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Review by David Munro
The Christmas season of children's plays has started at the Wimbledon Theatre Studio with a series of playlets, songs and monologues performed by 8 talented artists under the auspices of Horla Productions.
When I arrived I was not sure what to expect from the title. I was however pleasantly surprised by what I found. The Director Alistair Green, with the aid of Joanna Volinska, has taken various fairy tales and stories from folklore of various countries and adapted and updated them to suit the talents of his cast.
All fairy tales have a dark side to them and these are no exception. They are however handled with such delicacy and humour that I do not feel most children would find them more than pleasantly scary. Certainly those who were there the night I was seemed more than happy with what they saw.
The stories range from the eponymous Rumplestiltskin to "Valissa the Brave" - a Russian Fairy tale involving the legendary Baba Yaga with which I was not familiar.
Between these two were interspersed twelve other playlets, songs and monologues including "The Princess and the Pea", "The Three Little Pigs". "The Little Match Seller" and "The Shoe Maker and the Elves" all of which are familiar to most children.
In addition there were some which may not be so familiar such as an adaptation of W.W. Jacobs "The Monkey's Paw" but which are sufficiently vivid in the execution as to catch and hold the attention. Kathryn O'Reilly had an amusing song about a Princess who had to struggle with a demon on a night out which I would have thought was more suitable for cabaret or revue but it seemed to fit in with general framework of humorously ghoulish horror contrived by the authors.
It was not all elves and witches, morality raised its head in most of the episodes and good usually triumphed in the end. Never more so than in the cautionary tale of "The Good Girl and the Naughty Girl" as sung and mimed by Rosie Armstrong even though she seemed to have more fun with the latter than the former.
Chris Courtenay had a slightly surrealistic monologue about a borrowed pot with gave birth to a little pot each time it was returned until at last it failed to be returned as it had died.! This originated in Egypt and was obviously a Bazaar tale to cover the theft of the pot!
The various daughters and Princesses mainly fell to Carole Carpenter's lot and she was ingenious enough to differentiate between these ingénue parts successfully and keep them from being boringly repetitious.
Philip Buck had an effective monologue in "The Man Who did Good" a wry Polish tale and assumed the guises, inter alia of a Corpse and a young man! He also played a mournful cello on one occasion; in fact several of the cast also assumed the guise of musicians when required. Dave Roberts was a convincingly deformed Rumple and played his other character parts such as the Shoemaker with aplomb.
Sarah Ratheram was a wonderfully malevolent Baba Yaga whilst also being a petulant sleepless Princess in "The Princess and the Pea" opposite the equally petulant prince of Derek Elwood who also exuded odious greed as the king in Rumplestilstkin.
All the cast played a multitude of characters some with grotesque masks designed by Tracy Waller and whilst I have singled certain roles which particularly struck me, I have to say that there were others in the ensembles who did just as well whom I haven't mentioned.
In short there is something for everyone, parents as well as children. I am told my predecessor, the late and much missed Paul Nelson, had a great admiration for the Horla troupe and having seen Rumplestiltskin I can understand why. I look forward to my next encounter with them with pleasurable anticipation. |
Rumplestiltskin and Other Grizzly Tales adapted by Alistair Green and Joanna Volinski
Music by Vanessa Lucas-Smith and Jon Langford
Directed by Alistair Green
Designer - Tracy Waller
Lighting - Ben Pickergill
CAST - Rosie Armstrong - Philip Buck - Carole Carpenter - Chris Courtney - Derek Elwood - Kathryn O'Reilly - Sarah Ratheram - Dave Roberts
The Studio Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway Wimbledon London SW19 1QG
Tues. 30 th Nov -
Thurs 23 rd Dec 2004
Evenings - 7.30pm (Thurs 6.pm)
Matinees - Thurs 1.pm -Sat 3.pm
Box Office: - 0870 060 6646
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