4 Stars from The Herald Scotland!

Fringe Children's Reviews: Rumpelstiltskin And The Wheel Of Fortune

carmody wilson

Friday 23 August 2013

Rumpelstiltskin and the Wheel of Fortune

Scottish Storytelling Centre

Before the lights go down, a cheery, avuncular wizard with a satyr's beard and Prospero's coat whisks into the theatre and starts giving the giggling and enchanted audience "fairy names". Performer Andy Lawrence then seamlessly transitions into the show proper, having had the audience from the word "go." Or , more probably, from the words "Dean Diddly Do Da Day."
Rumpelstiltskin is another finely crafted piece of children's theatre from Theatre of Widdershins, at the always rewarding Scottish Storytelling Centre. The puppets are, by turns, wizened, wicked, and wide-eyed, and the clever design doesn't stop there. The set pieces and props aren't just decorating, but multi-use gateways to gold, far-off kingdoms, and a dungeon. The sound and music design are spooky, atmospheric and note-perfect. But enough about the techy stuff. This is a traditional show, told with traditional, cracking, old-fashioned storytelling panache. And it works - the kids loved it.
Ends Sunday

Edinburgh Fringe update

Even though we have brought a brand new show to the Fringe, this will be our worst year at the fringe yet for audience numbers. We are really at a loss to understand why. Is it the show title, or the image? Is it the cost of the tickets? Is it that fringe audiences are actually moving away from the fundamental nature of the Fringe and only coming to see safe bets?  We are very fond of Puppetstate and their wonderful 'Man who planted trees' but everyday we witness their sell out queue and wonder how they do it after bringing the same show to the Fringe for 7 years. The same could be said of the big name comedians .  Audiences have seen them before so don't they want to see something different?  It would appear not.  As for us, we will be going home from the fringe this year and having long, hard think about our future and whether we will return to Edinburgh.

The List's review

Rumpelstiltskin and the Wheel of Fortune

Puppetry that spins pure gold

• Source: The List
• Date: 11 August 2013
• Written by: Kelly Apter

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Perhaps it’s his funny name. Or the fact he can spin straw into gold. Whatever the reason,Rumpelstiltskin has remained a perennial fairytale favourite for over 200 years. Storyteller and puppeteer Andy Lawrence knows that, which is why apart from a few small tweaks, he has left theBrothers Grimm plot virtually intact.

Over the past few years, Lawrence and his company, Theatre of Widdershins have been responsible for some of the most glorious puppet shows on the Fringe. This year is no exception, because once again the key ingredient to Widdershins’ success is there – great sets.

Upon entering the theatre, you’d be forgiven for thinking that little time or effort had gone into the show’s staging. A few strands of straw, surrounded by several tied up hay bales. But as is always the case with Lawrence, all is not as it seems, because one by one, those bales open up to reveal new locations and characters.

Apart from the main guy himself, names have been changed to make the show Lawrence’s own, with King Avarice the Third ruling the land, Corny Buckwheat the miller whose daughter becomes queen, and Sneaky McGleaky the royal servant who finds out Rumpelstiltskin’s name.

Lawrence divides his time between chatting amiably to the audience and puppetry, and there’s a sense that the ratio could use some fine-tuning. Because when he picks up his beautiful creations, and breathes life into them, the show becomes even more engaging.

The odd funny line, aimed squarely at parents, hits the spot – while the silliness has the little ones copiously laughing out loud.

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 556 9579, until 25 Aug (not 19), 1pm, £9 (£7).

Broadway Baby review

BROADWAY BABY REVIEW
Needs A Touch Of Magic	Broadway Baby Rating:

As I walked into the Scottish Storytelling Centre I was greeted by a delightfully impish man in a wizard’s robe assigning fairy names to all the children (and adults if you want) from a giant book. I was already a bit enchanted. The set was modest, just a few piles of hay strewn about the stage, but my curiosity was peaked. The children whispered excitedly as the lights dimmed and the man, storyteller and puppet-maker Andy Lawrence, read the roll-call. But as the show began, the wheel of fortune started to come away from its track.It is clear that Lawrence loves what he does and he is a wonderful puppet-maker but unfortunately, at least in the case of Rumpelstiltskin, he is not a master storyteller. The sets are interesting miniature scenes which would be spellbinding were they to appear as if by magic, but instead they are assembled during a few clunky transitional periods requiring the storyteller to unlatch, unhook, untie and repin each new scene. There are moments of delight throughout the show and of course, as with every Theatre of Widdershins production, gorgeously rendered puppets. The biggest misstep to the show is simply the lack of a second puppeteer or even just a second pair of hands. Transitioning back and forth from puppet to puppet is strange; hearing the limp hanging doll speak before the storyteller can give it life took much of the magic from the show. But truth to tell, all of this would be forgivable, owing to the fact that it is a solo show, but for the overriding issue is that Widdershins has created a cast of really unlikeable characters, including Polly Buckwheat, who comes across as a narcissistic brat from the moment we meet her, leaving the audience to wonder why they should even care. This is a story of transformation, not just from hay into gold, but where goodness overcomes evil.

Scotsgay Review - Edinburgh 2013

Theatre of Widdershins has been delighting Fringe audiences for the last eight years:  this year’s show hits the jackpot again.

As we enter the theatre, a magician in a multicoloured robe offers the children in the audience ‘fairy names’ – and already the children are drawn, laughing, into the show…  He asks them ‘what if you could turn things into gold?’ and ‘what is enough?’ and segues neatly into the tale of the greedy king, the girl whose father boasts that she can spin straw into gold and the wee man who rescues her from her plight – but at a price!

Andy Earey is an outstanding storyteller.  His puppets are splendid – the avaricious king, the drunken miller, the self-obsessed young girl, a wonderfully raucous dancing crow who morphs magically into Rumpelstiltskin, a delightful baby and a knight in shining armour who rides in to save the day when all seems lost – and their body language magnificent.  The set is equally magical: a few bales of straw transform into an inn, a castle, a dungeon complete with spinning wheel which really does spin golden thread: superbly atmospheric music heightens the drama at all the right moments.

The audience loved the show and participated with a right good will: some wee ones were obviously having the time of their lives and joined in enthusiastically at every opportunity.

Beg, borrow, or steal a child and see this show!

Mary Woodward

The trailer for Edinburgh.

Fringey time of year.

We're at the Bedfringe next month and I've just been looking through their brochure.  My two highlights are Morgan and West and John Hegley.    We are delighted to be performing at The Higgins this year.  What an amazing place to be in.

But to be honest, at this time of year all our thoughts are about Edinburgh.  We love living and performing there for a month every year and seeing that this is our 8th consecutive visit then you can be assured that it's something we see ourselves doing for as long as we possibly can.

In the last week of May the Edfringe programme arrives in the post, and I likened it to the feeling that I used to get when I got the Hamley's catalogue every Christmas.  I read every page carefully, marking what I most want, and then I go back to those choices and whittle it down to a select few which I buy tickets for before I get to Edinburgh.  This year those tickets are:  Gamarjobat;  Morgan & West;  Pants on Fire;  Pajama Men;  Tom Rosenthal;  Wit Tank;  and New Art Club.

Looking forward to sharing my Edinburgh journey with you day by day.

Lowestoft today.

Just finished our second show at The Seagull Theatre in Lowestoft. Lovely audience turned up on the day. Took the dogs on a great walk on Lowestoft beach  - what a doggie paradise. Nice waves to jump over; cliffs to run up; other dogs to chase; and no sunbathers to annoy.