Tempestade

Creation

S.A.Marionetas e PuppetLink

​

The idea for Theatre of Glass came about in 2007, resulting from a partnership between S.A.Marionetas (Portugal) and PuppetLink (United Kingdom), whose artistic directors – José Gil and Clive Chandler – were inspired by the possibility of creating shadow theatre by projecting light through glass. With the collaboration of artists from Crisform and Atlantis Crystal in Portugal, this idea materialized into the innovative production of Tempestade (The Tempest).

In the same way that it features experimental shadow theatre techniques, Tempestade relies on original music to create its story and dynamics. The composers and musicians created the music using traditional instruments, computer-manipulated sound, and instruments created specifically for this production – crystal bowls and chimes, a glass vibraphone, and a double-strung psaltery.

Special thanks to Janine Christley, from the Stourbridge International Glass Festival, for her encouragement and support for this work, and to Catarina Carvalho, from the Marinha Grande Glass Museum.

Over several months, to make the premiere of Tempestade possible, the companies worked in both countries developing new shadow theatre techniques on a cinematic scale, using glass, sand, and water puppets, projecting shadows by moving light points across a 7 m x 5 m screen.

Simultaneously in Portugal, designers and master glassmakers from the world-renowned Atlantis Crystal (Cós) and Crisform (Vocational Training Centre for the Glassware Sector – Marinha Grande) created the puppets for the show.

An eclectic instrumentation is used by the English and Portuguese composer-musicians to create the music that guides the show. It includes crystal bowls with and without water, glass chimes and vibraphone, electric and acoustic guitars, sounds manipulated by a granulator (computer software), and a psaltery – a type of medieval harp. Most of these instruments (made of glass, wood, strings, and Perspex) were designed to create an impact both when projected and when played.

Tempestade stays true to the themes addressed in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but it is essentially a non-verbal show. Despite featuring fragments of poetic language, the story is told through images and sound. Blending Shakespeare, original visual theatre, puppet and shadow theatre, object manipulation, and traditional and contemporary music, it is intended for an adult and youth audience (ages 9 and up).

​

​

​

Theatre of Glass
Artistic Director: Clive Chandler
Manipulation Direction: José Gil
Producers: Sally Rew and Sofia Vinagre
Musician-composer: Edward Briggs
Musician: Hugo Trindade
Actors-Manipulators: Marcus Fernando, José Gil, Tina Hofman, Natacha Costa Pereira, Sofia Vinagre
Ariel Design: Hugo Amado - Atlantis Crystal
Glass artists: Nelson Dinis, Rita Barata, Joana Silva - Crisform
Puppet Creation: José Gil
Lighting Technician: Jim Duncombe
Coach: Chris Cuthbert
Stained Glass: Rachel Elliott
Illustrator: John Crane
Psalter: Paul Baker
Glass Vibraphone: Jim Doble - Elemental Design
Music students: Michael Hukins, Sarah Price
Photography: Marcus Fernando
Co-Production: S.A.Marionetas and PuppetLink

“Tempestade” is supported by the Arts Council England Lottery - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation - PRS Foundation - Camões Institute - Alcobaça Municipal Council - Marinha Grande Municipal Council - Marinha Grande Glass Museum - Crisform - Altantis Crystal - TFT. Teleinformatics - Ad-Lib Sound and Light Rental - William A Cadbury Charitable Trust - The Sir Barry Jackson Trust

Acknowledgments: to the Board of PuppetLink Ltd; Hagley Catholic High School; Alcobaça Cine-Theater; D. Inês de Castro de Alcobaça Secondary School