Grimm Tales
Nineteen12 Productions
Dixon Studio at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
4th - 8th April 2017
Nineteen12 Productions
Dixon Studio at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
4th - 8th April 2017
Entering the auditorium for the performance of Nineteen12's Grimm Tales, you almost feel as if you are entering a secret tree covered woodland grove, deep in a mystical forest. The grassy glen is adorned with what looks like bric-a-brac - a lampshade, bike wheel, paper lanterns and various other items strewn around the trees, a tent in one corner and in the middle a cottage.
The tales are told by four actors, Robert Maynard, Hannah Drake, Katie Roostan and Alice Lane, who enthusiasticlaly burst out of the tent at the beginning of the show and take turns to narrate six well chosen Grimm fairytales starting off with Hansel and Gretl, the popular yet slightly disturbing tale of a brother and sister cruelly left alone in the forest by their parents.
Now, it's a pretty well known fact that the Grimm brothers rather lived up to their names when it came to telling stories in that most of their tales involved some sort of macabre violence or heartache, albeit that there would often be a 'moral to the story' type ending. However, Nineteen12 have adapted each of their chosen tales in such a way that a healthy amount of humour has been injected into them. This not only makes for more easy-going viewing for the younger members of the audience but it also gives the grown-ups a chance to have a giggle too. Rumplestiltskin is told in such a way, with Rumplestiltskin being expertly puppeteered by Hannah Drake in an innovative way which I've never seen before.
The perhaps lesser known story of The Fisherman and his Wife tells the tale of a husband who's wife forces him to go back to a talking magic fish that he has allowed to escape in order to make all of her wishes come true. Katie Roostan as the wife really seizes the opportunity to show off her comedic skills in this one and delivers a great West Country accent to boot!
The Moon, another not so popular tale, also creates some wonderfully magical moments and the mood of this piece is aided by some great visual props and some very clever lighting techniques thanks to Sam Thomas.
The imaginative use of shadow play is a key part of the Little Red Riding Hood tale and once again, Rob Maynard, playing the wolf really does a great job in bringing out the laughs from this sleazy canine against Alice Lane's innocently naive Little Red.
Alice also brings laughs a plenty in the Sleeping Beauty tale playing the old lady, giving the part a few Shakespearean qualities matched by Rob Maynard's Prince galloping in on his horse.
The quality of Nineteen12's Grimm Tales, with all its fabulous props, puppets, costumes and scenery is really of such a high standard that it's so hard to believe that this not a professional production. All four actors have the audience gripped throughout, a marvellous skill when you take into account that the majority of the audience are small children - no easy task.
Claire Brooks has done a great job of not only directing these actors, along with Daniel Steward, but she has also designed and made every prop, puppet, costume and sound effect - in fact, almost everything you can see on the set. A huge amount of credit must go to this massively talented lady, who clearly has a strong passion and great vision for her art within the theatre.
This show really is a lovely piece of theatre that will leave children and parents alike with big smiles on their faces. It is a perfect treat for the Easter holidays. Don't leave it too late to grab your tickets as they are selling fast!
The tales are told by four actors, Robert Maynard, Hannah Drake, Katie Roostan and Alice Lane, who enthusiasticlaly burst out of the tent at the beginning of the show and take turns to narrate six well chosen Grimm fairytales starting off with Hansel and Gretl, the popular yet slightly disturbing tale of a brother and sister cruelly left alone in the forest by their parents.
Now, it's a pretty well known fact that the Grimm brothers rather lived up to their names when it came to telling stories in that most of their tales involved some sort of macabre violence or heartache, albeit that there would often be a 'moral to the story' type ending. However, Nineteen12 have adapted each of their chosen tales in such a way that a healthy amount of humour has been injected into them. This not only makes for more easy-going viewing for the younger members of the audience but it also gives the grown-ups a chance to have a giggle too. Rumplestiltskin is told in such a way, with Rumplestiltskin being expertly puppeteered by Hannah Drake in an innovative way which I've never seen before.
The perhaps lesser known story of The Fisherman and his Wife tells the tale of a husband who's wife forces him to go back to a talking magic fish that he has allowed to escape in order to make all of her wishes come true. Katie Roostan as the wife really seizes the opportunity to show off her comedic skills in this one and delivers a great West Country accent to boot!
The Moon, another not so popular tale, also creates some wonderfully magical moments and the mood of this piece is aided by some great visual props and some very clever lighting techniques thanks to Sam Thomas.
The imaginative use of shadow play is a key part of the Little Red Riding Hood tale and once again, Rob Maynard, playing the wolf really does a great job in bringing out the laughs from this sleazy canine against Alice Lane's innocently naive Little Red.
Alice also brings laughs a plenty in the Sleeping Beauty tale playing the old lady, giving the part a few Shakespearean qualities matched by Rob Maynard's Prince galloping in on his horse.
The quality of Nineteen12's Grimm Tales, with all its fabulous props, puppets, costumes and scenery is really of such a high standard that it's so hard to believe that this not a professional production. All four actors have the audience gripped throughout, a marvellous skill when you take into account that the majority of the audience are small children - no easy task.
Claire Brooks has done a great job of not only directing these actors, along with Daniel Steward, but she has also designed and made every prop, puppet, costume and sound effect - in fact, almost everything you can see on the set. A huge amount of credit must go to this massively talented lady, who clearly has a strong passion and great vision for her art within the theatre.
This show really is a lovely piece of theatre that will leave children and parents alike with big smiles on their faces. It is a perfect treat for the Easter holidays. Don't leave it too late to grab your tickets as they are selling fast!
For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Ask the Audience
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Amelie, 9, Westcliff
"I thought it was really good. At first I thought that it would be scary but it didn't turn out too bad. It was really funny. I liked Hansel and Gretl. It was really good acting which really brought it to life." |
Harry, 8, Westcliff
"My favourite tale was The Fisherman and his Wife. It was really quite funny because in the end the fish got angry and the greedy wife ended up with nothing! I really liked it a lot - how it was so imaginative and very funny." |
Billy, 4, Westcliff
"My favourite was Little Red Riding Hood, especially when the wolf had a big burp. I really enjoyed watching it." |
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Lyn, 67, Basildon "I thought it was a really professional production. The transition between stories was very well linked. The children in the audience were all gripped - you couldn't hear a murmur from them. I really enjoyed it." |
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