EATING THE WOLF
The Dark Room, Cnr Pitt and Church Street, Palmerston North
08/10/2015 - 10/10/2015
Production Details
Local emerging artists perform tongue-in-cheek retelling of Red Riding Hood
There was a time when women were stay-at-home mothers, little girls played with dolls and fathers disappeared every day to work. Towards the end of the twentieth century came equality, allowing women to be like the men and go out to work, while also continuing with the household chores.
And once upon a time there was a little girl called Red Riding Hood who lived happily in the forest with her mother. She liked to visit her grandmother and always did as she was told. At least that’s how the traditional story goes. Sarah Delahunty, renown New Zealand playwright and director, has created a parable about feminism through the medium of the traditional fairy story with her play ‘Eating the Wolf’.
One day Grandma has an epiphany, questioning her lot in life she takes control of her own destiny. Red Riding Hood’s mother remaining steadfast in her idealised stereotype role thinks Grandma has gone soft in the heard and dispatches Red Riding Hood to take her grandmother some cake and custard.
As Red Riding Hood traverses to Grandma’s house, she meets a devious and cunning wolf who comes up with an evil plan involving the consumption of the grandmother and Red Riding Hood. Grandma and Red Riding Hood stray off the known path and stumble on unexpected encounters as they journey into the forest. Along the way they meet fairy tale heroines such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rose Red, the Princess and the Frog as well as first generation feminists.
This exciting and challenging play is presented by The Production Co, a theatre company of emerging young artists and early career performers dedicated to producing work that speaks to, inspires and provokes discussion. ‘Eating the Wolf’ not only fits the bill, but does so in a most entertaining manner.
Directed by local drama teacher, Sheridan Hickey, the cast of eleven young adults have enjoyed exploring many familiar fairy tales beyond the one dimensional view of a woman centred fairy tale.
EATING THE WOLF
VENUE: The Dark Room, cnr of Church and Pitt Street, Palmerston North, NZ
DATES/TIMES: 8-10 October, 8pm
TICKETS: Full: $18 / Concession: $12
BOOKINGS: 06 354 5740 or thedarkroomnz.com
Theatre ,
Well presented
Review by Joan Ford 09th Oct 2015
Eating the Wolf is a New Zealand play, first performed in 2005 and originally written by Sarah Delahunty for an all-female cast.
The play is loosely based on the popular Little Red Riding Hood and introduces other female characters from various fairy tales – but the story is not as you know it. It is a brief historical tour of feminism, exploring the internal and at times eternal battle for women seeking to find their place in the world.
Storytellers Rebekah Ward and Krista McJarrow-Keller met theatre-goers upon arrival, creating an instant and satisfying welcome on a particularly cold and wet evening. The Dark Room seating invites close contact for performers and audience.
The student cast of the eight female and three male emerging performers work their craft well, using clear distinct voices that keep an audience engaged throughout. The group moves easily off and on to the centre stage platform strewn with leaves.
Triangular screens are placed on either side of their acting area.
Congratulations must be given for professionalism as actors go behind these screens to change character or costume and re-emerge to a delighted surprise from the audience with each new scene.
The main trio of Grandmother (Cilime Venkateswar), Red Riding Hood (Hem Choksi) and Mother (Aneka Patel) are sure in text, with just the occasional lapse in portraying the difficult roles they have undertaken. They begin well, setting the scene as they prepare for the endless traditional female tasks, such as cleaning, polishing, bottling fruit, baking cooking and sewing.
Grandma soon takes herself to bed, pondering the question, “Why should I clean the windows and soak the handkerchiefs in bleach … just because it’s Monday?”
Mother sends Red Riding Hood off to see Grandmother and along the way she meets the Wolf (Oliver Lodge). True to story, he discovers her destination, and holds her up long enough to get to Grandma first.
Here ends the fairy tale we know. Grandma is on a political mission and no wolf is going to eat her. She turns the bed around and eats him! Grandma will now empower her grand-daughter and they set off to take on a whole new world.
They meet three protesting witches (Pragati Desai, Klemens McJarrow-Keller and Oliver Lodge) – and discover what really happens when a Sleeping Beauty or Snow White is rescued and then dominated by a male.
Red Riding Hood encounters Rose Red (Jamie Fowler) and Snow White (India McJarrow-Keller): two empowered sisters from the 1980s, secure in their belief that they have it all. These two provoke plenty of laughter, something that should have occurred more throughout the entire performance.
The cast tells a story and presents it well.
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