Download A new theatrical work for children aged 6 - 12

Imaginary Theatre’s
A new theatrical work for children aged 6 - 12
Adapted by Mark Radvan from the novel
by Anna Fienberg
“The most revolutionary thing anyone can do in
this life is actually be a nice person.”
The following is the documented outcomes and a brief treatment for the play
Horrendo’s Curse that were distilled over a 4-week development supported by
Queensland Theatre Company and the Australia Council, in August 2014. Imaginary
Theatre have been developing the work since 2010, first as a draft adaptation by Mark
Radvan, then through staging developments with Lucas Stibbard and Neridah Waters,
supported by Brisbane Powerhouse, QUT and Arts Queensland.
The finished work will be for children aged 6 - 12, their parents and educators. It is
envisaged as a medium to large scale work capable of presentations in Playhouse sized
venues akin to APACA A-venues. The work is scheduled to premier in 2016.
A boy named Horrendo lives in a village afflicted by an annual incursion of cruel pirates who steal
everything of worth and take their children as slave labour. To cope, the villagers believe that in order
for their children to survive, they must teach them to be violent, rude and mean-spirited. But Horrendo
is cursed by a wise-woman named Gretel and cannot act as the others do: he cannot swear, hurt or
humiliate anyone or anything. It appears to everyone that Horrendo is doomed.
As the day nears when the pirates will once again attack the village, Horrendo concocts a plan to defeat
the Pirates but the local bully Bombastic and the other children, except for a sickly girl named Rascal,
quickly reject this. When the pirates do arrive, despite Horrendo’s plan, Rascal is taken. Horrendo sacrifices
his freedom by choosing to go with her.
Life on board the Pirate ship is hard, particularly for Rascal. Horrendo becomes the ship’s cook and slowly
wins over the Pirates with good food and kindness. However, the Pirate Captain refuses any way of life
besides violence and selfishness and punishes severely any child who shows weakness.
After a fierce encounter with another
pirate band (The Blue Devils), the Pirate
Captain condemns Horrendo to walk
the plank for making his crew soft and
almost losing the battle. Secretly, the
Pirate Captain stole a treasure map from
the captain of the Blue Devils and has
decided to get rid of the kids to gain the
treasure. Horrendo, this time with the
Children’s support, escapes and with
the help of friendly dolphins, they make
their way to a mysterious island.
They explore the island, which
is dominated by a volcano. They
encounter the Pirates, but minus their
evil Captain. They had decided to mutiny
and left him to the sharks. They also have the treasure map but can’t read it. Horrendo strikes a deal with
the Pirates to help in return for a share of the treasure and safe passage home. The treasure is found
but one of the pirates double crosses them all and claims the gold himself. The Pirate Captain suddenly
appears and it seems that all hope is lost when Bombastic’s pet frog chokes the Pirate Captain, who then
stumbles into the volcano, which promptly erupts. The Pirates and children grab the gold and run for their
lives, all the way back to the Village.
There, an argument breaks out between the villagers (who blame the Pirates for everything), the children
(who want the Pirates to stay) and the Pirates (who are jealous of the villager’s way of life). There’s an
attempt by one of the pirates to double-cross everyone again, but Gretel releases Horrendo from the
curse and he unleashes an horrendous tirade that leaves everyone dumb-struck. He then outlines a plan
that will allow all three parties to live in harmony. They undertake to do so and are left siting at a long table
sharing food and conversation at the dawn of a new era of hope and the forging of a new community.
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There is a philosophy behind the work; all systems are constructed and therefore change
is always possible. These systems, the circumstances in which we find ourselves, are not the only
ones that can or should exist. And sometimes, change happens as an inevitable consequence of the
presence of difference.
This show is scaffolded by a meta-level in which a group of performers prepare and deliver the story
of Horrendo’s Curse. The show starts with a choreographic set-piece that introduces this concept
and leads into the story starting from a point of near catastrophe and mess that is quietly and almost
invisibly handled. The chaotic player’s messes become near-misses via the work of The Fixer - the
player who becomes Horrendo, our hero. Through his generosity and quiet sacrifice slowly chaos
shifts to order and finishes with the players sitting at a long table sharing food and conversation at
the start of a new world predicated on the values that Horrendo (in the story) and The Fixer (out-side)
have introduced.
The form is intentionally theatrical and inventive rather than “finished”. The processes and the
means by which images and moments are created are just as important as their result.
• Show; don’t tell. Direct Dramatisation moves the work away from the storytelling of the book and
brings the stakes and the action to the present and activate the moments and the space, rather
than be described.
• Spilling the story off the stage and into the audience – keeping the story present and “close” to all
the children.
• Relishing the deliciousness of the conceits, the bad behaviour, the imaginative play, the
interaction, the virtuosic comedic and physicality and the mess.
•
“Try to use it 3 times”. Ideally all the elements should have multiple meanings and uses
throughout the show so as to “earn their keep” within the pragmatic and imaginative world of
play that the show occurs in.
• Action style storytelling, the use of cliff-hangers and hiding moments from the audience to create
a tension of suspense.
• Escalation. Situations and moments can be taken through the sublime to the ridiculous. The
performers physical work is informed by the beats and language of animation and cartoons:
stylised reactions, double takes, comedic suprises and reveals, sound effects, slapstick and
incongruous and intentionally anachronistic playful images.
• The subversion of expectation. Avoiding the standard conventions of stories for young people
and stories about pirates and in doing so allowing a more eclectic style within the visual design,
the music and the playing.
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The story of Horrendo’s Curse plays out across a series of “worlds” that are a combination
of physical and emotional or psychic space, they are:
“PERFORMER WORLD”
The theatre space in which the
story is performed and enacted by
a group of players: this is the first
space the audience discovers. It is
a welcoming, playful and dynamic
space. As this is some audience’s
first time in a theatre it acts as a
moment of decompression that
allows for new experience to be
less confronting.
“VILLAGE WORLD”
A place of poverty of spirit, due to the circumstances in which it is found (the raiding by
Pirates), the Village has settled into resignation and embraced a coping mechanism based in
encouraging negative behaviour. It is a broken system, a place of disorder and unhapiness,
accidents and intentional and artful clutter.
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“PIRATE WORLD”
“Pirate World” allows enjoyment the
cliché of Pirates, the freedom to act as
you wish. Bad behaviour, selfishness
and rough play are celebrated. It is the
promise of a pirate story delivered –
swashbuckling, etc. There are sails and
ropes and things to climb and things
that make booming noises. There’s a
sense of play and excitement here.
“CAPTAIN WORLD”
“Captain World”, by contrast is the
actual harsh realities of life on the ship.
It is violent and cruel. It operates solely
for the benefit of those at the top of its pyramid. The mood is less playful and there’s a sense of
genuine menace and danger rather than excitement.
“ISLAND WORLD”
“Island World” serves an opportunity
for things to change, a place in which
there can be new ideas tested. The kids
and pirates form a bond and make a
pact to co-operate for mutual benefit.
The space is murky and has a sense of
things hidden in it’s jungle, it is literally
and figuratively new territory to be
explored. It exists without the influence
of a dominant negative force such as
the Pirate Captain, and when the Pirate
Captain is introduced to it, the world
becomes unstable and eventually
collapses taking the Pirate Captain with it.
VILLAGE WORLD AGAIN
– “THE LONG TABLE”
With the influence of the Pirate
Captain gone, with the possibilities
offered by the new co-operation
between the kids and the pirates and
Horrendo’s way finally being heard
by everyone a new order can begin.
The company sit down in harmony to
share and we are left with an image
of a society at the dawn of a new
and brighter era. This starts to bleed
back into Performer World from the
beginning of the work as we gently
de-enrol and bring the audience out
of the fiction to share in this new
sense of community.
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The sound design and score created for Horrendo’s Curse will draw on a diverse variety
of popular, retro, electronic and a range of cinematic musical styles. The combination of these
eclectic styles will draw on sampling and remix culture to re-contextulatise the cliches from the
pirate and adventure genres, and reframe them in 21st century style, triggered and performed live
by a musician/actor that plays a crucial role in the storytelling and ensemble. This live performance
and manipulation of audio fits the ‘making-world’ of the play. The score will be composed through
character and setting based motifs to build mood and atmoshphere, drive and punctuate action, and
will also contribute comic/foley style sound effects to the storytelling.
THE CHARACTER GROUPS
Within the story there are 3 major sets of characters that are met, the kids, the pirates and the villagers.
THE KIDS
(Horrendo, Rascal, Bombastic, Mischief, Hoodlum)
The children of the village who have, for the past 12
years been prepared for life on board the Pirate Ship.
They are Horrendo: our outsider hero, cursed to not
be able to fit into this world, Rascal: the first follower,
a sickly child who, once shown kindness by Horrendo
becomes his ally and they first to try and make things
change, Bombastic: a bully who is suited to the harsh
and violent world and Mischief and Hoodlum, a pair
of kids who have gotten by simply by not being the
weakest or a threat and who will align themselves
with whoever happens to be in power.
Excluding Horrendo they are all, to varying degrees,
stuck in the world they live in. Bombastic thrives,
Mischief and Hoodlum get by and Rascal barely
copes. Horrendo, by his nature sits outside this
spectrum.
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PIRATES
(The Pirate Captain, Dogfish, Wicked, Squid and The Blue Devils)
The Pirates consist of a similar grouping. The Pirate Captain is an apex
bully, perfectly suited to the world and happy to be on top. Wicked is
another creature suited to the negative world, he is selfish, mercenary
and incapable of change. Dogfish, the first mate is the first of the
pirates to see change is possible, again having been shown kindness by
Horrendo. The other pirate Squid is similar to the children Mischief and
Hoodlum; a middle dweller who will align themselves with power.
The Pirates also fall across a spectrum, the most cruel and violent
being The Pirate Captain, an Alpha-Type who is suited to this world and
can use it to their advantage, Dogfish is the first-mate whose illness
and Horrendo’s actions leads him to seeing Horrendo’s way, Squid gets
by and Wicked is dyed in the wool of negativity that cannot change.
VILLAGERS
(Horrendo’s Mum and Dad, The Teacher, Gretel)
The Villagers are for the most part products of their environment, victims of the cycle of brutality
who have taken on victim mentality and can’t see another way of living. They consist of Horrendo’s
Mum, who believes that tough love and making him try to fit in is the only way, Horrendo’s Dad
who has suffered at the hands of the pirates and is soft, caring and worried for Horrendo but not
capable of defending him, the Teacher, who is responsible for the continued indoctrination of
children into the cycle and Gretel, who acts as an outsider and agent of change through the curse
she places on the village.
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This work is for 5 performers and a performer/musician/technician.
CAST
The story of Horrendo’s Curse contains a large group of characters including villagers, children
and pirates all of whom are performed by a company of six players (5 performers and a performer/
musician/technician who is seen onstage and who sits in, out and beside the action of the piece).
This doubling and tripling of characters is intentional and allows for thematic links and intentional
juxtapositions between the characters each performer plays.
THE BREAKDOWN OF CHARACTER DOUBLING
The breakdown for characters is as follows:
PLAYER 1
The Fixer
Plays Horrendo and a Blue Devil Pirate.
A younger male performer with excellent physical skills.
The concept of the Fixer is explored as a major thematic of the work; it is the poetic and physical
manifestation of Horrendo’s nature – someone who is almost super-heroically helpful and alert.
Throughout the work the chaos and carelessness of the other players leads to a series of physical
lazzi in which the care and agile dexterity of this player “saves” the show: a china vase is caught as
it topples, a chair arrives just in time for another player to sit on it, an obstacle is whisked away just
as it is about to become a trip hazard. Through these carefully choreographed moments we see
Horrendo’s actions rather than simply see a character that doesn’t want to swear or be involved with
the bad behaviour of the others.
PLAYER 2
The Underdog
Plays Rascal and the Blue Devil Captain.
A younger female performer.
The underdog represents those whose voice and presence is not heard in the current paradigm, who
is placed in danger throughout the work and who is the first to start to see that there is another way
of living. This is intentionally contrasted with the Blue Devil Captain, who is a character made for the
current paradigm of violence.
PLAYER 3
The Father Figure
Plays Dad, Dogfish and Hoodlum.
An older male performer.
This player’s arc encompasses Horrendo’s Dad who is a soft and caring man who is genuinely
worried for his son and Dogfish the pirate, who is the first amongst the pirates to see Horrendo’s way.
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PLAYER 4
The Dominant
Plays Mum, The Teacher, The Pirate Captain, Squid and Mischief.
An older female performer.
This player is responsible for the dominant alpha-types that are maintaining the paradigm of violence,
negativity and self-interest. In Horrendo’s Mum this is based on the idea that tough love will help a
child, this is continued by the teacher, whose understanding of education is limited to ineffectual
preparation for the world as it exists rather than the creation of minds that could change it. The Pirate
Captain is the pinnacle of this dominant behaviour, the apex of the current system and therefore
the most interested in maintaining the status quo. The Pirate Captain is eventually deposed and
that behaviour is removed from the game. With that pressure removed Horrendo’s Mum is able to
become gentler.
PLAYER 5
The Disruptor
Plays Bombastic and Wicked.
A performer or either gender, and of non-specific age.
This performer is responsible for disruptive, bullying play, their characters share a similarity in that
they are both suited to the chaotic and violent world. However there is contrasts found in their
journeys: Bombastic shifts from being a bully in training to a reluctant ally of Horrendo and eventually
changes their ways, Wicked, on the other hand is incapable of change and can’t fit into the new order
that is introduced and choses to leave it.
PLAYER 6
The Helpful Outsider
Plays Gretel and delivers the auditory component of the work.
A musician and performer of either gender, and of non-specific age.
This performer is actually an onstage musician, and technician whose work supports and punctuates
the storytelling as well as acting as Gretel the wise woman, whose outsider status and dramaturgical
action are served from “outside” the action of the performance. They act as an ally to The Fixer and
are a force of order amongst the players.
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Imaginary Theatre are Queensland’s dedicated children’s theatre company. Based in Brisbane,
Imaginary create and present world-class arts events and performances for children aged 2-12,
their parents, carers and teachers and advocate for the role of the arts in the lives of children and
families. Established in 2006 as an independent organization, Imaginary have presented work to
over 62 000 children and families across most states & territories in Australia, in South Korea and
India. Their main body of work has included the theatrical adaptations of Anna & Barbara Fienberg’s
‘Tashi’ stories for 4-10 year olds, as well as more recently devised work ‘Look’ for 2-5 year olds, large
scale digital installation ‘Giants Among Us’, a series of early years artists residencies in schools and
the development of a series of new performance and installation works, including Horrendo’s Curse.
Imaginary Theatre has worked long term between Australia and South Korea through relationships
with LATT Children’s Theatre, REM Theatre and now ASSITEJ Korea. Imaginary Theatre is Mark
Radvan, Thom Browning and Fiona MacDonald.
This treatment was developed by the following personnel as part of creative development
DirectorSean Mee
Playwright
Mark Radvan
Associate Director Lucas Stibbard
Designer
Stephen Curtis
Choreographer/Devisor
Neridah Waters
Sound & AV Designer Thom Browning
Animator & graphic designer Pete Foley
Composer
Peter Nelson
Producer
Fiona MacDonald
Stage Manager
Alexandra Miles
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
This project has received financial assistance from the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and was originally
developed with the support of Brisbane Powerhouse.
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