The Tempest: A Play by William Shakespeare
"Justice will be done." Prospero’s powerful dialogue set the stage for William Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad. The magic of Shakespeare’s powerful words was brought alive by the Theatre Group and Choir of the Aga Khan Academy, as they performed Ruth Kenward’s and Nick Perrin’s children’s musical of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest last weekend.
Three months of rehearsals culminated in a spectacular event of around 100 singers and actors taking to the stage, recreating the atmosphere of the Globe Theatre in the Golconda dormitory. The audience were seated or standing while watching the play at different levels. The cast and crew of the play were students from Grades 7, 8 and 9 of the residential programme, and the choir included MYP and DP students. This is the first time that the Academy students gave five performances in four days. The last show on Saturday had a full house and brilliant performances by all the actors.
All the ingredients for a thought provoking story were there:
Prospero’s magic and power, the repellant monster Caliban, Miranda and Ferdinand’s romance, the antics of Trinculo and Stephano, the spirit of Ariel and her Sprites.
Moiz Rajwani gave a commanding performance as Prospero, and Rutvik Surani raised a smile on most faces as he portrayed a fearsome Caliban.
Prospero’s daughter, Miranda played by Freny Jivani and Ferdinand her admirer, played by Jemin Patel, brought a warm glow to the audience’s heart.
The serenity of Ariel was shown by Airah Sarbatwala and Anusha Oza, as they wove the tale together.
Ayaan Surani never ceased to amaze and entertain as he and Stephano, played by Raunak Mawani, amused everyone with their slapstick scenes.
Supporting characters, too numerous to mention, slid on and off the stage, and the vast choir gave a worthy performance of some exciting and memorable music.
The backstage crew ensured the smooth running of sound and light. Altogether it was a rich experience for students and audiences alike.
A message which hopefully will be remembered by all involved in the production is found in the last verse of the finale:
“Time to forgive, time to live
Time to be friends, make amends
All wrongs forgiven
New world, new vision
Justice – it has been done!”
By Nigel Jackson – Music Teacher, and Aaron Jacob – Dean of Students
publications
