Suitable for KS3 and KS4 (Years 7–11)
Duration 2 hours
Group size up to 120 per session
Location at your school
Delivered by Professional actors
The Tempest Workshop for Secondary Schools
A two-hour, deeply interactive Tempest workshop for KS3 and KS4. Students explore the complete story before discovering how colonialism, power, comedy and interpretation transform Shakespeare from difficult text into compelling drama.
Make an EnquiryWhat Makes Our Tempest Workshop Different
Most workshops explain Shakespeare. Ours challenges students to question it, reinterpret it and bring it to life through performance.
The Whole Story, Made Clear
We bring the complete story to life through professional performance and student participation. By experiencing every major scene, relationship and turning point before opening the text, students gain the confidence and understanding needed for deeper discussion, stronger analysis and more sophisticated written responses.
Colonialism and Interpretation
Students watch the confrontation between Prospero and Caliban twice, first with Prospero as a kindly father figure and Caliban as a violent monster, then again with Prospero as an oppressive coloniser and Caliban as an enslaved native defending his home. Through discussion and redirection they discover how performance choices completely transform audience sympathy and interpretation.
Comedy Through Performance
Students Direct Professional Actors. The Ferdinand and Miranda scene initially appears polite but flat. Students then redirect the characters, experiment with status, setting and personality, and discover how Shakespeare's comedy depends on relationships, timing and staging rather than simply the words on the page.
What Happens in a Shakespeare Rewired Tempest Workshop
1 ➟ The Complete Story with Student Volunteers
Our actors guide student volunteers through the entire play, using key quotes, tracking character arcs and focusing on intentions and motivations. Every student in the room understands the complete story before the analytical work begins. This is the foundation for everything that follows.
2 ➟ Caliban and Colonialism
Act I Scene II is performed with Prospero presented as a protective father and Caliban as a dangerous monster. Students then question whether this interpretation is fair before completely redirecting the scene to portray Prospero as a colonial oppressor and Caliban as a dispossessed islander. They discover how context, performance and directorial choices shape meaning.
3 ➟ Comedy in Performance
Students explore Act III Scene I between Ferdinand and Miranda. The scene is first performed naturally before students experiment with different settings, personalities and status relationships. Through practical redirection they discover how comedy depends upon character, power and interpretation rather than simply reading the dialogue aloud.
4 ➟ Shakespeare Beyond the Textbook
Students explore how modern audiences view colonialism, race and power differently from Shakespeare's original audiences. Rather than providing simple answers, the workshop encourages thoughtful debate, helping students understand why Shakespeare continues to provoke discussion over four hundred years later.
KS3 and KS4 Curriculum Links for The Tempest
Our secondary Tempest workshop is carefully designed to address objectives across the KS3 and KS4 National Curriculum for English, while directly supporting GCSE assessment objectives through practical exploration and discussion.
GCSE English Literature
The workshop directly supports AO1, AO2, AO3 and AO4 through performance, textual exploration and discussion. Students experience Shakespeare as living theatre before analysing language, structure and dramatic methods in the classroom.
Colonialism, Context and Critical Debate
Students examine changing attitudes towards colonialism, power and race through contrasting interpretations of Prospero and Caliban. This develops sophisticated AO3 contextual understanding while encouraging thoughtful evaluation rather than simplistic historical judgement.
Performance and Interpretation
By directing the same scene in completely different ways, students discover that Shakespeare supports multiple valid interpretations. This strengthens analytical writing by showing how performance choices influence audience response.
Comedy and Dramatic Method
Through practical exploration of Ferdinand and Miranda, students discover how status, characterisation, movement and setting shape dramatic effect. They gain a deeper understanding of Shakespeare's methods as a playwright rather than simply reading dialogue on the page.
Spoken Language and Critical Thinking
Students question characters, justify interpretations, debate ideas and respond with textual evidence throughout the workshop. These activities develop confidence in spoken language while strengthening analytical thinking across GCSE English.
Character, Power and Human Nature
Students explore authority, forgiveness, ambition, freedom and responsibility through Shakespeare's characters, developing richer understanding of the play's central ideas while preparing for high-level literary analysis.
What Teachers Say About Our Tempest Workshop
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Thank you for a fantastic day of creativity, comedy and interaction! Shakespeare Rewired offered our Year 9 students a fantastic opportunity... undertaking both acting and directing activities, as well as seeing how professional actors tackle the text. You are incredibly talented, hard-working and professional, and know exactly how to interact with and inspire young people. I would recommend you to all schools!"
- Kelly Thorne, Assistant Headteacher, St Bartholomew's School
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Sky Blue’s approach is interactive; students are not just passive spectators, they get up on stage, wearing fantastic costumes, and actively engage with the text. They apply their understanding of the plot by performing scenes, exploring character motivations, and even directing the actors themselves, analysing key scenes and exploring alternative interpretations in a way that develops both confidence and critical thinking."
- Katherine Oddy, English Teacher, Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate
What Your School Gains From The Experience
🎭 Themes
✓ Colonialism and power
✓ Freedom and oppression
✓ Authority and leadership
✓ Forgiveness and reconciliation
✓ Identity and belonging
✓ Love and relationships
✓ Magic versus reality
✓ Justice and revenge
🧠 Skills
✓ Close reading and textual analysis
✓ Historical and political contextualisation
✓ Character motivation and objective
✓ Multiple interpretation and debate
✓ Extended speaking and justification
✓ Director's methodology
✓ Empathy and perspective-taking
👥 Who benefits?
✓ Year 7-11 English classes
✓ Shakespeare Week
✓ Curriculum enrichment days
✓ Schools exploring colonialism and context
✓ Whole-year group workshops
✓ Reluctant readers & writers
✓ Schools looking to avoid coach travel costs
✓ Artsmark award-seeking schools
🌟 Why Book
✓ 100% active pupil participation
✓ Zero coach or travel logistics
✓ Critical thinking and analysis
✓ Fits seamlessly into your timetable
✓ Highly cost-effective per pupil
✓ Mass capacity (up to 100 per session)
✓ Rated Outstanding by UK teachers
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Romeo and Juliet
Bring Shakespeare's most studied play to life through practical exploration of character, conflict and themes, helping students deepen their understanding through performance.
One Hour Shakespeare
We also do 1-hour workshops that are designed for up to 60 students with a focus on the key scenes. Enquire for more details.
Shakespeare Remix
Discover Shakespeare through scenes from multiple plays, building confidence with his language, characters and enduring themes through performance.
Shaking the System: Shakespeare on Equality
Examine gender, race, class and power through Shakespeare's plays, connecting classic texts with contemporary issues through discussion and performance.
FAQs
How long is the workshop?
Our secondary Tempest workshop runs for two hours, ideal as a morning or afternoon session. We can also deliver two workshops in a single day for larger year groups or for another Year Group, with up to 120 students per session.
How many students can take part?
Our secondary workshops work brilliantly with whole year groups of up to 120 students per session. Every student can participate, either through volunteering, directing, questioning or debating.
Is it suitable for all abilities?
Absolutely. The workshop is designed for mixed-ability groups and works particularly well for GCSE sets of all levels. Our actors adapt the depth of analysis and the pace of discussion to match the group in front of them.
What do you need from us on the day?
Very little. We simply need a suitable hall or large classroom, access to a plug socket if required, and a few members of staff to support behaviour in line with your usual school expectations. We bring the costumes, props, energy and expertise.
How do I book?
Simply complete our enquiry form and we'll normally reply within one working day with availability, pricing and any information you need.
What can pupils expect?
Expect a lively, practical workshop where pupils become part of the action. Using costumes, storytelling, performance and interactive activities, they explore Shakespeare's characters, themes and language by doing rather than simply watching. No previous acting experience is needed, and every child gets involved.
How far do you travel
We work with schools across the whole of England. Travel costs are factored into our quotation, and we regularly visit schools from Cornwall to Newcastle. Distance is never a barrier to an enquiry.
Is this suitable for both KS3 and KS4?
Yes. The workshop supports GCSE Assessment Objectives AO1, AO2, AO3 and AO4 through practical performance, contextual understanding, discussion and interpretation. Students develop confidence analysing Shakespeare as a performed text rather than simply reading it.
Can you tailor workshops to the topics we're studying?
Yes. We regularly adapt our workshops to focus on the themes, characters and scenes your pupils are currently studying. If there are particular curriculum objectives or areas you'd like to reinforce, let us know when you enquire and we'll discuss how we can help.
Does it link to the KS3 and KS4 curriculum?
Yes. Our workshops are carefully designed to support the KS2 English curriculum, developing reading, speaking, listening, drama and writing skills while bringing Shakespeare's stories vividly to life.
Will students need any prior knowledge of The Tempest?
No, not at all. We tell the complete story from scratch. However, the workshop is equally powerful for students mid-way through studying the play or as a revision tool before GCSE examinations.
Do your actors have DBS checks?
Yes. Every Shakespeare Rewired workshop is delivered by experienced professional actors who hold enhanced DBS certificates and regularly work in schools across the UK.
Payment
We invoice after the booking confirmation, and payment is due within two weeks of the workshop having taken place. We want the booking process to be as straightforward as possible for schools.
Booking lead time
We recommend booking months in advance to secure your preferred date, though we do have availability at shorter notice. Get in touch, and we'll let you know what's available.
Ready to Bring The Tempest to Life?
Whether you're planning an English unit, GCSE prep, an enrichment day or an end-of-topic celebration, we'd love to help.
✔ We usually reply within one working day.
Request Availability and Pricing
Complete the short form below and we'll usually respond within one working day with availability, pricing and the workshop that's right for your pupils.