We Caliban

An inventive, sideways look at Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Shakespeare’s brilliant last play, The Tempest, written as Europe was taking its first step towards colonialism, is a tale about power - exercised weakly, usurped violently, and regained through strategy and showmanship.

We Caliban sees this story through the eyes of Caliban, a minor character in the play whose life is changed forever when the power games of distant lands and unknown peoples are played out in his own remote island, making him a “monstrous” servant to a new master and his young daughter.

Jeyasingh's bold and imaginative new work is partnered by visually stunning projections by Will Duke and captivating music by Thierry Pécou. Lighting design is by Floriaan Ganzevoort with set and costume design by Mayou Trikerioti and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed. We Caliban is performed by eight of Britain's most talented dancers.

Shobana Jeyasingh Dance is one of the most dynamic and distinctive forces in UK dance. The Company’s vivid and powerful productions live long in the memory, applauded by audiences and critics alike across the globe.

Co-produced by Sadler’s Wells, with kind support from DanceEast and DANSOX..

Before the show

Join us before the show for a free foyer performance led by local Coventry company, Ascension Dance, bringing together communities from across Coventry and participants of all ages. The piece celebrates the cultural hybridity that echoes the work of Shobana Jeyasingh Dance and Coventry as a diverse city. The performance will feature our Elders' Contemporary Dance Company, Out of Whack.