Publicity #1: A Grimm Night for Hans Christian Anderson
Publication: Littlehampton Gazette
Publication Data: July 25 2008 issue
Text Header: Young Wick Theatre’s company fairytale production
Text: Content
A FAIRYTALE with a touch of the 21st century will be performed by members of the Young Wick Theatre Company.
Storybook characters come to life as you’ve never before imagined them in A Grimm Night for Hans Christian Andersen.
The play, written especially for children by Sue Gordon, follows the success of Young Wick’s Our Day Out.
The action kicks off with a confrontation between those famous authors Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. Turning up in the guise of menacing gangsters, Jacob and Wilhelm accuse Hans Christian of stealing their storylines – and demand he stops writing.
Ultimately, their public is asked to decide.
All the folk featured in the well-loved tales start appearing, but in distinctly modern situations.
The Little Mermaid joins the Ugly Duckling and the Princess [the one with the pea] in the office of their theatrical agent, Grabbit and Scarper, while Mr and Mrs Stiltskin are registering the birth of their young Rumpel.
Scenes featuring the likes of Tom Thumb, Hansel and Gretel, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and Rapunzel are presented in turn by the authors, until the characters start protesting about the stories’ sad endings.
Jacob, Wilhelm and Hans find themselves with more than a little explaining to do.
This is an ensemble production directed by Mark Best, featuring a large cast of members from the award-winning Young Wick Team.
A Grimm Night for Hans Christian Andersen will be performed at The Barn Theatre, in Southwick Street, Southwick, from Thursday, August 7, to Saturday, August 9. Curtain up is at 7.45pm. Tickets priced 8.50 are available from the box office, on 01273 597094, or online, at www.wicktheatre.co.uk
Review #1: A Grimm Night for Hans Christian Anderson
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: August 14 2008 issue – page 16
Reviewer: Sheena Campbell
Text Header: Grimm – and funny, as well
Text: Content
CLASSIC fairy tales were given a modern twist in Young Wick Theatre Company’s latest production, A Grimm Night for Hans Christian Andersen.
Following on from the success of Young Wick’s Our Day Out, this play, written by Sue Gordon, started with a confrontation between the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, as they accused him of stealing their storylines and demanded he stop writing. Hans, however, managed to convince the brothers, who appeared as menacing gangsters, to let the audience decide who was the better storyteller, setting the scene for a series of short takes on classic fairy tales as you’ve never seen them before.
A strong comedy element was provided by 20-year-old Danny Bayford, playing the ugly duckling desperately seeking beauty – a performance which secured him some of the biggest laughs of the night, alongside the double act of Tom Pearson, 19, and William McDonald, 14, as the Brothers Grimm. Tom Harris, 21, was excellent as the dodgy builder of the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel.
Another highlight was 18-year-old Sophie Lane, who managed to play three different parts convincingly. From Mrs Ridge, the housekeeper of Hans Christian Andersen, to an increasingly unattractive Briar Rose, as 100 years of sleep took their toll, she kept the laughs coming throughout the play. Her performance alongside Karla Coppendale, 18, as two television presenters on a makeover show in The Emperor’s New Clothes had the delightful air of a twisted Trinny and Susannah.
The nature of the play, with its short scenes and frequent costume changes, could have been a challenge for the young cast, but the whole evening was carried out with professionalism and the actors who played more than one part did so with such ease that I struggled to recognise them.
Directed by Mark Best, this piece at the Barn Theatre, Southwick Community Centre, provided a humorous night’s entertainment for the whole family.
* You can see some of the cast of Young Wick in the adult Wick’s upcoming production of Richard III from September 26 to October 4.
Several of the cast are also appearing alongside their director and assistant director, Kevin Isaac, in the improvisational comedy group Little Hair at Brighton’s Upstairs at Three and Ten, Steine Street, on Thursday, August 28.
Review #2: A Grimm Night for Hans Christian Anderson
Publication: Brighton Argus
Publication Data: Unknown
Reviewer: Barrie Jerram
Text Header: Not such a grim night as youngsters produce gems
Text: Content
THE pantomime season may be a bit early but there was a distinct whiff of panto about the Young Wick Theatre Company’s latest production as the Brothers Grimm, depicted as a couple of Mafia hoods, confronted Hans Andersen and accuse him of plagiarism.
By way of a contest each introduced a story, with the fairy tale world taking on a surreal twist as each one was updated. What followed was a series of revue sketches with a couple of good running gags. The writing was such that not every sketch was completely successful, several failing because of a weak punch-line.
With such a large cast it was impossible to pick out individual performances. However, the show did contain many gems, with plenty of strong performances. A wicked send-up of Trinny and Susannah was used for The Emperor’s New Clothes, while the Ugly Duckling was rejected for cosmetic surgery.
Review #3: A Grimm Night for Hans Christian Anderson
Publication: Words & Music
Publication Data: Unknown – page 13
Reviewer: Gordon Bull
Text: Content
I have an interesting quote from the talented actor Charles [Charlie] Chaplin, “Living as we did in the lower straits, it was very easy to fall into the habit of not caring about our diction. But mother always stood outside her environment and kept an alert ear on the way we talked and making us feel that we were distinguished”.
The young people of the Young Wick Theatre Company put on this unusual play on the apparent rivalry between the Grimm Brothers [who have given us a name to play with] and Hans Andersen not forgetting the middle name Christian, as he pointed out regularly to the Narrator, Karla Coppendale.
The two brothers were updated into Chicago gangsters of ‘The Mob’, complete with guns to wreak vengeance on Anderson [HC] should he pinch any more of their tales. He insisted this was no plagiarism, simply embroidery of old tales which the brothers themselves had addressed.
These two lads – Tom Pearson and William McDonald were a joy to listen to as they made their position clear. Their deeper voices gave a reality which in others was not always present, provoking the utmost concentration and straining of the ears to make out both the outline and interplay of words, although light-voiced Andersen [Ian Glover] generally made his points sufficiently.
Other topical interpretations contributed to the comprehensive idea of the author to slip in single scenes to indicate the nub of each tale effectively and the re-appearance of dancer Kirsty Bliss in Act Two whirling intermittently in those ‘Red Shoes’ answered the unasked question as to why she silently appeared dancing just once [I think][ in Act One. A modern look at the ‘Princess and the Pea’ was nicely topical as the retailer tried to get payment for his oft-supplied mattresses. I liked the beauty therapist idea for the Ugly Duckling nicely played by Danny Bayford. Trying to make out what the TV presenters were up to somewhat defeated me. Rhys Webb was a smart-looking Emperor.
With over forty characters for the cast to share between them, they made a fair stab at this play but I commend my introductory quotation to them and not to shy at their Director when he resolutely brings to their attention the art of voice production, unrushed delivery and projection, which he undoubtedly did.
Invited to indicate the winner of the authorship competition, honours had to be shared. I find it’s not easy to remember who wrote which story, but I guess the Grimm Brothers’ eponymous name might give the game away to some extent.
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