Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises

The London Olympic theme is taken from the Tempest a play full of real passion and thematic tensions. At Theatresaurus we have run some courses and workshops on the Tempest as it is an amazing ensemble piece for all age ranges and  a fabulous way of talking about issues such as racism and bullying, freedom, control and democracy.

Danny Boyle - the oscar winning director of Slumdog Millionaire - is having a bell at the centre of the stadium inscribed with the quote "be not afeard; the isle is full of noises." IN this scene Caliban is talking to Stefano and Trinculo and telling them not to be afraid of the Island as it is lovely but that they need to get rid of Prospero the benevolent dictator in order to make things really perfect and give them control of the Island.

It seems that Boyle is concentrating on the  love of country rather than the battle against a benevolent dictator as central to the theme of the games. However, he has said that the theme will also be about cleansing a poisoned land (concentrating on the Olympic park being cleansed of industrial pollutants) which echoes Calibans struggles to free his Island.

Caliban is passionate about enjoying his heritage and being able to be proud of the Island he lives on and this is something which our workshops often touch on. What are we proud of in the world, our lives and families and how can we make it better?

One of the other central themes in The Tempest is of course the weather which is another national hobby. There is never a day in Britain which is perfect! Someone will always have some comment or other over it being too hot, cold, muggy,icy,windy etc. The effect of weather in our psyche and on our National mood is an interesting one and something we are famous for around the world.

Caliban is called "this thing of darkness" in the Tempest and the play deals with the inherent racism in this statement.  Teachers often have difficulty in perceiving racism and can even pursuing a colour blind approach seeing not making an issue of children's racial and ethnic heritage as being fair. However, actually talking about the issue is both healthy and is often easier through plays such as the Tempest because it allows for open discussion of the unequal relationship between Prospero and Caliban and the differences in their looks and status. This can lead to discussions as to the effects of racism in the present which are non threatening and interesting.

Using Shakespeare as a vehicle to discuss such important issues also means that misconceptions and stereotypes can be addressed through acting and script work. There is a power in the storytelling of the play which draws in the participants and gets them intrigued in the themes presented to them.

Of course there are further themes to explore in the Tempest such as ageing, reconciliation and loss and each workshop can be scoped so that it meets the needs of the curriculum and brings a creative aspect both to the teaching of Shakespeare in schools and to the teaching of the PHSE curriculum and citizenship.

Lastly, the Tempest is a play of magic and wonder at the world and as Miranda remarks in Act 5 Scene 1

How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!