Film: "The Red Turtle" (And Its Fairy Tale Roots)

“Washing up on the shores of Cannes after nearly a decade of painstaking under-the-radar toil, Michael Dudok de Wit’s hypnotizing, entirely dialogue-free ‘The Red Turtle’ is a fable so simple, so pure, it feels as if it has existed for hundreds of years, like a brilliant shard of sea glass rendered smooth and elegant through generations of retelling...” (Variety Chief International Film Critic Peter Debruge)

Popping up on our fairy tale radar this past week, a new animated film, The Red Turtle. It's a new Ghibli film, released this last Friday (September 23, 2016) and, a first for the Japanese studio, an international co-production, directed by Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit, and animated in France and Belgium by a series of animation companies.

Here's the trailer:

With rave reviews coming from the Toronto International Film festival and critics around the globe, it isn't necessarily obvious that a "castaway and desert island survival" film would have fairy tale connections, but our radar blipped insistently so we went digging and found it did indeed!

But first, what is this film? It's an almost-dialogue free celebration of both Nature and man's indomitable Nature, surviving and thriving against the odds. It's also, reportedly, an immersive film which the viewer just needs to experience. While possibly a risky venture, it's clear the team achieved their intent as we only seen glowing reports about people being very moved.

So where do fairy tales fit here? Reviewers and critics have been intuitively connecting the film to fairy tales in that they say "it's easy to believe this is an adaptation of a little known Hans Christian Andersen classic or perhaps a rare tale from some remote Pacific Island", even though it isn't, it's original. They're right, it is original but there is a also a fairy tale connection, though not perhaps the type that most readily spring to mind.

The fact that there's a magical turtle might initially be misleading, so we had to dig a little deeper.

We found an interview with writer and director Dudok de Wit, in which he said this:

On the inspiration for the magical turtle in the film: 

As a child, I was a voracious reader of fairy tales and myths and legends. When I started on this, Takahata sent me a book called Kwaidan, by Lafcadio Hearn, which has Japanese traditional fairy tales about transformations of people and animals. 

Subconsciously I had a basis [for the story]... [the protagonist] wants to go home, the island is not his home. But he can't. Why can't he? I wanted a sea creature [to stop him], a shark, etc. Hang on — a turtle. Intuitively, it felt really good. My rational side looked at it a bit later, and the color came later, but at that moment, I thought, "Not only do we have our main character, but it's probably going to be the name of the film." So rationally, I can say I needed a mysterious sea creature that gives the impression of being immortal. It's a peaceful animal, non-aggressive, it's solitary, it disappears into infinity, which I find very important in this film. There's something very moving about a turtle leaving where she belongs, the sea, and going on the beach with a lot of effort, digging, laying eggs, filling the pits, and going back. I've seen one doing it — I've seen umpteen video clips. It looks like they can't make it, because it's such an effort. For a moment, they become like us, mammals who breathe, with arms and legs. And then they disappear [into the sea] again, and become part of infinity. So that all clicked together beautifully.

(You can read the rest of the interview HERE.)

Kwaidan can be translated as Japanese Weird Tales, or Tales About Strange Things (Sometimes you see it titled Stories and Studies of Strange Things.) Although Japan has more "fairy tales" as we might define them than China (which have more supernatural tales), Kwaidan is definitely a mix, and includes ghost and supernatural tales in addition to what you would find in a book specifically titled Japanese Fairy Tales. If you read both, however, you see overlaps and how they often exist in that same "fairy tale place". We highly recommend reading the volume if you haven't already!

So keep an eye out for The Red Turtle. It's clear that among filmmakers, at present, there's a big interest in going back to the "old" fairy tales, legends and myths and creating new works inspired by them. Although this won't be considered a "fairy tale film", it's already widely regarded as a fable, and it's refreshing to see creators explore new narratives (even if they're mostly silent), spring-boarding from old tales, instead of just retelling familiar ones. It brings a nice balance to the storytelling people are engaging in, in the 're-boot' age, with nods to both history and the future.

Short: "The Seven Red Hoods - Taupes"

This short film has nothing to do with Snow White, yet at the same time it's a completely delightful tribute.

This is more akin to Maria and the Seven Robbers (an Italian variation of Snow White) because this is actually a fun little crime story, (and not in the "Evil Queen has murderous intent" manner), with a Snow White twist. It would also work well as a very different beginning to the second act of Snow White, where she meets the dwarfs.

The designs have clear nods to the Disney film, as do some of the layouts, and the anthropomorphic animals add a humorous touch. Even a couple of the sequences echo the story, but not in a way you've seen before. We also loved the modeling - great mix of 3D and 2D techniques, giving it a storybook feel, while still obviously contemporary. It's clear why it made the Vimeo Staff Pick list.

We also thought it made for a delightful weekend watch. (Note: it's French but has English subtitles. Taupes is translated as Moles, unless we have misconstrued the meaning entirely.) 

Enjoy! 

We could have stayed much longer in this delightful world and hope to see more from this team soon.

A short film by Leo Verrier produced by Eddy and Arte Channel
Music: Pablo Pico
Sound: AOC
Models: Martine Lafont
Character Design: Maxime Mary
Anime Director: Jean-Baptiste Cumont

InByTheEye Sprinkles Us With "Stardust"

Have you ever felt lost and far from home, wondering if the light inside you is doomed to go out, or if you can nurture it enough to bring magic into unfamiliar places?

Injury from the fall

In the latest photo story from InByTheEye, Director and Producer Lisa Stock has personified this overwhelming feeling of homesickness and 'other' through the character of Neil Gaiman's Yvaine, created for his original, novel-length fairy tale Stardust.

Tending to the wound

This is the second of his works that Gaiman has given Stock permission to explore with his blessing, (the other being a street play interpretation of Snow, Glass, Apples) and seeing her results, you can understand why. While her writing, direction and photography pay lovely tribute to Gaiman's own creations, fittingly expanding their story forms, these works are uniquely her own, and feel at once mythic and personally accessible. This photo series captures the artistic photographic storytelling and mythic world view Stock so naturally employs in all her projects, while bringing to the lens something personal that engages the viewer, bringing worlds and emotions "in by the eye", just as her company name states so succinctly.

A star never stays up so late as the sunrise

Here's her introduction as she debuted her new series:

I'm excited to share my latest photo project, YVAINE - inspired by Neil Gaiman's "Stardust".  This is a photo series that brings the fallen star into the modern world, a story about longing for home, and carrying your own light with you. - Lisa Stock; InByTheEye

At the sign of the Chariot

She also shared a little bit of background in creating the series on her blog. Here's an excerpt:

If there was one fictional character I’d like to catch a glimpse of in the current world, it would be Yvaine from Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust”.  She is a star fallen to Earth and the way she observes our society (and that of Faerie) is refreshing – she speaks her mind, questions what she deems nonsense, and relishes the potential for good in mankind.  Above all, “Stardust” is a story of home, where you come from and where you truly belong. Her fate in the book is different from the film, but I won’t give up any spoilers. I love them both equally, however, my Yvaine is inspired more by the book, and Charles Vess’ gorgeous illustrations of her. 

...With my own pull for home ever present on my mind, I created an Yvaine photo story – Where would I see her and how would she “fit” into my world?

Rest until star-rise

You can read the rest of Lisa's post on bringing Yvaine to life in our world, and her inspiration to do so HERE.

Below is the rest of the series, with our two favorites up next:

The light of the water, the light of home

A visit with her sisters

Remembering home

Shining before the Wall

To see more of Lisa Stock's beautiful magic realist work (and get some special glimpses behind the scenes from time to time) you can view her Instagram HERE and follow her on Twitter HERE. Her Patreon supporters HERE have the best seats in the house, however, with exclusive previews, pre-debut sneak peeks and inside looks that give you a glimpse of the amazing world you can see "InByTheEye". By supporting this Indie filmmaker from as little as a dollar up to $25 per month you guarantee the creation of more magic in the world.

"Triune Tale of Diminutive Swine" (aka "The Three Little Pigs" by John Branyan)

The set up for this piece is Branyan sharing that Shakespeare apparently had a working vocabulary of around 54 000 words, whereas the average today is much closer to 3 000. (Really? Yikes.) He then proceeds to reason that this is why reading the classics is so confusing, and that even a simple fairy tale would be difficult for many to understand.

Sent to us by fairy tale friend and mythic filmmaker Lisa Stock of InByTheEye, please enjoy an "enhanced vocabulary" version of The Three Little Pigs by comic John Branyan (recorded live in 2011).

We predict that, within minutes, any person within the vicinity of this recording will be uttering bardic phrases in complete delight.

We were very pleased to find that Branyan had translated this performance into illustrated print and it is available for purchase through his website HERE.

In the meantime, those with little folk (or other large folk) in the house, are welcome to perform their own reading of Triune Tale of Diminutive Swine, by reading the text loud HERE.

[We aim to procure this volume for our library, with the admitted selfish motivation of encouraging the formation of further volumes of like tales. ;) ]

Theater: Catastrophic Theatre To Stage World Premiere of Donald Barthelme's "Snow White"

We don't know many people who've read the whole of Donald Barthelme's 1967 post-modernist take on Snow White. For those who have it certainly leaves it's mark. Even after having read hundreds (no exaggeration) of short story and novel retellings the fairy tale, or an aspect of it, Snow White has never been quite the same since closing the cover on Barthelme's novel.

It's not your typical retelling, that is certain. Don't expect magical circumstances and wonder here, but it is landmarked for good reason, despite often disturbing the reader. While experimental, it's one of the first inversions written of Snow White, changing people's perspective on the tale in a way that hadn't been done before.

If you're not familiar with the novel, you can get an idea from the back cover of one of the original publishings, (see at right), and if you're curious to learn more about it before delving into the novel yourself, I recommend this short commentary on Barthelme's Snow White and the post-modernist movement HERE. Here's a taste of the short essay:

"...resistant to anything as bourgeois as a narrative structure, Snow White is composed of dozens of brief vignettes designed to force the reader to engage the text as a text. Thus, Snow White becomes not simply a retelling of the classic fairy tale, it also serves as a commentary on the fairy tale and its structuralist elements. "

It turns out Barthelme always imagined his novel as a play. In fact, he wrote a stage adaptation that was never released to the public, and it's this script that is being premiered by Catastrophic Theatre during their 2016-17 season. It's unfortunate that Barthelme, who passed away in 1989, never got to see his vision performed.

Here's the description of the play (which, it should be noted, will have variations from the novel):

Donald Barthelme's Snow White is tired of being "just a horsewife" to Bill, Dan, Edward, Hubert, Henry, Clem and Kevin, who, in her estimation 'only add up to the equivalent of about two real men.' While they tend to their commercial real estate properties and manufacture exotic high-end baby foods, she spends her days reading Mao Tse Tung, drinking vodka with and impatiently waiting for the prince promised to her by history. But her imagination is stirring...

And from MATCH (where you can get a list of performance dates and times), there's some nice background we think is worth including:

Book cover from the OUABlog library

When Barthelme’s novel was published in 1966, critical response was a mixture of enthusiasm, admiration and puzzlement. Writing in Life magazine, Webster Schott called Barthelme "the most perversely gifted writer in the United States. . . . Snow White has everything, including William Burroughs cut ups, words posing as paintings, ribald social commentary, crazy esthetic experiments, and comedy that smashes.” Jack Kroll, in Newsweek, called Barthelme a “splendid writer who knows how to turn spiritual dilemmas into logic, and how to turn that logic into comedy which is the true wised-up story of our time.” Beyond its formal radicalism and experimental language, the book is a funny-sad meditation on the promises and disappointments of love, a topographical map of what one critic called “the cratered landscape of the broken heart.” 

Barthelme adapted his novel for the stage in 1974 and it has only seen the light of day once, in a very small, invite-only reading at The Alley Theatre. It has never been fully produced. Working from Barthelme's original manuscript, notes and revisions, Catastrophic Theatre will present the world premiere of the author's own stage adaptation of Snow White. In conjunction with Brazos Books and Inprint, a public reading of the play will be given at Brazos Books on November 9, 2016.

Barthelme's Snow White will play at the the MATCH in Midtown, Houston (TX), from April 7th to 29th, 2017.

Ask Baba Yaga: How Can I Trust My Body Again?

Kelpie and skull from the book Faeries illustrated by Brian Froud and Alan Lee

Health. Apart from children, it is said to be the greatest wealth we have. Most of us smile and nod, agreeing but never does this truth become so plain as when it - and your expected future years - are threatened. It doesn't have to truly be a life-threatening issue to get you to see this, only for you to wonder (made worse if your doctors are also wondering), but there is a loose end that catches when you least expect it, after having your health threatened, and that is, you are hyper aware of your body. Every twinge, ache, abnormal signal, anything that you would have shrugged off before now send the cortisol pumping through your system as you wonder: "Is 'It' back?" How do you deal with that when you are more aware than ever that ignoring your body is exactly what not to do?

Here's today's question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

You will have noticed, it's not a Baba Yaga picture at the head of this post, but a kelpie. In this case however, I don't think she will mind. I have a feeling she has an affinity for these creatures, and in the case of 'emerging beasts and drowned boats' the kelpie is a great metaphor for those panic inducing sensations. After so many people urging you to "get on with life" after a serious health battle, it's refreshing to have Baba Yaga tell you that to ignore these (kelpies and signals both) isn't helpful, but that there is more to learn and to know in your 'lake'. We just need to keep our trigger fingers off the panic button as we listen.

As a bonus for today, remember our post from some years ago titled "If Baba Yaga Were A Horse..."? We still consider this a great tribute and, with kelpies on the brain, this image felt like it wanted another airing. (You can read the original post HERE.)

Baba Yaga by ELena Davydova (Lenika86)

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?

You can!

This is the email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

Moana: Don't Call her "Princess"!

       

WELL, HERE SHE IS!

While Disney's new strong heroine Moana isn't based on a fairy tale, there are a multitude of folklore connections and tie-ins, and, despite the "don't call her Princess" promotional catch phrases being quoted around the web, you shouldn't be too surprised if this story is added to Disney's "fairy tale realm", albeit an island version, in the months following the film's release.

Moana, the title character of the upcoming animated adventure, definitely sounds like a classic Disney princess. She’s an adventurous, compassionate, and beautiful young woman who sings, talks to animals, and even has a royal pedigree as the daughter of a Polynesian chief.        

But you won’t hear the creative minds behind Moana give their lead character that distinction. “We don’t describe her as a princess,” producer Osnat Shurer told Yahoo Movies at an early press day at the studio’s Burbank offices in August. “We don’t think of her as a princess. We just think of her as one of our strongest lead characters.”

If you haven't seen much in the way of trailers, take a look at this compilation one that was released just last week.

Although it's a little long, the bonus here is the included Japanese trailer which teases an entire scene of Moana as a baby, playing with (yes, "with", not "in") the Ocean:

Although Moana is clearly - at her debut - supposed to be set apart from fairy tale princesses and have strong ties to folklore and myth (as opposed to that time and space of Once Upon A Time), the unfortunate reality is that there is no "folklore/myth" niche in Disney marketing, so she - and all he surrounding magic and lore - will likely end up in the Disney fairy tale mix. (To be clear, we are not advocating this, just looking at patterns and projecting what will happen down the marketing road...) We're not the only people watching and waiting to see how this folklorific film (think terrific and folklore mashed together) pans out in terms of marketing and the eventual "image" Moana settles into either.

From Yahoo:

Foreign title & poster - so beautiful!

...Given what a lucrative business the stable of Disney princesses has been for the company — just ask any parent who has ever waited in line to take photos with Cinderella, Aurora, or Belle — it’s somewhat surprising to hear Moana‘s filmmakers distance themselves from the tradition. 

But we’re also clearly in the middle of a cultural shift on gender depictions in film. In recent years we’ve seen Snow White reimagined as a live-action warrior (Snow White and the Huntsman), Jane Austen’s Bennett sisters battle the undead (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), and the Ghostbusters get a gender flip. And soon, we’ll finally have female-led comic-book movies with Wonder Woman (2017) and Captain Marvel (2019). 

... Perhaps most telling is a scene filmmakers mentioned in Moana that confronts the notion of her identity head-on. Musker and Clements described a moment in which Maui, a physically imposing but playful mentor to Moana, is teasing her. “He says, ‘Hey, princess,’ derogatorily,” Musker said. “And there’s a line where she says, ‘I am not a princess!’”

Back to legend and folklore.

The demi-god Maui is the most obvious connection to Polynesian myth and legend but the question is which one? Here's a summary:

The teaser trailer introduces us to the demi-god Maui and his impressive achievements. If you're Hawaiian and confused because you can't recognize them all, it's because he was actually created using multiple versions of the myth known in the Pacific: Maui can be found in the mythology of several islands such as Hawaii, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, French Polynesia and New Zealand. And if there's one attribute that he keeps in all these different cultures, it's that he's pretty much iconic.

What we're most interested in, however, is the Ocean, which has it's own personality and connection with Moana, and how that is treated with regard to folklore, superstition and the many legends of the Pacific. There hasn't been much speculation about the Ocean as yet, though its scene with baby Moana is an instant hit with audiences everywhere, but this is the role usually reserved for sidekick animals, benevolent fairies (especially those akin to the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio) or enchanted objects. Having such a huge part of nature, that is, the ocean, have a very intimate connection to the main character provides a different story telling platform and we're curious to see how it's handled.

We're also curious bout the "Lava Witch" (seen looking very impressive in the first artwork promos last year, though not present - we think - in the current trailer, unless she has transformed to something very skinny and less crone-like). Unlike Mother Nature stories or vengeful gods tales, this "character" of the Ocean appears to be something else, something more like a character you would very much meet in a fairy tale (especially if written by Hans Christian Andersen), while the Lava Witch seems like a cross between Pacific Island deities and Norwegian folklore. We know there will be more folkloric and mythic references in the film, so despite this not being "fairy tale" it's still a great opportunity to talk classic tales and how they overlap with our beloved realm of "fairy".

Fairy Tale Bonus of the Day:

Curious about Moana's origins and geographical roots? There's an interesting article that came out at the end of last year, when Moana was still being introduced to the public as Disney's next strong female heroine. It's gets a little technical in the geography versus the language and doesn't cite myth, legend or folklore much so we're not excerpting any here, but it's a fascinating read nonetheless. Go dig into Moana's history HERE at The True Origins of Disney's Moana.

Fairy Tale Bonus 2 of the Day:

A Little Bit About Moana’s Mini Maui

Maui’s body is covered in tattoos and, being a powerful demigod, they’re a bit more animated than your traditional body art. There’s even a tattoo of Maui himself who becomes an actual character in and of himself.

“Most of these tattoos represent his past accomplishments,” says Mack Kablan, Animator Supervisor on Maui. “His deeds of derring-do. And within these visualizations there’s a small figure representing Maui himself, and over the course of creating the story we started to refer to him as ‘Mini Maui’ because he became a character in his own right. He actually has a personality and a relationship with big Maui. He is, first of all, Maui’s biggest cheerleader and supporter. He is Maui’s alter ego, he can be swaggy and confident too, but more than anything else, he’s his conscience.”

The best part about Mini Maui? He’s being animated in traditional, HAND-DRAWN style by the wonderfully silly Eric Goldberg – animator of Aladdin’s Genie! (source)

Forest Rogers' "The Tinderbox"

The Tinderbox (tinted, finished) by Forest Rogers

Another lesser known fairy tale we adore, thanks to the amazing and awe-inspiring magical dogs with eyes of gigantic sizes, The Tinderbox (Hans Christian Andersen), has gotten some special treatment, care of one of our favorite sculptors, Forest Rogers.

She's been sharing her work-in-progress via her Facebook page, as well as her blog but just this month, finished it with a lovely tint method that complements it beautifully.

We admit some envy, along with congratulations of course, for the new owners. This might be our favorite piece of hers yet!

Forest Rogers at work

We're going to include an excerpt from Wikipedia here, on the sources and influences on Andersen when he wrote this literary fairy tale, because they're fascinating and we rarely hear about these other things. Not only that - it's interesting to see just how many fairy tale associations the story of Aladdin had, especially as the tale comes back into pop culture circles again, via the new season of Once Upon A Time.

Although we wish we had time to research these more for you and provide a fleshed out article, time is against us in the ticking past of so many fairy tale news stories. We hope this excerpt will inspire you to delve a little deeper yourself.

Enjoy:

"In-progress" although it looks stunning this way too.

Andersen based “The Tinderbox" on the Scandinavian folk tale "The Spirit in the Candle". In the folk tale, a soldier acquires a magic candle which has the power to summon an iron man to do his bidding. The soldier uses the candle to visit a princess, and summons the iron man to save his life when he is sent to the stake for doing so. In the preface to the second volume ofFairy Tales and Stories (1863), Andersen indicates he heard the tale as a child "in the spinning room, and during the harvesting of the hops."
Andersen knew The Arabian Nights, and "The Tinderbox” bears some similarities with "Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp". Both tales feature a supernatural being inveigling a mortal to enter an enchanted area on promise of rich reward; both tales feature three chambers filled with riches; both tales have heroes refusing to part with a magic luminant and then winning a princess through its use.
The story of Aladdin had a special emotional significance for Andersen. As a poor grammar school student in Copenhagen, he was invited to stay with a prominent Copenhagen family in the Amalienborg Palace. There, he was given a Danish translation of Shakespeare, and wrote in his diary on 12 December 1825:

"It's going for me as it did for Aladdin, who says at the close of the work as he stands at a window of the palace:Down there I walked when just a ladEach Sunday, if I was but allowedAnd gazed with wonder at the Sultan's palace.

Andersen was familiar with and widely read in folk and fairy lore. The princess locked in a tower in "The Tinderbox" has its counterpart in "Rapunzel"; the trail of flour mirrors the trail of grain in "Hansel and Gretel"; and the doors marked with chalk recall those from "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" – another tale from The Arabian Nights.

ABCs "Once Upon A Time" Returns September 25th (Cue Flying Carpets & Lots of Evil Queen)

With yet another version of a "re-set" in which Regina splits herself into her good and bad halves, ABCs Once Upon A Time is set to begin season 6 with the Evil Queen in full force and on the loose, with a mish-mash of "various story worlds" making appearances and a side trip or three into Arabian Nights territory with Aladdin, Jasmine, Jafar, Sinbad and Scheherazade.

While we would love to see some real story spinning, Scheherazade style, we have decided we will settle for her at least being a strong and smart character, who uses her words wisely and well.

Here's a long trailer, shown at Comic Con in July, showcasing the Evil Queen arc (shown for the first few minutes) and a preview of the introduction to Aladdin.

We're very curious to see if this season is as popular with fairy tale fans and to see if it will continue on to season 7.

Barking Gecko Theatre Company's Hansel & Gretel "In A Dark Dark Wood" (Perth, Australia)

West Australian Children's Theatre Company, Barking Gecko, continues its mission of bringing quality theatre to the children of Perth and surrounding areas, with their new fairy tale show In A Dark Dark Wood. The show, a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, uses a modern take, combining live action, shadow puppets and object theater to tell the spooky-yet-magical story.

Hansel and Gretel is one of those tales that makes a huge impression on children and one of the fairy tales children generally remember almost the entire plot of (though often excluding the duck which helps the kids escape, which most modern tellers seem to omit, of not be aware of).

It's pretty neat that the playwright who worked with the creator had traveled the famous Fairy Tale Road in Germany, already aware and immersing himself in the environment out of which grew many of the Grimm's collected tales.

Barking Gecko artistic director Matt Edgerton, who is directing the production, collaborated with award-winning Australian playwright Caleb Lewis on this modern take on the Brothers Grimm fairy taleHansel and Gretel. 

“I was really excited about sort of attacking a Grimms’ fairy tale,” Edgerton said. 

“They’re wonderful stories that have lasted for hundreds of years because they have deep things to say about who we are as humans, but I wanted to do it in a contemporary way. 

“I thought Caleb would be a perfect partner with that because he’s a wonderful lyrical writer, but really playful, and is obsessed with Grimms’ fairy tales; he’s walked the Grimms’ fairy tale route in Germany, reading nothing but their fairy tales as he went.” 

Edgerton said he was drawn to Hansel and Gretel because of its universal themes. 

“There’s something about the central idea around the fear of abandonment which every child knows,” he said. 

“And most adults have repressed it in some way, but it’s still in us. 

“It’s a beautiful story because it explores that in a really full way and finishes with the message that all of us have the power to find our way home. 

“There’s hopefulness at the end and the idea that theatre is a safe place to explore dangerous ideas is true for something like Hansel and Gretel.” 

Barking Gecko admits to having a lot of fun with their version, aimed at children aged 6 and up. There's "fun, magic and an excess of junk food" - what wouldn't a kid love about that?

Here's their description:

In a Dark Dark Wood is a magical fantasy that brings Hansel and Gretel to a new generation in a strikingly original retelling of the Grimms’ classic fairy tale. 

Pippa and her little brother Mo live in a caravan at the edge of the woods. Since Dad hurt his back cutting wood, the family has struggled to make ends meet. Even though they may be poor, the children are gifted with a rich imagination.After Pippa gets the worst birthday present ever and overhears her worried parents talking, she decides the way to help, is to leave. Pippa packs her belongings and takes off into the woods, with little brother Mo hot on her heels.Hopelessly lost in the dark, dark woods, the pair stumble onto a lonely beach and discover a world with no rules and endless ice cream! But all is not what it seems. Pippa and Mo will have to call on all of their imaginative powers to escape! 

With spooky puppets, magical animals and fast paced storytelling, this theatre production will take audiences aged 6 and over through the dark, dark woods and safely home again. 

Recommended for ages 6 and up – Contains spooky bits that may make your knees wobble! 

Running time approximately 60 minutes

Where and when: 

• UWA’s Dolphin Theatre (September 23-24)
• Prendiville Performing Arts Centre, Ocean Reef (September 27),
• Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre (September 29)
• Don Russell Performing Arts Centre, Thornlie (October 4)
• Mandurah Performing Arts Centre (October 6-8)