Putting on Shakespeare: The Tempest

Subject: Drama
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 11 - 14
Order Number: 5212

The purpose of this project is to introduce Shakespeare in performance to students of all abilities aged 11-14 years. Working with an abridged version of the 'The Tempest' and structured activities, students will get an idea of what is required to put on a production, from understanding the issues in the play to designing costumes.

The abridged version has been adapted to be more beneficial to a school cast by increasing the number of parts for girls (King Alonso has become Queen Alonso, and the scheming brother Sebastian has become a scheming sister, Sebastiana), and splitting Ariel, a main character, into six parts, giving students the chance to share this fantastic character, and opening up further opportunities for effective movement on stage as detailed in the Ariel activities here.

In the first part of the project - understanding 'The Tempest' - the students explore the main issues of the play through lively drama activities, developing their skills as performers. Movement is a key area of the project and students will learn about body language and physical expression. A speech and main phrases are studied in order to develop voice skills. Drama vocabulary is expanded, getting students ready for GCSE.

The second part of the project is concerned with getting the students to design their production with the aid of photocopiable worksheets. Important character details and quotations are provided to assist students in planning the costume, hair and make-up for each character. Problem solving activities are tackled in designing the bewitched banquet. A list of sound effects and music is provided and students are encouraged to create their own musical instruments.