I, Caliban, Polka Theatre

For an accessible and engaging  way to get children excited about Shakespeare, look no further than Tim Crouch's I, Caliban. The one hour monologue performed by Jimmy Whitaker delves into the depths of the murky monster of The Tempest. Presented as a puppy-headed creature, Caliban's devious nature and dark humour with capture the kids' imaginations. 

Crouch, who first performed the show in 2003, called Caliban his favourite character in Shakespeare: “He’s funny and angry and ugly and naughty and rude and sad. He says some dirty things and he also says some beautiful things. He doesn’t think! He gets carried away. And he’s treated really badly. There’s a bit of all of us in Caliban!”

The potentially foreboding intensity of a monologue is balanced by a script that excuses warmth and sparks curiosity. Tim Crouch’s ‘character hot seating’, where Shakespeare's plays are distilled into single character monologues, has been praised as a brilliant ways for youngsters to explore these classic plays.  

If the children are inspired to see more Shakespeare (or fancy something less montrous)   I, Peaseblossom is also running during the May half term.