![]() The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, The Nightingale, The Red Shoes, The Little Match Girl, Thumbelina, and The Little Mermaid have been enjoyed everywhere for more than 150 years. The fairy stories of Hans Christian Andersen have become so popular among children and adults that they have almost become folk tales, part of the world’s oral tradition of storytelling. Jimmy Grimes’ puppetry direction gives us a genuinely affecting nightingale, brought to life by the evocative vocals and puppetry skills of Amy Gardyne.” – The Stage Composer Richard Atkinson supplies some beautifully atmospheric songs as well as directing a musically talented cast on a range of Chinese and western instruments. Johns’ set impressively encompasses Beijing’s Forbidden City as well as a range of rural locations. “Forrest’s direction is typically tight, marshalling an eight-strong cast across a range of roles with a characteristic eye for humour. Their adventure teaches them about the importance of friendship and all about life – the good bits and bad – full of energy, colour and creativity, intertwined with alluring music and lots of fun.” – News & Star “Set in ancient China, it tells the tale of Emperor Wu (Martin Sarreal) and2000-1 peasant girl Xiao (Sally Cheng) who head off together in search of the nightingale. There is equally excellent support among the cast of eight actor musicians, whose skills stretch to playing an authentic Chinese stringed instrument, the guzheng.” – British Theatre Guide Without turning all this delicate storytelling into anything resembling more seasonal fare, Joel Sams sails as close as he dares to being a panto villain. For two hours at least, we are taught that the song of the Nightingale might just be more essential than all of Earth’s other treasures. The importance of honesty, friendship, love, loyalty and trust. “The story, adapted with his customary panache by Neil Duffield, remains loaded with all the essential elements of a child’s fable. The two embark on an adventure that will take them across mountaintops and waterfalls, past chattering monkeys and fire-belching dragons to the far reaches of his kingdom.īut Wu has an ulterior motive that could threaten the peace of the kingdom. But when he hears Xiao, a young peasant girl, talk of the most beautiful sound on earth – the song of the nightingale – it’s too much to resist. For Wu, the world outside the Forbidden City is a dangerous place. In ancient China, the young emperor Wu is kept a virtual prisoner in his palace by his scheming guardian, Li Si. ![]() With appeal to family audiences, Duffield’s plays are performed regularly by schools and other amateur groups, as well receiving regular professional productions nationwide.Neil Duffield’s reworking of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale, ‘The Nightingale’ (1844), brings a timeless classic into the twenty-first century adapted as a modern stage play.
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