Grimm Tales

A Dukes Theatre Production In Williamson Park
from 4 July to 9 August 2003

Reviewed by P. Jobsworth for Virtual-Lancaster

We gave themselves a big treat on Friday evening and set off for the enchanted woods to see the Dukes Theatre production of Grimm tales. This production scores highly on numerous points: the beauty of Williamson Park, the quality and enthusiasm of the actors, the opportunity for audience involvement, and the choice of Tales. Told in six scenes, the Tales are an amalgamation of several familiar ancient folk tales (or fairy stories) with dark twists as well as comedic moments. The remarkable cast play music, sing, dance, fight, do puppetry, climb up and down trees, juggle fire, eggs and axes and simulate multiple amputations. It's ambitious but it works!

Ashputtel (better known to us as Cinderella) is a moral, magical story where intervention for the heroine comes when she plants a tree on her mother's grave. A white dove appears to help Ashputtel when she is at the mercy of her stepmother and sisters. This is a mixture of traditional panto, comedy, and dark story-telling, including hilarious special effects, the sisters' ‘cosmetic surgery' and eventual mutilation… Amy Rhiannon Worth has a fine singing voice in the title role, and the music, plus singing and dancing by all the cast add to the strength of this scene, indeed the whole experience.

The Golden Goose is a classic story of the youngest son, ‘Dummling', deemed to be stupid, who turns out to be our hero. Dummling the country boy gets the better of both his big brothers and the scheming and neurotic city folk, by dint of his generosity and native wit shown to great comic effect by the versatile Lisa Howard.

The third Tale, The Lady and the Lion, is a serious, engaging story about duty becoming love and how love can be regained through steadfastness. This stunning, lyrical piece is augmented by the use of beautiful props, mystical intervention from the sun and the moon, and some sexy martial-arts style dancing (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!), good choreography and fine music. With this fine cast it's hard to single out any one actor for praise, but mention must be made of Declan Wilson.

The puppet show, The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage is a warning about what happens when people become dissatisfied with their lot in lives and try to do things they weren't intended by nature to do.

Hansel + Gretel is a highly engaging story – the two children abandoned by their starving parents (after all, they can always have more kids if times improve…) Again, the special effects are great and include some surprises! Watch out for the witch! Like the other tales, this story has a moral message immersed in lots of fun.

The Magic Table, The Gold Donkey, and The Cudgel in the Sack which make up the final scene is a triumph for all the cast: the singing goat (Lisa Howard) is great, full of drama. The magic donkey (Amy Rhiannon Worth) is Michael Jackson with balls, it just knows its shit is gold.
It's another story where the young brother saves the older brothers and gets one over on the bad city folk, with some real comedy; especially when the cudgel runs amok among the audience! Clive Duncan has to take the honours for the night in our view - both brilliantly funny and darkly dramatic throughout the evening as occasion demands - versatile in all his many roles - in this he races round three different parts to great effect - creating a fine sense of folk theatre and freshness.

The overriding sense of fun and engagement by all of the cast combined with the music, dancing, special effects and the setting to make a truly special evening, and the finest Dukes' production we've seen for years. This show is worth seeing twice. Congratulations, the Dukes!