The classic folk tale has predecessors throughout Europe and China. The first printed version in Europe was by Charles Perrault in the late seventeenth century with later, nineteenth century versions being published by the brothers Grimm. It’s one of those children’s fairy tales whose simplicity allows it to take the imprint of a variety of interpretations, from charming innocence to awakening sexuality and more recently, sexual transgression. Nonetheless, however innocent we take Red Riding Hood to be we must remember that Perrault classed it as a moral tale and as such it is always taken to be.
This version by the Norwich Puppet Theatre is designed for little folk of four and up so the moral part of the story concerns innocence and deception with some fun being had on how the wolf is outsmarted by the chattering washerwomen who live in Little Red’s village. The carved wooden rod puppets are non-naturalistic with a hint of expressionism, the kind of exaggeration one finds in many children’s books. The puppeteers, wearing black, are in full view and do a good job in characterizing the puppets in their voices.
The story starts with disembodied wolf heads gazing threateningly at the audience, sniffing the air hungrily and howling. Very exciting for some of the tinies (one of whom wanted to go home at that point). Then two other characters start to tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood. At first a couple of gossipy washerwomen tell a story which involves a giant marrow, the point of which evaded me, then Little Red appears with a bag of provisions which she must take to her grandmother. Well the dear little girl meets a very inquisitive wolf in the forest, who wants to know all sorts of things – just like an internet site: where her grandmother lives, what the cottage looks like, what grows in the garden. But not being a complete muppet the clever little girl suspects something is amiss and loath to go any further into the forest with him, excuses herself from the wolf’s company on the pretext of going behind a tree for a pooh (big laugh) then makes a bolt for it.
Arriving at her grandma’s cottage where the nasty wolf had already gobbled up the dear old lady she again narrowly escapes becoming a tasty morsel and scoots back to the village where the washerwomen come up with a plan which sees the wolf drowned, but not before he spits out the old lady.
An Interesting set uses simple timber battens in various clever configurations to delineate the forest, a house, the wash-house in the village or the river in which the wolf ultimately drowns (or does he?). It all flows nicely and is helped by some nicely atmospheric incidental music.
All in all this production is an excellent way to introduce young people to a very creative art form and possibly a lifelong interest in live performance. ★★★☆☆ Graham Wyles 18/02/15
