THIS winter holiday, the little ones are in for a treat with some amazing entertainment on offer. One such production is The Pied Piper of Hamelin which runs at the Rhumbelow Theatre in uMbilo until July 19.
The classic fairy tale is about a stranger (the pied piper) who plays his flute and rids the town of Hamelin of a plague of rats. He cuts a deal with the mayor to be rewarded for his efforts, but the mayor reneges which causes the stranger to take away the children of the town.
In association with AUT (Actors Unemployed Company), the production features Marc Kay and Adam Dore and captures the essence of this story with all the characters from the original tale as well as a few that aren’t.
Of his role, Kay says he plays various characters including a horrible boy with the nickname Snotty; an obese mayor and three rats: “It’s all deliciously fun. I first adapted this production a few years ago for a run at Eden College and I’m still struck by just how dark the tale is in parts. It’s enjoyable and fun, but there is a distinctly creepy turn to some of the elements of the story.
On working with Dore and director Clinton Small, Kay reveals: “Adam is extremely capable. He has a great ability to shift from character to character and is always a great presence in the rehearsal room. And Clint has a great eye for detail and never stops trying to fine- tune the performance. He gets involved on every level and it’s wonderful to have such dedication in a director.”
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is filled with magic, comedy, shadow puppets and audience interaction. There will also be a workshop after the show which is held as an introduction to shadow puppet theatre. It’s run by the performers at no extra cost. “It’s a quick tutorial where we teach the kids how to make a shadow puppet and a little about the history of shadow puppetry. There are advanced techniques that we’re happy to share with older kids too,” he says.
As for the highlights and challenges of working in a children’s production, the actor says he loves the honest responses from the audience: “Children let you know immediately if they do or don’t like what you’re doing. It’s refreshing. But attracting audiences always seems to be our biggest challenge.”
So it seems all that’s left is for the audience to enjoy a spectacular show. According to Kay, it’s a fun, silly romp and a faithful adaptation of Robert Browning’s version of the tale.
l The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Rhumbelow Theatre, uMbilo, until July 19. R60 at Computicket or e-mail Roland to book: [email protected].