Daisy & Tom Join Chanticleer Shakespeare and Fresno Philharmonic for The Tempest

Chanticleer Shakespeare and the Fresno Philharmonic are partnering with Daisy & Tom to reimagine Shakespeare’s The Tempest in a dynamic stage production that blends classical theatre, live orchestral performance, and contemporary storytelling.

Daisy & Tom are currently composing the original score for The Tempest with Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. in Fresno, California. Working remotely from London alongside director Blake Ellis and the wider creative team, Daisy Coole and Tom Nettleship have approached Shakespeare’s play through a cinematic musical language designed to sit between the magical and the human elements of the story. The score combines live flute, cello and percussion performed onstage by musicians from the Fresno Philharmonic with additional electronic textures and sound design, allowing the music to move between intimate character themes and larger moments of conjuring, atmosphere and spectacle. Central to the process has been building distinct musical identities for characters such as Prospera, Ariel and Caliban, with themes and palettes designed to support the storytelling rather than simply accompany it.

The production has also marked Two Twenty Two’s first major venture into live theatre scoring after years of composing for film and television. For Daisy & Tom, the process has involved adapting their collaborative workflow to the realities of stage performance, where cues evolve through rehearsal and music must remain responsive to live drama and pacing. Alongside the underscore, the duo have also been developing original songs for the production, with the long term intention of expanding the material into a standalone soundtrack release. Performed at Fresno’s historic Warnors Theatre, The Tempest represents a collaboration between Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. and the Fresno Philharmonic that places live music at the centre of the theatrical experience.

Speaking about the work of Daisy Coole and Tom Nettleship on The Tempest, director Blake Ellis said their “skill and genius were only matched by their ability to collaborate and bring our work to an entirely new level.” Ellis described the production as being “so very rich as a result of their artistry and insight”, adding that he “simply can’t articulate how inspired their work is.”

“From the moment the music began, it instantly transported both the audience and actors alike into the world of the play,” said CSC's Executive Producer Brandon Weis of Daisy Coole and Tom Nettleship’s score for The Tempest. Weis described the duo’s work as “nothing short of incredible”, praising the “intentionality given to each moment” and the way the music elevated “the musicality of Shakespeare’s words beyond the page and the stage and into the heart.”

Performances of The Tempest run from 24th April 2026 at Fresno's prestigious Warnors Theatre.