bikini bottoms like a parody of a James Bond love interest – and there is lovely use of a pair of flippers. Endearing chemistry is created through the dances they do around and with each other. The show stays faithful until the closing scenes, when there is a coup orchestrated that is far bigger than Caliban's planned rebellion. The sound of a helicopter is heard as a giant plume of smoke envelops the audience, from which emerge military figures bearing machine guns. It is as if we, the audience, enter into the dream world as the smoke drifts over us and the tone switches once again. There is no tidy redemption for the sorcerer-coloniser. Her magical creatures flee or are caught and caged, like zoo animals. Some loose ends are left dangling: Ariel seems simply to disappear; the young couple at the heart of the play, cocooned in their romantic bubble, seem impervious to the assault on Prospera's isle. Maybe the message here is that only love will survive. The rain has cleared by the end of the night and despite the razed ground of this new ending, you are left with a delightful sense of invention, play – and, yes, magic. Malta festival runs until 28 June. The Tempest is presented by Watermans, at Bell Square, London, 19-20 September as part of the UK/Poland Season 2025. Arifa Akbar's trip was provided by the Polish Cultural Institute and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, partners in the UK/Poland Season 2025 organised by the British Council.
