Last month, we had the privilege of taking over seven hundred students from Sharon to watch a pantomime based on William Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. Teachers accompanied students to Thane’s Kashinath Ghanekar Auditorium on August, 6th 2018 for this production by Helen O’ Grady International. There’s no doubt that this is a stellar example of how literature can be brought home to children in more accessible and engaging ways from a young age. We feel really lucky that the Helen O’ Grady team approached us and offered our students this visual treat. Here we’ve collated some student reviews that we received based on a classroom activity we did as a follow up in the English period. Read on to find out what Sharonites have to say.
The Tempest, written by William Shakespeare was performed in a really good manner by the actors. Although no actor said a word during the play, the story was understood by me because of their great acting. The choreography of all the dances in the play was top notch. Dances brought life to the play. My favourite character from the play is Caliban. It is really difficult to make someone laugh without saying anything. But the actor playing Caliban did it effortlessly. The play which was a mixture of a great storyline, good actors and amazing choreography gave me reasons to watch it again.
Rating – 4.5/5 By – Parin, St. X
Shakespeare’s plays were always a difficult burden of complex words and ancient English for us students. We had difficulties in understanding the emotions and twists in the stories. This play was different from others because it was a pantomime. It made us realize that emotions and feelings could be portrayed without uttering a single word. The actors gracefully performed their characters and by their acting they kept the audience glued to their seats. It showed us human emotions that we see in our daily life like greed, love, revenge, mercy, pity, anger and so much more. The play was amazingly organized and all the actors and backstage members worked in perfect coordination. Plays like these help us to understand the value and importance of English literature.
Rating – 4.5/5 By- Rohan, Std. X
I’ve read many articles about ‘’The Tempest” but when I got the opportunity to actually witness the show right before me, I was just blown away by the performance of each and every individual on the stage. No dialogues were used in the play, but still, the message and the whole story was conveyed in a very effective way. The act was a medium through which William Shakespeare’s ability and skills were showcased. I am greatly obliged to have such a memorable experience.
Rating – 4.5/5 By- Simran, Std.X
Considering the term pantomime, we thought it would be a boring one but we were left in awe after seeing the way in which the characters portrayed the emotions and the story. The show captivated our attention till the end. Their way of expressing various emotions through songs and dances was mesmerising. They carried their costumes with grace and had a charming body language.
Rating – 4.5/5 By- Priya, Std.X
Despite being a pantomime show, we enjoyed it a lot. It massively demonstrated that words are not always mandatory. The outstanding performance by the actors and the radiant costumes added to our interest and excitement. All the nine elements of emotions were depicted in an excellent manner. But the love factor portrayed was weird keeping in view the age of the audience but obviously, we cannot make any changes in a genuine Shakespeare script.
Rating – 4/5 By- Urmil, Std. X
The Tempest’ was a very wonderful play. In spite of being a mime show, the efforts made by each and every character was incomparable which added a new life to the play. Also, the characters enacted the scenes very well, such that each one of us got a complete idea of the whole story. We learnt that words are not necessary to make a play a hit. The way they absorbed the character’s real-life behaviour made the play a public favourite and a hit.
By- Manav, Std. X
William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. I’ve read many writings such as the Merchant of Venice, Romeo & Juliet etc. One of his best writing is “The Tempest”. I got an opportunity to watch him play! It was indeed an amazing experience. Firstly, the anchor set the atmosphere by asking us questions. This really made the students engrossed in the play. Though it was a mime artist, the characters performed their roles very well, the direction and choreography were awesome. It really inspires us as a student or even as a person, let your actions define you not the words!
Rating – 4/5 By – Aastha, Std. X
Shakespeare’s mime show ‘ The Tempest’ was a very exciting one. Although there were no dialogues the story was easily understood by me. But some part of the story was very difficult to understand without any dialogues. My favourite character in the play was ‘ Caliban’. Dance at regular intervals added beauty to the play. It gives a very good message that ‘Action Speaks Louder Than Words’.
Rating – 3.5/5 By- Parth, Std. X