"We are such stuff as dreams are made on": Sioned Jones discusses Shakespeare in the Squares' "The Tempest"

Scurvy Companions

How can you keep Shakespeare’s plays relevant? “Play them.”

That’s what Sioned Jones, director of Shakespeare in the Squares’ recent production of The Tempest, believes. Sioned is an actress and theatre maker with credits in the West End, at the National Theatre, on television and in film. She’s here today to discuss her version of "The Tempest," which premiered in London last month. Shakespeare in the Squares is a non-profit touring theatre company that stages a Shakespeare play in garden squares across London. The company works with local organizations to make the play specific to each location and celebrate the community. One of their patrons, the esteemed Dame Judi Dench, says about the company that, “To take William Shakespeare, whose timeless plays always have something important to say about the human condition, into idyllic gardens and other iconic spaces, offers a great opportunity to engage new and non-traditional audiences of all ages.”

Today, Sioned will talk with us about how The Tempest fosters community coming out of lockdown, the themes that continue to be relevant to modern audiences, and the challenge of chairs, helicopters and more in a touring garden performance space.

Sioned is interviewed by host Emily Jackoway. NoSweatShakespeare is a literary education website devoted to making Shakespeare more accessible. Visit us online at nosweatshakespeare.com to read play summaries, monologue and character analyses, Shakespeare history, and more, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe and leave a five-star rating. Thanks for listening!