Reminiscent of the glory days of the wireless in the 1950s, RT╔'s gala performance of The Tempest by Shakespeare on Monday was a harmonious marriage of theatre and radio, with the actors performing in front of a studio audience while simultaneously broadcasting live on Radio 1.
It was one of the RT╔ events to celebrate 75 years of radio, and the audience gathered for a wine reception in the Radio Centre at Montrose before making their way to Studio 1 to take their seats minutes before the live broadcast of the play.
Like many of Shakespeare's later works, The Tempest is a tragic-comic romance with a healthy sprinkling of drama, mystery, vengeance and reconciliation. Talented young actress Hilary Cahill played Miranda, the only female character in this production by Daniel Reardon. Her parents, Carmel and Frank Cahill, and good friend novelist Deirdre Purcell were there to support her.
An ephemeral vision all in white, Ariel, the fairy spirit, was played by a barefooted Aidan McArdle, whose parents Bridie and Peadar McArdle were in the audience. Brigid Roden from Business2Arts was also watching, along with Helen Shaw, RT╔'s director of radio. Hot young actor Rory Keenan, whose blond features are sure to make him a hit, will become a very familiar sight when RT╔'s new football drama, On Home Ground, screens in November. Right now Keenan is busy in rehearsals for the new show and headed away early as he said he had to be up at dawn the next morning. The rest of the cast went over the to the RT╔ club for celebratory drinks.
The audience enjoyed the performance, and the best compliment of the evening was from 10-year-old Charlie O'Neill, the young nephew of actor Karl O'Neill, who played Sebastian. "That was better than James Bond and The Simpsons put together," he piped up.