The Magic Behind The Tempest (1979)

Toyah Willcox and Stuart Hopps share their memories of working on Derek Jarman's 1979 production of The Tempest, with access to a remarkable collection of notebooks, photos, scripts and designs from the film.

Derek Jarman was passionate about Shakespeare and had always wanted to make a film of The Tempest in which he could express his unique vision of the play. Gain privileged access to a remarkable collection of notebooks, photos, scripts and costume designs in this film which explores Jarman’s creative process. Actress and singer Toyah Willcox and choreographer Stuart Hopps share their memories of this production, including what it was like to work with the legendary Elisabeth Welch on the famous Stormy Weather scene.

The BFI National Archive holds world-class Special Collections which are a resource for understanding the art, history and impact of the moving image. The collections encompass over 600 paper archives, including that of Derek Jarman.