British Council partners with Rotary Club of Colombo North and Colombo YMCA – Joint Organisers of the “All Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition” for special student screening of The Tempest
Colombo, 20 August 2026: The British Council Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Colombo North and Colombo YMCA, is delighted to announce a special screening of The Tempest by the Royal Shakespeare Company for students participating at this year’s All Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition.
The screening will take place on Monday, 24 August 2026 at the Colombo YMCA. The event will begin with a welcome from Mr Orlando Edwards, Country Director, British Council Sri Lanka, before the screening commences.
Mr Edwards said “I have been enormously inspired by the talent, energy and imagination of the young performers I have seen taking part in the All Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition. I have also been delighted by the enthusiastic audiences and high turnout for our National Theatre Live screenings of Shakespeare productions in Sri Lanka. Hiran Abeysekera’s remarkable journey, from performing Shakespeare roles here in Sri Lanka, to winning a scholarship to study in the UK and becoming one of Britain’s most acclaimed and beloved stage actors, is a wonderful success story. The British Council was privileged to play a small part in supporting his early journey, and I hope that experiences such as this screening will inspire a new generation of Sri Lankan performers and theatre lovers.”
Previous collaborations with the Competition Organisers included the screening of Othello in 2023 and Hamlet in 2026 to the winning and runner-up teams and out-reach to participants in Jaffna with Hamlet in 2026 which were well received.
This visually striking production of The Tempest, captured live in Stratford-upon-Avon, was created in collaboration with Intel and The Imaginarium Studios. It features the first-ever live motion-capture performance in a major classical stage production, bringing Shakespeare’s tale of family, magic and revenge to life in a groundbreaking way.
Teacher guides will be shared with participating schools to enrich classroom discussions and help students explore Shakespeare’s themes more deeply.
This initiative reflects the British Council’s continuing commitment to fostering cultural exchange and supporting arts education in Sri Lanka. By providing access to world-class theatre, the programme aims to inspire young learners and strengthen their engagement with literature and performance. For more information about future Shakespeare screenings for drama students, please email info.lk@britishcouncil.org
