First the Dance, Then the Feast

FIRST THE DANCE, THEN THE FEAST
(spring/summer 2022)

an eastern european folktale
of magic and music

a children's workshop series culminating in a professional production inspired by a Hungarian folktale

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL PERFORMANCE

The farmer leapt to his feet and started to dance
as though his legs had a mind of their own.
The poor man laughed and he played on and on…
'Dance, farmer, dance!'

Creatives
Director: Emma Bernard
Choreographers: Rosy May & Anusha Subramanyam
Composer: Martina Schwarz
Creative Producer: Alys Kihl
Stage Manager: Daniel Peart
Assistant Stage Manager: Eleanor Beck
Project Manager: Emma Close-Brooks
Photographer: Mike Kwasniak
Videographer: Nathan Berry
Illustration: Lucy Hart (Silverlace Design)

You can support the project by clicking the purple
'Donate' button below.

Along with a professional cast and eighty Suffolk primary school children of many different nationalities, Wonderful Beast brings to life a multi-lingual, musical adaptation of an Eastern European folktale: First the Dance, Then the Feast.

When he and his children are cruelly evicted from their house, a poor man is given a magic violin that makes anyone who hears it dance until they drop. This doesn’t do much for an empty stomach, so he also finds himself with a table that produces any food he can dream of. But how will these help him and his family reclaim their home? Follow his journey through misfortune and injustice in this uproarious, dance-filled production.

Balkan music fuels the action, from renowned musicians Bogdan Vacarescu, Meg-Rosaleen Hamilton and Martina Schwarz.

Public performances will take place outdoors in the magical woodland at Thorington Theatre on the 23rd and 24th June 2022.

Cast
Martin Bonger
Rob Gildon
Hilary Greatorex
Matt Prendergast

Music
Meg-Rosaleen Hamilton
Martina Schwarz
Bogdan Vacarescu

Schools
Handford Hall Primary School
Holton St Peter Community Primary School
Snape Community Primary School

photographs from research & development residency march 2022

Photography: Emma Close-Brooks

Wonderful Beast is a charity, and is supported by charitable trusts, foundations and contributions from private donors. You can help to give children access to the arts and new creative experiences by donating to the First the Dance, Then the Feast project.