Abstract

This article explores the contemporary refugee crisis, the theme of the encounter with the Other and the theatre as an experiential approach that can educate people to understanding, acceptance and empathy. In this work William Shakespeare serves as a foil for a discussion of past and present forms of life, fiction and narrative that accompany the escape routes of refugees seeking refuge and relief. The article opens with general observations on the refugee crisis in Europe and its depiction of the Other. Further, it considers the social theatre as a special place that can lead to a community relationship with a plurality of identities, which are strengthened by the encounter between diversity and complexity. William Shakespeare’s works make viewers aware of the complexity of some social problems that still exist today. Some of his plays are still linked to social, political, and economic issues of our time, such as otherness, racism, migration, the refugees. What makes Shakespeare so special is that the playwright does not deliberately provide concrete solutions to these problems, but in fact offers various perspectives and many possibilities for reflection. It is the task of the reader/ spectator to find a possible solution to these issues. For example, the play The Book of Sir Thomas More can be read as a type of narrative that, using empathy and the refugee’s image, can be used by schools, theatre workshops, and associations with a pro-refugee and intercultural purpose. The theatre is a space of total freedom and a place where one can be welcomed, recognised, accepted for the identity that represents us. Social theatre promotes the defence of human dignity and it is a source of real integration and understanding. This type of theatre also looks for the psychophysical well-being of the members of the communities through the identification of communicative, expressive and relational practices, which are capable of mitigating the individual stress, fears and malaise. This article aims to demonstrate that the recent adaptations of Shakespeare’s works are able to promote a true encounter between cultures as well as the psychological well-being and empowerment of its participants.