Fairy Tales – But Not As We Know Them!
Fairy Tales – But Not As We Know Them!
November 10, 2016 at 3:52 PM
We all know the traditional tales of the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella, right? We also know that Roald Dahl put his own spin on them when he wrote his ‘Revolting Rhymes’ – yes? So when the College Middle School Drama Club chose the tales, read the rhymes and then wrote their own version, we knew to expect the unexpected! Absolutely!
These might have started out as the fairy tales we knew from our childhood but once Years 7-10 had finished with them, new takes on morality emerged! Cinderella’s Prince Charming proved anything but with his social ineptness, whilst Cinderella turned out to be not so squeaky clean, having been responsible for her father’s untimely end. Little Red Riding Hood saw high school cliques emerge where the Wolf’s entourage may not have been so bad after all. And where did that full-on food fight come from?
When the Three Little Pigs set off a trade war between NZ owned Mitre 10 and Australian owned Bunnings, it was inevitable the huffing and puffing would take a new turn. Whoever knew the poor Wolf simply had hay fever and couldn’t track down any anti-histamine? She really didn’t intend to blow down all those houses! But when Red Riding Hood made a second appearance to get revenge on the Wolf, no-one expected the ending, as the girl in red declared her love for bacon, pulled out a zapper and neatly dispatched each of the Pigs!
On a night when the fate of America was being decided at the polls, some of the material was right on the mark and when one of the Pigs declared that the Wolves were simply ‘immigrants, here to take all our jobs,’ it brought the biggest laugh of the night!
The Middle School Drama Club meets after school once a week. Unlike our auditioned drama groups, the club is for students who simply want to try something new, give it a go and get involved. With a focus on improvising, drama games and ‘general tom-foolery,’ the club has proven to be a huge success with younger students who are willing to jump into every activity with commitment. From the shy to those brimming with stage presence, there is a place for everyone - and, if last night’s performance was anything to go by, a degree of ‘shamelessness’ helps too!
With guidance from itinerant drama teachers, Mr Ashton Brown, Ms Rachael Longshaw-Park and Year 12 student, Brenna Stevenson, who attends every session, each of the three groups worked through the writing and devising process, making sure they engaged theatrical techniques such as narration, use of props and appropriate costume selection.
The result? A very informal but highly entertaining performance for friends and family, that allowed students of all abilities to have a turn on stage. They clearly loved the opportunity and the outcome was a treat to watch. Well done!
