Emma: I think the play was originally used for Christmas 2000, and of
course, many people will associate a theatre production of Jack and the
Beanstalk with pantomime. How does it differ from pantomime - or what
similarities are there?
David:
Our version has three storytellers sharing the whole story of Jack between
them - they swop characters at the drop of a hat, literally. The three
performers happen to be pretty versatile - the show features singing,
dancing, playing musical instruments and of course lots of comedy. But
we still have a bit of "It's behind you!" for good measure.
And plenty of corny jokes.
Can
you tell me about the staging: are there lots of bright costumes, lighting
set etc...
We have
tried to make it as inventive as possible, so there are some very surprising
uses of everyday objects in unusual ways. Most important of all is the
giant chair (please keep this a surprise from the children!). They don't
realise it is a chair until halfway through when Jack's house is turned
around and the stage is transformed! There are usually lots of gasps
of surprise. We also grow a beanstalk in a surprising way. The design
is by Steffie Mueller from Hoipolloi Theatre, who I am currently touring
with in the States.
Did
you stick to the traditional, well-known fairytale, or is there anything
significantly different about the storyline? Why did you decide to pick
this story?
I love
traditional stories. We all know them so well that in some ways it is
a challenge to find exciting ways of telling the story, and the audiences
always appreciate that. Mostly I have stuck to the well-known story
- it's the way we tell it that is so different.
What
kind of music do you use in the production (I read a review that mentioned
scrubbing brushes in buckets and flowerpots on strings!)?
The actors
play saxophones, guitars, xylophones, drums, broomsticks and a hoover
amongst other things. There are some very cool songs, including a salsa
number by Milky-White the cow and a heavy-metal version of "Fee-fi-fo-fum".
How
important is music in children's theatre?
I love
using live music in theatre - after all people go to the theatre to
see actors using their skills to act out a story, so to me it seems
natural to use live music whenever possible. Its organic!
Do you think children are generally well-catered for in the
theatre? Why did you decide to start Tiebreak Theatre Company?
I don't
think there is enough good quality work for children - which is why
I started Tiebreak. I hope that we have got more inventive over the
years, because if there's one thing children don't tolerate, its being
bored! So we try to keep it exciting. I always enjoy seeing the reactions
of our audiences. If they get bored, we soon know about it!
Why
would you encourage parents and teachers to bring children to see Jack
and the Beanstalk? What do you think the play can offer that other forms
of entertainment (cinema, TV, play stations etc...) cannot?
I think
there is something magical about seeing people use traditional skills
and talents to tell a story. In some ways it inspires the imagination
in the same way that a good book does - and you always know that the
performance taking place in front of you is unique. Half the fun can
be seeing something go wrong and enjoying the way the actors work together
to get over it. Theatre is really a form of storytelling - and having
real people tell you a story is something I hope we can all relate to.
March 2005
