The Tempest

The rest of the photos are here. O.C.P. “doth suffer a sea change / Into something rich and strange.”

I think this was the production when we all realised we could have a go at nearly anything. It was only a few years after Otley’s community play in 1996. I was guitar in the band and a genial Saxophonist wandered in one day. I remember Kevin, Joe, Amy and Ray lifting the performance and wondering if they might be thinking about future performances???

It seems incredible now in 2007, with 16 or so varied and ambitious productions behind us, to think of that small group. OCP now seems to bulge with talent from every age group. (Not necessarily a comforting thought for the oldest member hurtling towards 60!).

So, what was so good about The Tempest?

Well, we produced a full Shakesperian tragedy in an outdoor public park. From Caliban to Miranda there were no weaknesses across the large cast. It was our 2^nd. and more demanding production with Amanda, our professional director and it took OCP up to a level which became the minimum bench mark for all future productions. No wonder we have had such an influx of talent which has stayed and continues to get excited about the next production. (“I cried to dream again.”)

We also had adventurous props and used recorded and live music and SFX. This has become one of the defining characteristics of OCP productions, over the years: “…the isle is full of noises / Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.”

A further aspect which has sprung from that production is the development and expansion of individual creativity. OCP now has writers, directors, musicians, technicians, producers, youth groups and a troop with confidence and experience to push boundaries and grasp - ”… this rough magic.”

As I look back, I see this as the OCP’s destiny. – “What seest thou else / In the dark backward and abysm of time?”

MJW.