The Tempest casts a spell on 1,800 school students

The pantomime, directed by renowned mime artist K Paintal, is the first professional production of Helen O’Grady and has been performed in various cities across India since its inception in 2013. The non-verbal play captured the audience’s interest with elegant choreography and enthralling music. 

Varied emotions played across the actors’ faces which had the audience engrossed and excited. Another highlight of the pantomime was the colour play, depicting the mood of the scenario. “The magical land of Shakespeare has been feared by many because of the big words and verses, but in reality the plot is simple with a lot of human emotions such as anger, love, etc. 

We wanted children to love and understand Shakespeare, so we decided to convey the story through mime which was a huge challenge,” said Archana Dange, Head and Master Franchisee, Tamil Nadu, Helen O’Grady International India Edu Drama Academy. Akshay Jha, who played an important role in the play, said that the beauty of mime lies in the fact that it can convey a lengthy monologue spanning two minutes in just four actions. 

“The audience are extremely intelligent for they read between the lines, understanding the mood through our expressions and actions. This is a major reason why mimes engage the audience throughout,” he further said.