Premiere production 'This Island’s Mine' at Mold's Theatr Clwyd

In early 2020, the Bristol-based theatre company Roustabout worked with 195 primary and secondary students to develop its new show and the making of the play is informed directly by the thoughts and opinions of the students.

It is written and directed by Toby Hulse, who has twice won the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance of Theatre and Education. Set in the magical and comic world of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, this vital new play encourages young people to explore complex and sensitive issues of colonisation, immigration and national identity: Where do I belong? Where is my home? Is it truly mine?

Blending Brechtian and Forum Theatre techniques that encourage the audience to think, question and challenge, This Island’s Mine focuses on a debate between three inhabitants of an island - one of the first peoples (Ariel), a second generation religious refugee (Caliban) and a Western coloniser (Stephano) - who all believe the island is theirs.

Ariel was always here. Caliban was born here. And Stephano has just arrived. They all claim ‘this island’s mine’. But do any of them have that right? And what happens if they can’t agree?

Filled with magic, music and mayhem, Roustabout presents a playful and daring exploration of the place we choose to call home, for children and their families. At a time when young people are questioning closely their own experiences, identities and education, the play's themes are more pressing than ever.

The production will be supported by an online educational resource, created with experts, academics, creatives and young people, designed to challenge, provoke, and stimulate debate around these difficult but essential questions.

For more information about This Island’s Mine, which is suitable for everyone aged 7+, visit www.theatrclwyd.com or call the Box Office on 01352 344101.

For more information about Roustabout Theatre, visit: https://www.roustabouttheatre.co.uk.