Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air,
And like the baseless fabric of this vision
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And like this insubstantial pageant faded
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on: and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
————- ————- ————-
The isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not,
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about my ears; and sometimes voices,
That if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open, and show riches
Ready to drop upon me, that when I waked
I cried to dream again.
Shakespeare, The Tempest
Above are two of the most significant speeches of poetry from the great musical, magical and poetic play The Tempest by William Shakespeare, which will make a rare but always special appearance on the Guyanese stage opening on the night of April 13, when it is performed by the National Drama Company (NDC), the professional arm of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (NSTAD).
This play will provide local Guyanese audiences the alternative theatre that critics of local plays say are necessary. It is theatre old, new and perennial. It is a classic play and vintage Shakespeare, drama that is evergreen, and exposes the audience to new modernistic types and techniques in theatre.
There are two sets of performances at the National Cultural Centre – April 13, 14 and 15, at 8 pm, followed by matinee shows for schools at 1 pm on April 17, 18 and 19. The day-time shows are particularly designed to help secondary school students who are going to be writing examinations this year. The play is on the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC) syllabus, and seeing a live performance is always recommended since it brings the play to life in drama’s natural environment to facilitate clear understanding of it for the exam.