If you want to see short stories in the wild, before we tame them or trap them in books, you need to head over to Tehidy Woods some time between now and Sunday.
Three days! Run!
Because Rogue Theatre are running their Wild Woodland Summer Ball.
Five short stories are played out on an open air stage but you have to get there first, through the woodland paths, past the singing faeries and the man with the fire. If you feel you’re being watched, you are, and if your child says, “Muuuum, there’s a witch behind that tree!”, well, it’s not a witch exactly, but…
The stories —
a mermaid caught by fishermen, a modern-day Cinderella, a teacher who looks a little spiderish, a gang of crooks pursued by the law men who just can’t stop chasing, and the man who married a dragon
— are written and narrated by Ollie Oakenshield and performed by the Rogue Theatre cast with the kind of energy that will leave you fizzing. They are beautifully crafted, old faerie tales that speak of otherworlds and don’t faff around with happy endings unless the ending is truly happy. Which, sometimes, it is.
When the stories are finished, you can dance with the cast — and when you’re done, drift home on the woodland paths (don’t get lost!).
We’ve had our fix, and the children went to bed still humming. “That was the best one ever, Mum!” (They’ve been to four Rogue Theatre shows and loved them all.) And perhaps the best feedback today:
“I see spiderwebs and fireworking and songing!”
You did, kid. (And in our house, it will be ‘songing’ forever after.)
Now we’ll wait for the cold months, and the coming of Old Man Winter in December.
The tickets can be found over here. It shows twice daily, 14:30 and 19:30, and lasts for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. There’s some refreshment available — drinks and a fabulous (hot, peppery, root-veggie) woodland stew served with chunky bread, all reasonably priced. (You can take your own food too.) The seats are straw bales and the ceiling is made of leaves.
Enjoy!
TM Upchurch 