Abstract
This paper explores how staging Shakespeare’s tempestuous storms can serve as an affective catalyst for ecological consciousness, drawing on evolutionary aesthetics and biophilic theory. Shakespeare’s storms, from the shipwreck in The Tempest to the elemental violence in King Lear, evoke the sublime through their dynamic interplay of terror and wonder. By interpreting these scenes through an evolutionary lens, we uncover how humans are predisposed to respond viscerally to powerful natural phenomena, fostering both awe and a sense of environmental interconnection. This paper argues that contemporary ecotheatre practitioners can harness these affective responses to cultivate empathy for more-than-human worlds and inspire positive ecological action. Through scenographic strategies, immersive soundscapes and spatial dramaturgy, Shakespeare’s storms become performative ecologies that engage audiences in embodied encounters with environmental precarity and resilience. Ultimately, the work demonstrates that reimagining Shakespeare’s sublime tempests can rewild both stage and spectator, transforming aesthetic experience into a vehicle for ecological attunement and stewardship.