A cast of 28 pupils from the 8s to the 12s (years four to eight) took part in a vivid and distinctively 'bookish' production of The Lost Tales this week.
The six tales in question – including established classics such as Hansel and Gretel and less familiar stories such as Wooden Maria - were all of a ‘Fairy’ or ‘Folk’ nature and were gathered by co-directors (and Drama teachers) Mr Michael Glen and Ms Natalie Ibbett, both from Carol-Ann Duffy’s Rats Tales and from the works of the Brothers Grimm.
‘We chose these tales as we wanted to look at the art of storytelling and sharing stories with an audience,’ explains Ms Ibbett. ‘The performers switch from direct address and storytelling to the audience and then play characters within the piece.’
We chose these tales as we wanted to look at the art of storytelling and sharing stories with an audience
Natalie Ibbett, Co Director and Drama Teacher
The plays were staged simply but strikingly. The Directors chose to direct the audience to enter the darkly lit theatre by means of the library. Arriving in the theatre, they were greeted by a striking space where old tomes and volumes were spilled and scattered across and above the set and on stage. Lumberjack-style costumes cleverly emphasized the folkish storybook feel.
The quality of the performances matched the imagination of the setting with a well-drilled cast rising to the challenge of telling stories which ranged from the dark to the comic with real maturity. The result was a production which like the best fairy stories, cast a spell on its audience and, for an hour or so, transformed our lovely old theatre into an other-worldly, enchanted space.
See more pictures of Lost Tales by following this link
‘Using six shorter plays within the framework of the overall production worked in the current circumstances as it meant that we could rehearse each play individually in smaller casts,’ says Ms Ibbett. ‘ And the cast showed such commitment, focus and passion throughout the process. We are very proud of them all.’
