Stafford Festival Shakespeare producers are celebrating another successful show following the final performance of The Tempest at Stafford Castle on Saturday.

Despite some heavy rainfall at the beginning of the run, a total of 8,057 people turned out to see this year’s production, which performed from Thursday, June 22, to Saturday, July 8, beating the total of the 2016 show, Othello.

Audiences and critics alike were united in their praise for The Tempest – which received three five star reviews from a trio of notable publications, as well as a host of award nominations. Indeed, producer Derrick Gask described it as the “most critically well-received show” in the festival’s 27 year history.

He said: “What an incredible few weeks it’s been. To receive one five star review is a fantastic achievement but to get three – from notable publications such as The Stage and Break A Leg review – is simply phenomenal.

"Without doubt, this has been the most critically well received show in the history of Stafford Festival Shakespeare. Everyone involved in this year’s production has been blown away by the response and we must say a big thank you to our loyal audiences who came out in force to support us once again.

“It’s also nice to see ticket sales up on the previous year, despite some unseasonal conditions for the first few performances of The Tempest. I am absolutely delighted that Stafford Festival Shakespeare continues to attract audiences from across the region and beyond. We remain hugely proud of the festival and long may it continue.”

The Tempest received a Best Regional Stage Production nomination for the Break A Leg Awards 2017, with Stephen Beckett (Prospero), James Lawrence (Sebastian), Richard Gibson (Gonzalo), and Zephryn Taitte (Caliban) nominated for ‘Best Actor on Stage’, and Katrina Kleve (Francesca) and Grace Carter (Miranda) cited for Best Actress on Stage.

Shakespeare’s comedy is about a major act of betrayal, ill treatment, the development of magic arts and a plot of revenge.

When the play begins, Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, and his teenage daughter, Miranda, live on a remote island where they have been stranded for the past twelve years.

This year’s production of The Tempest was the 27th annual Stafford Festival Shakespeare produced by Stafford Gatehouse Theatre for Stafford Borough Council Leisure and Culture Services.