A CLASSIC of intrigue, love and drama will be played out at Weymouth’s atmospheric Nothe Fort next month.

The town’s drama club has been selected by the Royal Shakespeare Company to perform a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

This prestigious endorsement means that in the run-up to the production, the club will work with Tim Ford, a director from the RSC who is also attached with the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton.

Richard Grafton, the director and adapter of The Tempest who was responsible for Weymouth Drama Club’s previous performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is delighted with this national recognition of the club’s work.

He said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have the chance to do this because it is a wonderful opportunity for our members and preparations are coming along well.

“We are two years down the road since we first applied – it took a year to adapt and a year to plan and we are basically creating theatre out of nothing.

“There is a huge amount to do – not just learning lines but also lighting and the technical side of things.”

Weymouth Drama Club’s performance is part of the RSC’s Open Stages initiative, which sees eight regional theatres across the UK working with amateur players in the largest collaborative event of its kind.

As well as Weymouth’s Tempest, which stays loyal to the original text but will be performed in modern-day dress, other performances elsewhere in the UK include a Star Wars-inspired Twelfth Night, an all-female Hamlet and a flash mob adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

The Tempest is the tale of the magician Prospero and his daughter Miranda, who have been stranded on a magical island with a spirit, Ariel, and deformed servant, Caliban.

When a shipwreck brings Prospero’s enemies to the isle, the magician plots to get his revenge, while his daughter falls in love with one of the castaways.

Richard said: “It is a versatile play but also one that suits all times.

“It is set in Italy so it could be at any time and our interpretation will have the lords in Armani suits – they could almost be Berlusconi or shady underworld characters – whereas other characters are much more ‘street’. Antoinette Richards is playing the part of grotesque Caliban as something of a chav!”

Other cast members include Rob Tripp as Prospero, Gina Huntley as his daughter Miranda, Rachel Turberville-Smith as Ariel, while the court jesters Trinculo and Stephano have morphed into Trinny and Steph, alias Deborah Walton and Caroline Portsmouth.

Alonso is performed by Simon Raynes, Sebastian by Paul Gorsuch, Antonio is played by Chris Walker and Gonzalo by Colin Clare.

Jemima Phillips is the boatswain and the ensemble cast is made up of Deborah Green, Zoe Hawkins, Julie Hook and Richard Hook.

Tim Ford will be on hand between now and the performance to run workshops and prepare the cast and backstage crew for their roles.

He said: “It is all about helping and supporting local groups and enabling them to put on a great show for their towns.

“With the Weymouth club, there was a real aspiration and drive by the members to learn new skills.”

Open Stages will culminate at the World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford Upon Avon, where certain productions will be asked to perform alongside professional actors.

The Tempest is at The Nothe Fort, Weymouth from Tuesday to Saturday, June 14 to 18 at 8pm. Tickets are available from Weymouth Pavilion Box Office on 01305 783225 or via weymouthdramaclub.co.uk