Some of England's top actors are coming to Hope College to present a work by their nation's greatest playwright.

Some of England's top actors are coming to Hope College to present a work by their nation's greatest playwright.

"Actors from the London Stage" will present William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" on Wednesday, Feb. 26, Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 1, at 8 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre.

Some of Shakespeare's most memorable characters, including Prospero, Miranda, and Caliban, help create one the Bard's most beloved plays.

"Actors from the London Stage" features Guy Burgess, Caroline Devlin, Paul Moriarty, Edward Peel and Terence Wilton. The five veteran classical theatre actors have experience in such companies as the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre, The English Shakespeare Company, as well as extensive credits in film and television, including the BBC. The company is pulled together for one tour only, with a new group being recreated for another play twice a year.

"The Tempest" tells the fantastical story of Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, who are exiled to an island when Prospero's brother takes over his land. The island's inhabitants, Ariel and Caliban, fall under the control of the magical Prospero.

When Prospero's brother and others are shipwrecked and land on the same island, Shakespeare's classic exploration of human relationships reaches its peak.

The performances will cap a week-long residency by "Actors from the London Stage," during which the visiting performers will work with Hope students in more than 20 classrooms, on a variety of topics.

Tickets cost $14 for regular adult admission, $12 for senior citizens, and $5 for children 18 and under, and are available in the theatre lobby box office in the DeWitt Center. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and can be called at (616) 395-7890. Anyone in interested in a group discount may call (616) 395-7893.

The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. 8th St. The DeWitt Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street.