22 – 25 July

Firebird Theatre work as an ensemble. They are experienced, Learning Disabled performers producing drama together for over thirty years and they want to make art and tell stories that will stay in people’s heads long after they leave and go home.

Firebird‘s The Tempest starts by telling us exactly how the evening will work. The characters are introduced, the relationships sketched out, and the rules of the performance shared with easy humour.  There is no expectation that anyone should already know Shakespeare’s play or pretend to understand it. We are simply welcomed in.

That clarity gives the production its shape. The storm is made with light, sound, movement and a few simple props, and it works beautifully. Bristol Old Vic’s Weston Studio becomes a ship in chaos, then an island alive with spirits. Glowing orbs, a strong soundscape and George Webster’s narration help build the world without crowding it.

The whole ensemble remains onstage, watching, supporting and feeding the action. In the round, that shared ownership reaches into the audience. Participation is lightly handled and never exposing. The atmosphere is relaxed, but the storytelling is precise. Best of all, the production has been built around what each performer brings. There is genuine pleasure in the playing, and the company’s confidence carries the room.

At 65 minutes, this is a clear, playful and generous account of The Tempest. Narration, captioning, audio description and BSL do not sit outside the action. They help create its rhythm, its humour and some of its most inventive stage pictures.

Firebird manages to remove many of the needless barriers around Shakespeare. What remains is the story, the magic and a company taking full ownership of both.

★★★★☆ Tilly Marshall, 25 July, 2026

Photography credit: Paul Blakemore