A Nomad - meaning one roaming about - is a member of a community of people who live in different locations, moving from one place to another.
We're hitting our last locations on the map, we've ticked off:
Stratford-upon-Avon
York
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Cornwall
Blackpool
Newcastle upon Tyne
Now our little tribe is swinging down to London then settling back into Stratford-upon-Avon for our final week of the tour.
It’s been the most fun I've had and have stories from every location we've been to.
Sitting in my Airbnb at the end of each week writing up notes on how it’s gone, the one thing that comes up in my mind are the questions the audience ask at the end, after each performance we give space, 5 or 10 minutes for a Q&A and the results are heart-warming.
Questions like, "How do you think the people of Milan will feel to have their old Duke back?" putting Darren Raymond, our Prospero firmly on the spot, sitting forward on our giant fibreglass log set and taking time to give this young man a thoughtful and calculated answer then returning the question to the audience: "Do you think they'd be happy?'"
A deafening cry of 'YES' fills this small hall of what is now a relaxed environment for conversation but an hour ago was a space for the children to lose their imagination, laugh, cry, tap each other on the shoulder and whisper about Caliban's make-up or gasp in wonder when they see Prospero break his staff.
Creating this environment and opening up this world has been the most beautiful experience. To travel around the UK and inspire young audiences into the incredible mind of Shakespeare and the wonderful work he created is the most rewarding experience I've ever been part of.
'Though my favourite question, that never gets old....
'"How do you learn all your lines?"
Oli Towse
First Encounters: The Tempest is a touring production designed specifically for 8-13 year olds and is the perfect first introduction to Shakespeare. Using Shakespeare's original language, this edited version lasts 90 minutes and includes a fully interactive introduction to the world of the play.
