The Theatre in the Rocks: The Minack Theatre

The Minack Theatre is one of the most beautiful spaces I've ever seen.  I may seem to be exaggerating, but every piece of that theatre from the landscaping, to the overlook of the ocean to the theatre itself cut into the cliffs is just breathtaking. I can't even imagine what it's like to perform there, but it must be an absolute thrill. Unfortunately, we did not have the chance to witness this first hand, but the next time I'm in England, it's on the top of my to-do list. 

So,  you may be wondering what makes this space so special? Well, the Minack Theatre, in Porthcurno Cornwall, is one of the world's leading outdoor theaters.  It was built over the course of two years in the early 1930s by Rowena Cade. She and her gardener, Billy Rawlings moved boulders and granite to build the stage and the terraces.  Their goal was to give theater troupes a place to perform Shakespeare's The Tempest.  Can you even imagine a more inspired place to perform this play than on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean? 

Over the years, what was only supposed to house The Tempest, has seen productions of hundreds of amateur, as well as professional shows.  Because the theatre is out in the elements, their season runs from about Spring to early Fall, with a few special one-off productions in the winter months - which I'm sure are quite chilly for audience goers and artists alike. Each show only runs for about a week, so in a season they run close to two dozen productions, which is a pretty impressive fete.

The day we toured the theatre, it was sunny and gorgeous.  This mean that every single seat was sitting directly in the sun.  I'm assuming anyone that had the pleasure of seeing a show that week left with a pretty good sunburn along with their playbills, to remember their visit. Though, in my opinion, it so would have been worth it. 

What I loved most about this theatre were the small touches that make the Minack so much more than just a theatre carved into the rocks.  For starters, the names of most of the productions that have run there, are carved into the stone seats.  It creates a visual timeline of what these artists have created over the years.  Then of course, there's the unbelievably gorgeous gardens surrounding the theatre.  You don't often think of succulents and cacti residing in Cornwall, but they're everywhere at the Minack.  The colors of these plants, mixed with the reds and oranges of the flowers, added to the blues of the water, make for an absolutely stunning space. 

Lastly, there's the most important part of any theatre, the stage itself.  The small round stage contains doors leading out to the cliffs and ultimately the water below.  It's a beautiful detail, yet most likely terrifying for actors that are just learning the choreography for their shows. As a bit of a theatre nerd, I can only imagine the things these artists have accomplished on this stage over the years. 

As you can probably tell, I was a big fan of the Minack.  It's the perfect example of a new way to think about art.  The usual brick and mortar theatres are beautiful in their own right. However, having a theatre that also becomes a part of the show - like the Minack would have been for The Tempest - is an altogether exhilarating bonus for a night at the theatre.  And when that space is as beautiful as the Minack's space is, that experience would be pretty hard to resist.