Theresa Heskins on adapting The Princess and the Pea
The Unicorn Theatre is having a cracking season of kids’s exhibits underneath new Inventive Director Rachel Bagshaw, so we’re very excited that subsequent up is The Princess and the Pea, which has been tailored by the wonderful Theresa Heskins – Olivier Award-winner no much less! We have been delighted to get the prospect to speak with Theresa and ask her about this thrilling new work.
Hello Theresa. Thanks a lot for taking outing of rehearsals to inform us about your adaptation of this Hans Christian Andersen traditional. Firstly, The Princess and the Pea has been performed 1,000,000 occasions, so what’s totally different about your model?
It’s circus meets slapstick – so it’s all bouncing about and falling over. Plenty of enjoyable.
Underpinning the enjoyable there’s some critical stuff too, impressed by Hans Christian Andersen’s life. He got here from very humble beginnings, rising up within the one room cottage the place his cobbler dad labored at a bench within the window. His mum labored out on the riverside – a laundress washing garments for the rich townspeople, as much as her waist within the bitter chilly water regardless of the climate. Her lifetime of service has impressed us to consider privilege and about service; about whether or not princesses actually do have a particular sensitivity; and about democracy.
You’ve labored with a spread of efficiency kinds earlier than, from musicals to ballet, however is that this your first time working with circus?
Not a bit, and I find it irresistible! I’ve been working with Vicki Amedume, who’s co-directing, for 15 years. Our most up-to-date challenge was a play concerning the inventor of the trendy circus, Philip Astley: it was full of clowns and circus spectacle and stay music. And later this yr we work collectively to adapt Angela Carter’s The Firm of Wolves as a chunk of circus/theatre/spoken phrase fusion.
That mentioned, I don’t do something circussy myself – I’m answerable for story. However Vicki is a former circus artist, tiger tamer, engineer and biologist…so now you want you have been chatting with her!
Your target market is tiny folks, ages 2+. How does that influence in your adaptation?
We’ve been impressed by the teams of younger folks and their households who we labored with on the Unicorn in the course of the improvement of this play, and particularly by the issues that made them snicker. Basically, what we’ve created is a cartoon on stage. It’s vibrant and a whole lot of enjoyable, and like the very best cartoons, will enchantment to folks of all ages, each youngsters and adults.
Inform us a bit concerning the solid. Have they needed to have specific coaching in circus expertise?
Two are circus artists who’ve appearing expertise, two are actors who’ve acrobatic expertise. All 4 of them are comedians who perceive slapstick comedy. They’re the loveliest bunch of individuals to be with and their dedication to this work and this viewers is big – it’s an actual privilege to make this with them.
The present is produced by the Unicorn along side Upswing and the New Vic theatre. How does that mixture of abilities match collectively?
All three corporations have experience in making award-winning work for younger audiences, and touring it internationally – to New York and China most just lately. Then all of us deliver our specific disciplines. Upswing is a circus firm; the Unicorn has nice experience in consulting and fascinating with younger folks; the New Vic has a specific model of bodily visible theatre which we’re bringing to this piece.
What do you hope the households who see your present come away with?
A love for stay efficiency, and a need to discover circus, which is a superb artform for rising bodily health and emotional wellbeing. There will probably be a particular information to how to do that safely at residence!
And the place to subsequent for The Princess and the Pea after the Unicorn? Is it touring?
After the run on the Unicorn we’re off to the New Vic in Staffordshire, after which additional adventures await – watch this area.
Many due to Theresa for chatting with us about her distinctive present. The Princess and the Pea is geared toward ages 2+ and runs on the Unicorn Theatre from Friday 17 Might to Sunday 16 June. Reserving particulars may be discovered right here.
