list.co.uk/festival Previews | FESTIVAL KIDS
S K R A M E S Y L E
THE RED TREE Adaptation of Shaun Tan's 'book without a story' MY BROTHER THE ROBOT Mechanical family fun from Gruffalo team
HUSH Playground politics take centre stage
Figuring out how to dramatise a book described by its author as ‘without any particular narrative’ might seem impossible. But for Featherweight’s artistic director, George Wigzell, the challenge was irresistible. ‘Once my copy arrived, I instantly knew I wanted to make it into a piece of theatre,’ he says. ‘It’s an absolutely beautiful book, full of striking images that immediately got my imagination racing. But I also knew it would leave plenty of room for interpretation.’
Written by Oscar-winning Australian illustrator Shaun Tan, The Red Tree contains few words, instead leading its reader through a series of pictures of a solitary girl as she travels through fantastical and sometimes frightening landscapes. The book has been celebrated for its uplifting treatment of childhood depression. Tan gave Featherweight his blessing, and asked the company to interpret the images as they saw fit. ‘Children’s theatre is often brushed off as being light,’ says Wigzell. ‘We wanted to produce a children’s show that had a bit of clout, one that wasn’t just entertainment.’ (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Zoo, 662 6892, 4–26 Aug, 1.45pm, £8 (£6). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £5.
Annoying as siblings can sometimes be, having an in-house playmate has definite advantages. Unable to procure one through the usual route, the little girl in Tall Stories’ new show obtains one from her father, an inventor who knows a thing or two about robots.
Best known for their superb adaptations of picture books such as The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, Tall Stories has also crafted some captivating stories from scratch, the latest of which is My Brother the Robot. As always with this company, the show features catchy tunes and poses a few interesting questions.
‘The idea for the show was a little girl who’s an only child and wants a sibling – so her dad builds her a robot little brother,’ explains director, Toby Mitchell. ‘Then we wanted to see how the little girl would react to it. How would she teach it or programme it? Would she get annoyed when it gets things wrong? And would she start believing it was alive? Companies are actually creating companion robots for children and older people right now, so this idea is not so far-fetched.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–25 Aug (not 14), 2.55pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £6.
The first play from Moon Mission Theatre Company, Hush is a tale that all children can relate to. ‘The story is about playground politics,’ says Flemish writer and director Anne Stoffels. ‘It explores how a playground can be a great imaginative setting, but how it also can be quite a scary place.’ Influenced by Philippe Lechermeier’s The Secret Lives of Princesses and Belgium’s thriving theatre culture for young audiences, Hush tells the story of Princess, a little girl who convinces her friends Nosey and Chatterbox that she is real-life royalty. ‘Princess wants to cry herself a puddle of tears so she can escape reality,’ explains Stoffels. ‘When Chatterbox and Nosey get stuck in an underwater world beneath this puddle, she has to face reality in order to save them both.’
This imaginary world will be brought to life with the help of object and shadow puppetry. ‘It’s an intimate performance that asks the children to get involved in different sections of the play. For example, the children get “superspyingspy ears” and they’re invited to help Nosey find Princess’ secrets. It’s very colourful and imaginative.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–26 Aug (not 13), noon, £8–£9 (£6–£7). Previews 31 Jul– 2 Aug, £5.
RUMPELSTILTSKIN AND THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE New twist on an old tale
Stories told in childhood stay with us forever, and there can’t be many parents out there who don’t recall the weaselly wonder of little old Rumpelstiltskin. It’s a tale ripe for theatricality, and if ever there was man to do it, it’s Andy Lawrence. In recent years, Lawrence and his Theatre of Widdershins
have captivated Fringe audiences with charming puppets, witty dialogue and a set so innovative you want to run off with it. After the success of The King's Got Donkey’s Ears and Rapunzel & the Tower of Doom among others, Lawrence is back to tackle the Brothers Grimm classic. ‘Rumpelstiltskin is my favourite Grimm’s tale and I think this is the case for many people who grew up on fairy tales,’ says Lawrence. ‘There’s a strong sense of darkness that runs through it: the foolish miller (Corny Buckwheat in my version) mistakenly betrays his daughter, the King locks his bride in a dungeon, and Rumpelstiltskin himself is helpful on the surface yet sinister underneath. There’s a real case of “out of the frying pan and into the fire”. But most importantly, the story contains magic and I think that’s what most people remember.’
As always, Lawrence has remained true to what we love about the original tale, yet put his own inimitable stamp on it. ‘The “spin” I put on tales is not a deliberate desire to make
them our own, more a method of explaining some of the characters’ actions,’ says Lawrence. ‘I try not to be heavy- handed with logic, but for me the weak part of the story is why the Queen would marry the King after she has been imprisoned and threatened. That’s where the change lies in the plot. Most of the spin, however, is in the wheel itself.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Scottish Storytelling Centre, 556 9579, 1–25 Aug (not 19), 1pm, £9 (£7). Previews 30 & 31 Jul, £5.
1–8 Aug 2013 THE LIST FESTIVAL 63