THESPIANS at King’s Ely Junior wowed audiences with their sell-out production of Grimm Tales.
Hundreds of people flocked to the highly physical and imaginative production at King’s Ely’s Hayward Theatre, which starred students in Years 7 and 8. The show was directed by Laura Dixon with movement by Natasha Hobbs.
Full of deliciously dark twists and turns, the family friendly show enabled the audience to re-discover the magic and wonder of the original Grimm Tales, re-told by master storyteller Philip Pullman. This stage version by Philip Wilson boasted the familiar characters Hansel and Gretel and some unexpected tales too, such as The Donkey Cabbage, The Frog King and the remarkable Thousandfurs!
Director of Drama and Theatre at King’s Ely, Nick Huntington, was overwhelmed with the show’s success. He said: “I was immensely proud of the cast who rose to the challenge of this fast-paced production by achieving consistently slick transitions and taking responsibility for challenging ensemble moments throughout the piece. The cast showed excellent characterisation throughout and made the audience laugh out loud with their comic timing and delivery.”
The production was the culmination of an open audition and a nine-week rehearsal process where the cast focused on developing their individual acting skills and also their resilience, team work and focus to create a unique piece of story-telling theatre.