Wonderful Beast and Beeja visited Rajasthan to
present
Little Red Chunni based on Little Red Cap by the Brothers Grimm
performed by
Ann Firbank -actor
Anusha Subramanyam- dancer
RR Prathap –musician
adapted and directed by Alys Kihl
with children from Step by Step High School and Akshara Slum School in the
Jaipur International Heritage Festival
January 2007
photography by Vipul Sangoi
Step by Step High School generously sponsored Wonderful Beast, in collaboration with Indian dance company, Beeja, to run workshops for two hundred children culminating in a public performance on January 14. The presentation was a partially bilingual version of the story of Little Red Cap by the Brothers Grimm. The young people aged from nine to sixteen performed alongside the artists, both on stage and within the audience. The event was greeted with a rapturous response.
The aim was to introduce the children to a range of new and imaginative ways of storytelling by blending traditional and contemporary methods, and to develop their language, creative and performing skills. Most of all we wanted to instil a sense of excitement and creative freedom as we all worked together.
The outcome was miraculous. The children responded to all the demands and showed their marvellous skills as dancers, singers and actors whilst exploring and responding to new ways of working. What a joy!
"Aren't we all beasts? That was what we were born as. Until they ended up giving us an education. But nothing can educate us the way you did." - Tanay Kapur
"It was a roar of delight, a cackle of excitement, a thundering enjoyment, a leap of emotions, a chattering spectacle and a forest of fun. In case you have not got the jist - It was wonderful and brought out the beast in us." - Ayan Agarwal
"Where did our forest vanish? Did we get lost in the forest or did the forest lose us?" - Swapnil Saxena
"I don't like my granny's tales anymore. Is anybody listening!" - Tushar Kant
"It was holistic, animalistic, beastly pleasure." - Suyash Sharma
"Such rare innovations and improvisations I had never experienced in any theatre workshop. Please come back soon." - Sanjana Agarwal
"Red Riding Hood, I always thought was a child's fairy tale but how they turned into an adult predators story stunned me. I enjoyed my participation but we should have had more sessions." - Nehal Arora
"What I enjoyed most was the aura of the jungle which we created with the sounds. This was a new dimension in theatre." - Siddharth Rahi
STEP BY STEP HIGH SCHOOL, JAIPUR
**************************
Wonderful Beast and English Touring Opera
November 2006
A new operatic and theatrical version of the myth of Orpheus called Crossing the Styx
Once again Wonderful Beast and English Touring Opera collaborated in a new music-theatre piece for 30 primary schools in the autumn of 2006. Crossing the Styx is an interactive production that involves music, puppetry, song and dance, performed by singers, players and actors from English Touring Opera and Wonderful Beast. Orpheus enters the underworld in search of Euridice where he meets Cerberus, the three headed dog, Charon the boatman, and the dreaded Pluto. The piece includes Monteverdi’s music and new music by composer Rachel Leach.
Sasha Mitchell - Pluto`s servant
The cast: Samuel Boden – tenor
Edmund Connolly – baritone and piano
Catrin Johnsonn – mezzo soprano and piano
Sasha Mitchell – actor and singer
Miguel Tantos – trombone/dancer/ actor
The production team: Rachel Hardie – stage manager
Claude Harz - writer
Alys Kihl - director
Rachel Leach – composer
Ruth Paton - designer
Tim Yealland – producer
Edmund Connolly - Pluto
Catrin Johnnson- Euridice, Samuel Boden - Orpheus
Evaluation Feedback
TEACHERS' COMMENTS
Our children love opera. We particularly liked the challenging nature of the songs we were to learn in preparation…. The children really did have to listen, interpret and think… The opera supported our history curriculum enormously as well as our music and English curriculum. Kevin Madeley - Head, Meadows Junior School , Sheffield
Fantastic – one of the best schools productions I have ever seen. They were getting real opera. An absolutely excellent production in every way and a superb opportunity to expose the children to music and drama of high quality. David Cowell- Somers Park Primary School, Malvern
Miguel Tantos - Cerberus
PUPILS` COMMENTS
I felt like a spark was flickering inside me. Matty (10 years)
It gave me a feeling inside because the voices were so powerful. Catrina (11)
It made me want to sing! That was the best opera I’ve ever seen. Connor (9) Somers Park Primary School – Malvern
I felt part of the show because we sang and joined in some of the songs Ryan (8) Coldfair Green, Snape
It made me feel me feel all floaty and excited and sad. Aysha (10 ) Arbury Primary school (Cambridge)
I felt amazed, astounded, fantastic, fantastical, surprised and I felt I was actually in it. Susie (8) William Westley Primary School (Cambridge)
**************************
2005 was the bicentenary of the greatest writer of western fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen. Wonderful Beast is participating in a world wide celebration of his achievements.
The Will O` The Wisps are in Town by Hans Chrstian Andersen
adapted by Tim Yealland
R Prathap as King Valdemaar
shadow puppets - the bog witch
Tim Yealland, narrator and Paul O`Mahony, Hans Christian Andersen
A collaboration between Wonderful Beast and Beeja dance company, devised for primary school children, using different ways of storytelling including drama, dance, music and narration to stimulate literacy, oracy and creative work.
This production was commissioned by Childrens Music Workshop and has recently been performed to eleven school in Tower Hamlets as part of a year long music project called Stories That Sing. The next performance will be at Julian`s Primary School, Stretham Hill, London on 7th November 2005.
"I will breathe fire!"
Annie Firbank as the Bogwitch
photos by Sophie Baker
************************************
In June 2005, Wonderful Beast was invited to perform their popular show, Abiyoyo and the Musicians of Bremen at The Spark Children`s Arts Festival, in Leicester. It visited nine schools and was a hit with children and teachers alike.
‘Thank you for such a brilliant show, which judging from the feedback was universally enjoyed. The sense of surprise and excitement which your performance generated runs through all the reviews and drawings. Thanks for the time taken for discussion with the teachers who felt clearly inspired by what they had seen’. - Ellen Bianchini
Artistic Director of The Spark Festival
above: workshop with parents and children in The Spark Children`s Arts Festival, Leicester following on from a performance of Abiyoyo and the Musicians of Bremen
Feedback from teacher: ‘The children`s response was enthusiastic, excited, involved engaged – able to discuss interesting areas of plot and character’ - Davelands Primary school
*******************
English Touring Opera and Wonderful Beast present Forty Hares and a Princess and a Cunning Little Vixen
PRIMARY SCHOOLS TOUR AUTUMN 2004
An interactive performance that introduces the worlds of theatre and opera in a completely new and magical way. The children will meet characters from Janacek’s haunting opera ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’, and encounter strange people and beasts from other animal tales. Specially devised and designed by ETO, England’s most dynamic opera company, together with acclaimed theatre company Wonderful Beast, the performance will be taken directly into primary schools, and will accompany ETO’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen. A specially designed cartoon strip, as well as a teachers’ pack, will accompany the project. This is a fantastic opportunity for children aged 7 to 11 to encounter superb professional singing and acting for perhaps the first time, and to engage with the exciting world of live theatre.
'Superb. The quality of musical experience was something our pupils rarely encounter' - Mark Cheesman, Head of Music, Chaucer Technology School, Canterbury, on ETO workshop
