SOUTHEND THEATRE SCENE
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Main feature writer - Kim Tobin
  • COMING UP
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
    • David Streames Interview
    • Daniel O'Donnell
    • Matt Wycliffe Interview - Million Dollar Quartet
    • Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
    • Tony Stockwell Interview
    • Priscilla Queen of the Desert Tour - Interview with Emma Crossley
    • Phil Walker - Guitar Heroes
    • Rock for Heroes Review
    • Once the Musical - We interview Daniel Healy & Emma Lucia as we are invited to watch the cast rehearse!
    • The Overtones 2019
    • Derren Brown - Showman
    • Stephen K Amos Interview
    • Geoff Norcott INTERVIEW
    • Diversity and Kev Orkian Interviews
    • Giles Cooper talks about Nigel Slater's TOAST
    • Kristian Lavercombe - Riff Raff - Rocky Horror Show
    • Dan Partridge & Martha Kirby talk Grease the Musical
    • Village Green Festival 2019
    • Lee Mead, David Streames & Richard Foster
    • Craig Revel Horwood
    • Jenny Gayner
    • Nigel Slater
    • Alex Bourne Interview - Annie Tour 2019
    • Beverley Craven Interview
    • Gary Barlow and Tim Firth Interview - Calendar Girls
    • Tom Stade 2019 Interview
    • Karen Gibson - The Kingdom Choir
    • AJ Pritchard
    • Jonathan Wrather - The Picture of Dorian Gray - Tilted Wig Productions
    • Kevin Clifton & Graziano Di Prima Interview - Burn the Floor
    • Elesha Paul Moses Interview - Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It?
    • Juliet Mills & Maxwell Caulfield Interview
    • Juliet Mills Interview
    • Holly Liburd - The Bodyguard
    • Alexandra Burke - The Bodyguard
    • Janine Duvitski Interview
    • Matthew Kelly & David Yelland
    • Aled Jones Interview
    • Quadrophenia Live Interview with Doug Freeman
    • Diversity's Ashley Banjo, Jordan Banjo, Perri Kiely & Terry Smith
    • Ali James & James Cranfield
    • Ed Speleers, Mairi Barclay & Adam Lilley
    • Rachel Lumberg & Faye Christall Interview
    • Rain Main - Mathew Horne & Ed Speleers
    • Charles Sharman-Cox
    • Matt Terry & Antoine Murray-Straughan
    • Collabro Road to the Royal Albert Hall Interview
    • Steve Michaels - Elvis
    • Paul Young Interview
    • Joe Pasquale
    • Jersey Boys Interview
    • Colin Blunstone - The Zombies
    • Dave Kelly - The Blues Band
    • Clive John - Johnny Cash Roadshow
    • Paul Opacic & Richard Walsh
    • Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace
    • Alexander O'Neal Interview
    • Kevin Whately - Our Finest Hour
    • Jenny Eclair - Grumpy Old Women Tour
    • Séan Aydon - Great Expectations
    • Joe McElderry Live in Concert
    • Nichola McAuliffe Interview
    • Natalie Anderson & Jonathan Halliwell
    • Geoff Norcott Interview
    • Mark Steel - Comedian Interview
    • Debra Stephenson & Alice Barlow
    • Dr Feelgood's Kevin Morris
    • Ali James Interview - Oh Yes It Is!
    • Tom Stade Interview
    • Sarah Earnshaw - Nativity the Musical
    • Karina Jones - Wait Until Dark
    • The Stylistics
    • Tom Chambers & Charlotte Wakefield
    • Jessie Wallace - Deathtrap
    • Paul Bradley - Deathtrap
    • George Kemp - The Wipers Times
    • Joe McElderry - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    • Ian Hislop & Nick Newman - The Wipers Times
    • Chris Simmons, All or Nothing the Musical
    • Caroline Flack, Tom Chambers Interview
    • Ruth Madoc
    • Scott Reid - Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
    • Samuel Clemens, Director
    • Elizabeth Elvin
    • Ray Cooney - Out of Order
    • Susie Amy
    • Sue Holderness
    • Shaun Williamson
    • Carrie Hope Fletcher & Oliver Ormson
    • Geoff Norcott
    • Navi - King of Pop
    • Damian Williams Interview
    • Carrie Hope Fletcher Interview
    • Samantha Womack Interview
    • Les Dennis Interview
    • Clive Mantle - The Verdict
    • Stephen Bailey Interview
    • Steve Hackett Interview
    • Alastair Whatley - The Original Theatre Company
    • Paul Carrack Interview
    • Janine Johnson - Back to Bacharach Interview
    • Lewis Griffiths - Dirty Dancing
    • Ben Portsmouth Elvis Tribute
    • Paul Nicholls - Shawshank Redemption
    • Anne Odeke - Night Must Fall
    • Elaine Paige
    • Jimmy Osmond - Christmas Extravaganza
    • Brian Conley & Gok Wan
    • Jonathan Kiley - Qdos Pantomine Producer
    • Lee Mead - Some Enchanted Evening
    • Maximum Rhythm & Blues
    • Joe McElderry - Northern Light Tour
    • Carol Harrison - All or Nothing
    • Paul Cattermole - The Rocky Horror Show
    • Tommy Steele
    • Cheryl Baker - Formerly of Bucks Fizz
    • Gabrielle Cocca from Cats the Musical
    • PJ Proby Interview
    • Ashleigh & Pudsey - Mission ImPudseyble
    • I'm Cold - Alex Thorn
    • Mon Amie - supporting Jason Donovan
    • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
    • Richard Ede - The 39 Steps
    • Collabro
    • The Searchers
    • Fanny Galore
    • Paul Carrack
    • Rose Marie
    • Gary Wilmot, Noel Sullivan, Carley Stenson
    • Megan Terry
    • Sharon Rose - Little Eva in West End's Beautiful
    • Roy Chubby Brown - Britain's Rudest Comedian
    • Fascinating Aida's Dillie Keane
    • Ben Portsmouth - Elvis Tribute Artist
    • Ugly Sisters, Martin Ramsdin & David Robbins - Cinderella
    • Lauren Hall (Cinderella)
    • Michael Harrison, West End Producer
    • Brian Conley
    • Sharon Rose - X Factor
    • The Bodyguard - Zoe Birkett Interview
    • Alex Bourne (Daddy Warbucks)
    • Michael Corbidge Royal Shakespeare Company
    • Ashton Moore - Samson
    • Joe Pasquale
    • Phill Jupitus
    • Michael Sharp Playwright
    • Ray Cooney OBE
  • MUSIC
  • YOUTUBE
    • Lockdown Show Time Introducing
  • Features
    • Echoes From Essex
    • Immersive Actor Training
    • Afternoon Tea at the Cliffs Pavilion
    • N-Act Theatre Stage - Village Green
    • Chameleon Productions
    • Sheku Kanneh-Mason
    • Aladdin - Panto Cast Announcement
    • Sounds Familiar Music Quiz
    • N-Act Theatre in Schools
    • Ray Cooney comes to see Lindisfarne perform his play
    • Theatre Etiquette
    • Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society's Backstage Crew
Picture
Grimm Tales
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!

Picture
For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Ask the Audience
Picture
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."



​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."
Picture

Home

About

MUSIC

INTERVIEWS

FEATURES

Copyright © 2015