Cautionary Tales
The Junior Production this year was Cautionary Tales. It was a culmination of Grimms’ fairytales (performed by the MIV Form) and playlets adapted from the stories from the German folk tale book Struwwelpeter (performed by the LIV Form). The stories involved children being abandoned in woods and Grannies being swallowed whole! It was performed with a mix of physical theatre and mime. The nine tales performed by MIV Form: Hansel and Gretel; The Golden Goose; Ashputtel; Iron Hans; The Lady and The Lion; Little Red-Cap; Snow White; The Musicians of Bremen and Rumpelstiltskin were well acted and hilarious in parts. Lily gave a memorable performance as a grief-stricken dwarf and the Watling sisters were mesmerising as the Evil Queen and her magic mirror. The girls performing in The Musicians of Bremen did a fantastic job of portraying animals in their story and it was also clear to see where some popular modern fairy tales have originated. The MIV Form used outstanding skills to suggest props and situations, and captivated and engaged their audience.
The LIV Form did just as well in their version of the Struwwelpeter tales. These four short playlets focused much more on individual characters and the calamities that befall them because they do not listen or heed good advice. In Harriet and the Matches, Thea gave a brilliant performance as Harriet as she manages to set herself alight even though she has been visited by a fire officer, played by Uma. Aimee gave a convincing portrayal of overweight Augustus as he loses a worrying amount of weight in Augustus and the Soup, and dinner for Philip, played with great enthusiasm by Isobel, ends in disaster when he cannot sit still in Fidgety Philip. Georgia and Lottie delighted audiences with their fantastic roles as the tailors in Suck a Thumb. The LIV Form used skill and great talent to bring these gruesome tales to life through rhyming dialogue and caricature, resulting in some very profound storytelling.
