Coffee time at the Chron with Mark Dawson and Karen Craig. Karen talks about directing The Tempest. Video Bevan Conley
A cyclone from the tropics is about to clash with Whanganui's own tempest.
But the city's theatrical folk are determined the show will go on — and their version of Shakespeare's The Tempest will not be shaken by Cyclone Gita.
Gita is set to hit New Zealand on Tuesday, threateningwind gusts of over 150km/h in places, heavy rain and swells of 8 to 9 metres.
But director Karen Craig is confident her production of the famous play — centred around a ship on a stormy sea — will open as scheduled on Thursday evening.
The stage set as the Bason Botannic Gardens is constructed from warratah fencing and bamboo which, it is reckoned, can withstand the worst of the weather.
However, the fabric used for the set and other parts of the set are being taken down after each rehearsal this week, just in case Gita gives them a blast.
Director Karen Craig with cast members. Photo / Bevan Conley.
"We are aiming to open on Thursday and our weather guru is tracking Gita's progress," said Ms Craig.
The guru is Bason Botanic Gardens Trust chairman Terry Dowdswell who said he was using "four different information sources to track the cyclone's progress".
