The Tempest was the first play we explored in English Theatre Society through Educational Drama. I felt it was crucial to introduce Shakespeare to the students through this play, as it delves into basic elemental drives characterizing human behavior: the will to power, the need for love and forgiveness, and the profound essence of freedom
The world of the play is one in which everything we see, hear and think may or may not be real, may or may not be happening. As our improvisations began, we found ourselves on a mysterious island, unraveling the intricacies of Shakespeare's timeless themes. What became apparent was that children seamlessly became Shakespeare’s characters in their own voices and bodies; they enacted their own interpretations of his stories; they owned his words and made them immediately familiar to each other. This realization led us to stage the play as an ensemble theatre where everyone is involved in a crazy game of disguise and transformation creating scenes, soundscapes, poetic images as one body, as a well tuned orchestra. Ensemble means ‘together’ in French, and as Alexander Zeldin observes: “Theatre is always about together”.
Teaching - Directing/ Sound Design: Irene Kalogeropoulou
Poster design: Sean Fear
Songs (lyrics-music): Nick Perrin & Ruth Kenward
Cast: The English Theatre Society of IM Panagiotopoulos Primary School
