One group was chosen to stage a performance of one of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales. A rush of activity greeted us as we stepped through the door to the Layard Theatre, as the hustle and bustle of an improvised version of Hansel and Gretel was rehearsed in the theatre foyer.-
My first impression was of total chaos, but then I realised this chaos was the base of astonishing creativity. The pupils were first shown a performance of the show previously performed at Canford. They then started to rewrite a play based on a version that was written by Caroline Duffy.
Their play was based on the original story but concerned more contemporary issues. It contained a fear of abandonment by poverty stricken parents as the original did, but also challenged the issues of orphanages, drugs and paedophilia. This made it a serious play to take part in, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, having creative but entertaining discussions in between working on the play.
The characters took on their roles with much enthusiasm, which embodied the spirit of the pupils of Canford even at the end of a long term. The personalities of the different characters were changed subtly to create a modern slant. For example, the witch became a smooth talking paedophile, set on enticing the three children from the streets of London to his ‘welcoming’ home. The edible cottage turned to drugs disguised as sweets, and Hansel and Gretel were three orphaned children, tired and vulnerable.
All in all this production was a success, both planned out and performed thoughtfully and skilfully by some of the best actors in the Shells and Fourths.