Embracing a different side of theatre in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’

A huge congratulations to students in Years 7-9 who have pushed the boundaries of theatre by performing with puppets in this year’s production of ‘The Tempest’.

With ‘The Tempest’ not normally an obvious choice for a Middle School Production, the team were keen to challenge misconceptions about Shakespeare as well create a different type of theatrical experience. With shows like the ‘Life of Pi’ and ‘War Horse’ gaining huge popularity with their use of puppets, the students were keen to understand how best to breathe life into them, as well as understand the rules of puppetry.

When it came to the character of Caliban, the students learnt about a traditional Japanese form of puppetry called Bunraku, where the puppeteers are seen working the puppets. The Caliban performers worked as an ensemble to explore his character development, including figuring out how he breathes, walks, sits down and stands up. The puppet for Ariel had a similar development. With the consideration of her being an airborne spirit, the actor controlling Ariel had to make sure her movements contrasted with human characters.

The incredible use of the puppetry and the performance given by the students gave the classic story of vengeance and forgiveness that extra touch of magic, making this production one of a kind and a different type of theatrical experience.

Following the opening night on Thursday this week, ‘The Tempest’ will be performed again on Friday and Saturday. You can see a sneak peek of the show in the Flickr album below, and tickets can still be booked via the Pipers Box Office.

Flickr album: The Tempest | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin