The Tempest is the favoured Shakespeare play at Edinburgh this year - there are six productions on the fringe. But A and BC Theatre Company's outdoor production is certainly out of the ordinary.
For a start, the audience is asked to sit in the middle, perched on small oil drums, while the drama takes place all around. The actors emerge, circling the audience and shaking drums full of stones. It is a simple touch, but the storm is instantly raised. This is Shakespeare at its most direct and immediate, full of infectious fun.
There are some wonderful touches: not just one actor but the entire cast play Ariel, their voices filling the air and echoing around the courtyard so that the island does indeed seem to become a magical place full of spirits.
This production makes you feel like a kid again. As the play draws to its magical climax, we all lean forward upon our seats to drink in every magical moment like moths being drawn towards the light.
Till Sunday. Box office: 0131-530 3557.
