Looking for a bit of high brow culture during the festival? Got some children who speak a bit of basic French (not compulsory)? This show is for you.
We went to see this unpretentious production by Dreamland theatre, a company set up by students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, at the intimate Zoo Venue (140 The Pleasance), partly because it had claims of being in French and English, and partly because I like the idea of exposing my children to other things than CBeebies and Disney classics (*sports a snobbish smug smile*).
This is a great introduction to French operatic works by Satie (Chanson du Chat) and Poulenc (Le Sommeil), as well as to ballet - set to the delightful Swan by Saint-Saens (from The Carnival of Animals) - and theatre. The original story line features two children trapped in a magical dreamland, as they set out to defeat an evil witch who has transformed them into animals.
Julien: "People were dressed up, they weren't actual children. They were going to bed. The witch was casting spells. She changed the children into a mouse and a cat."
The rendition by all performers was first class; the operatic singing and ballet were accompanied live by a cellist and a pianist. As well as the definite high culture, there were some very funny moments, for example when the cat and the mouse characters acted out a Tom and Jerry-like scene which had the whole audience laugh out loud.
Julien: "There was a boy doing ballet. I didn't know boys did ballet."
I love the slightly deeper meanings contained within the show: first, some gender stereotype-busting, with the little girl being much braver than the little boy character, and the swan interpretation by a male dancer. Then, the meaning of art as an expression of one's voice: in the story, ballet was the swan's only way of communicating, literally, as the witch had made him mute. And let's not forget all the other meanings already explored in children psychology contained within the fairy tale.
We certainly enjoyed a bit of high culture today.
Julien's "quite scary" bit: the witch (la sorciere)
Mum's favourite bit: the swan dance
Julien's overall rating: 5 stars (out of 5) - "A good show"
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