The Minack Theatre is on every stage loving person’s bucket list – an openair amphitheatre hewn into the cliff’s of one of the furthest and remotest corners of beautiful Cornwall, overseeing the ocean, the sandy beaches of Porthcurno bay with the South West Coast Path throwning above it, separated through ancient rock formation and wild meadows. Frequent visitor groups include those less interested in performing arts who still appreciate the stunning vista, the venue’s unique architecture and the spectacular, sea-mist enhanced garden of this iconic British institution which staged its first performance in 1932 (Shakespeare‘s Tempest of course).
During this year’s trip to the UK’s most Western point, Calvino Nights is being staged here by Cornish theatre maker legend Mike Shepherd – he is the founder of Kneehigh, a nationwide well known and highly respected theatre company who crossed our paths already at our last Cornwall trip at the Lost Gardens Of Heligan. Worrying about how to get to and back from the Minack Theatre, I call the ticket office and ask for advice: While there is a bus from Penzance during the day, a taxi will be required to be booked in advance to return. And for this very show, I’d really want to see the evening performance – there are only a few tickets available, almost right at the back but based on this recommendation I order them straightaway. This means that the last bus brings us there two hours before the performance begins, just when the nearby Museum Of Global Communication and the only café nearby are closing. Red flags on the beach forbid swimming between the spectacular cliffs but we are not disheartened and even spot an eagle. After the climb up the cliffs which requires the use of both hands (we could have taken the steep but less daring road) we join the queue to get into the theatre half an hour before: By now the performance is fully booked.
People have brought thick pillows and blankets, picnic baskets and drinks; in an hour or so I will wish to have grabbed the garden chair pillows from our holiday flat. Hundreds of people follow the paths down the pedestrian serpentines in lines towards their seats, often located in tiny terraces and balconies. Many wear thick coats unusual for this season, few less prepared shorts and dresses without any tights. Our seats are on grassy steps and to get to them, we climb over the dinner arrangements of our neighbours for the evening: It gets cosy. And cold indeed quickly – we are high up. To the right the ocean spans sheer endlessly.
We admire the speakers and light arrangements some daredevil of an AV technician has set up here. And fire cannons – no wonder I was advised to watch the evening rather than the afternoon performance. The stage is far beyond us but that will not matter: The view over the sea and Logan Rock (which we climbed the previous day) is so mind blowing that I will forget that a performance is put on at all during some moments tonight – any performer, any script, any staging has strong competition when playing at the Minack Theatre!
But nevertheless, we enjoy the cheery accordion and funky trumpet, the flame throwers, the beautiful puppetry, light effects and digs at millionaires using Cornwall for their egomaniac space ambitions -introduction for those never having heard of Italo Calvino, a 20th century collector of Italian folktales.
At the interval all hot food has been sold out and equipped beer drinkers change to take away cups of tea to warm up (not all seats are still in use for the second part). By now it is dark and even more magical and, who can believe this, we are treated to witness a rocket launch!
It only starts to rain when we are waiting for the pre-booked taxi. As it is slightly delayed, we call the cab company who claim they cannot reach the driver as he must be an area now without any reception. That is likely in Cornwall and especially Portcurno, but by now the parking space is empty, no one available anymore who could give us a lift, and it is pitch dark and even colder, and walking back through lonely dark rural roads is not an option – but luckily, here our driver arrives. We hear several stories of how the Minack involves the community and our favourite is how his children join the summer activities and perform their learnings in the evening to their parents – the Minack Theatre is Cornwall, once again, at its best!
**** out of 5 stars
Calvino Nights was devised and directed by Mike Shepherd and written by him, Carl Grose, Anna Maria Murphy and Tim Dalling.
We paid £10 for each seat in the multi seat area G. This summer’s season at the Minack Theatre continues.
Sadie takes the Stage 