Wonderful Beast returns to Southwark Playhouse to bring a feast of unusual and highly
entertaining stories for Christmas: Forty Hares and a Princess, a hilarious Yiddish tale about
a cunning shepherd who outwits the royal family; Parsley Girl, Italy`s most popular folk tale,
in which a mother`s craving puts her daughter in mortal danger; Just Say Hic, the comic
adventures of a Turkish boy; The
Dream Reader, an adapted Noh
play with a happy ending, also from
Japan, Benizara and Kakezara, a
version of Cinderella where poetic
skills are the key to love. Gary
Mitchell provides an array of
evocative sounds on the Sumatran
Talempong, conjuring up temples,
forests, palaces and magical
transformations.

directed by Alys Kihl and Sue Nash, designed by Ruth Paton, music by Gary Mitchell.
lighting by Colin Grenfell
performed by Ann Firbank, Paul Dinnen, Morven Macbeth, Matthew Prendergast and
Montserrat Roig de Puig

SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE December 2 - 20th, 2003

Comments from pupils at Hersden Community Primary School
7th October 2004

“My favourite part was everything.” Jodie

“My favourite part was everything. My bestist best part was the chickens. Please come again.” Scott

“ The best bit was all of it and the music was beautiful…” Natalie

“I really enjoyed your brilliant performance of ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’. My favourite bit is hard to decide, I loved it all!” Ryan Edwards

“The whole school loved it. Good luck for the future. I am going to keep practice doing the frog.” Craig

“I loved it, it was so cool. Anyone I know would love it.”

“I wish you would come again because it was so good.” Naomi Williamson

“The performance was the best ever in our school. All the characters were superb.” Tyrone

“I will remember the performance for a long time.” Cheyenne

Recommended age: For
adults of all ages over 7
years old.

photography by Pau Ros