With a title like The Tempest, it was inviting Mother Nature to play a role in the production. As the audience packed away their picnics and settled back to enjoy the first of Rainbow Shakespeare’s 2011 offerings, the heavens opened and provided appropriate background to the opening scenes.

The rain soon passed and the loyal audience became entranced as the plot unfurled with the telling of treachery, revenge and innocent love, along with some fine comedy.

Director Nick Young once again serves up a clear-cut production, devoid of unnecessary gimmicks, and extracts the best from his excellent cast.

As Prospero, the usurped Duke of Milan, Mark Bodicoat suffers at times from a little hesitancy but no doubt this will disappear in subsequent performances. The transition from a hard-hearted revenger to a more compassionate being is achieved with subtlety.

There is a purity and sweetness in Emily Stride’s portrayal of his daughter Miranda, especially in her tender love scenes. By contrast Natalie Winter is feisty, relishing the mischievousness of the sprite Ariel.

Comedy is in the safe hands of company stalwart Peter Goode as the monster Caliban. Barely recognisable beneath hideous make-up, Goode serves up a grotesque comic creation that also elicits a little sympathy. He is in great form when abetted by Andrew Storey and Mark Lascelles in their drunken revels and mischief.

A nice directorial touch is to utilise some of the children in the audience to play the demon hounds that chase and torment the drunken trio.