Tenby Ipoh Through The Years

Cohort 12 Give a Dazzling Version of “The Tempest”

Ahmad Fadzil (Centre) as King Alonso, Phoebe Soogan (Left) as Miranda and Tang Chee Ho (Right) (as Prince Ferdinand)

On 21^st January 2016, the Sixth Formers of Cohort 12 staged another dazzling rendition of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at the Teacher Training College in Hulu Kinta,Ipoh. It was a unique encounter of hearts and minds with a shared interest in William Shakespeare’s literary works.

“ We were received with great enthusiasm by the teacher trainees as well as the teacher trainers,” comments Balasubramaniam Ravishankar, the maestro of the Sixth Form production of Shakespeare’s last play. “ We had one of the most appreciative audiences ever.”

More than 200 teacher trainees of the college attended the stage performance. They are part of the national drive to engage more young people to join the national education service as TESL teachers.

“ I am greatly impressed by the independence and enterprising spirit of the Tenby Sixth Formers,” remarked Mrs G.Kanagasabai, Senior Lecturer in TESL at the college. She named Derek Tan Jing Liang as Best Actor for playing the part of Caliban.

This is the fourth staging of “The Tempest” by Cohort 12 who have taken Shakespeare’s play to various destinations in the Kinta valley since September 2015. The drama tradition is an integral part of Tenby’s Sixth Form here in Ipoh. The tradition which dates back to January 2005 is sustained by the staging of two Shakespearean plays per year. Among the plays staged last year were “Hamlet” and “The Merchant of Venice.”