Hare and Tortoise
A hilarious stage adaptation of Aesop's classic fable adapted by Virginia Radcliffe and Deborah Arnott. This wonderfully comic, competative double act leads us through one of the most famous races of all time, making use of bold design music, songs, poetry and puppetry.
Originally performed by creators, this 2009 production sees Licketyspit's first all male cast, the brave Tortoise played by Paul Chaal and the boastful Hare played by Tas Embiabata.
Designed by Ali Maclaurin & Catherine Lindow
Music Tim Brinkhurst & Virginia Radcliffe
Lighting by Jeanine Davies
Audience Comments
Email received from parent, Demi Powell, who has children with additional needs.
I am a mother of two preschoolers with special needs - both very different needs. We were lucky enough to catch Hare and Tortoise last year at the Catstrand in New Galloway and I raved about it to everyone afterwards. We go to see a lot of kids theatre and it was far and away the best thing that I have seen.
My kids have very different needs. My eldest has autistic type difficulties and sensory processing issues. He LOVED the show and the guys were great as they tried not to make loud noises right in front of him as they could see he was struggling with the noise. I think it really helped that the actors came out and spoke with all the kids first as it greatly reduced my sons anxiety and let him know what to expect. He has comprehension difficulties but he totally picked up the story and still talks about it now (making funny ears on top of his head with socks).
My youngest uses a wheelchair and has a moderate learning disability and this was the FIRST time he ever sat through a show without me having to make a sharp exit. He was too young to understand the story, but loved the costumes, music and excellent vocal changes.
So i can totally confirm and support the statement on your website and I'm pleased that you have chosed to make this clear as it is often very difficult for parents/teachers to decide whether something is suitable for their child or not. I have passed your link onto a number of friends with kids with special needs, so hopefully they will check you out.
We've just booked for Magic Spaghetti and are looking forward to it already!
Reviews
...wit, resourcefulness, nimble imagination...magic and surprises...
THE HERALD
Everyone leaves with a spring in their step.
THE LIST
TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT
full review
It may look madcap, but very young children do learn from watching adult theatrical antics.
If there is one thing a very young theatre audience loves, it's watching adults behave like children. And if there is one thing that binds them together, it's a sense of "fairness".
In Licketyspit's new show, Hare and Tortoise, an adaptation of Aesop's classic fable, the childish antics (the clowning skills) of actors Paul Chaal and Tas Emiabata have the youngsters screaming with delight. The sillier, the better. Not that the infant and nursery children are fooled by the illusion of theatricality. The actors enter the stage as actors and show how they become the Hare (a wee pair of tights on the head makes for good floppy ears) and the Tortoise (a basket strapped to the back makes a good shell). This encourages the children in constructing their own make-believe versions of the story when they leave the theatre. Hare, in this version, is proud, boastful and vain - and not beyond a bit of cheating, while likeable, plodding Tortoise is open and honest. Like panto, the audience is divided down the middle into two camps of supporters.
But such is the child's apparent love of the underdog, that quite a few positioned in the Hare camp quickly defect to the tortoise, preferring "Go Tortoise, go!" to "Hare will be there! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" And when the racing Hare, perfectly legitimately, decides to dig his way through a hill ("because hares can dig"), such is the moral fervour of all concerned that the auditorium rings to the "Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!" chant beloved of partisan football supporters when the opposing player takes a dive in the penalty box.
The involvment is total - perhaps over-reaction. "Hare's a terrible show-off. But he's really all right," pleads Tortoise, trying to calm the fervour. And in the end he is "all right" becuse, after much adventure, both cross the finishing line together. This is fair, and moral scruples are drowned in loud cheers.
"Children always take off on Licketyspit," says Morag Tickell, a nursery nurse at Stoneyhill Primary in Musselburgh, East Lothian. "Hare and Tortoise is the company's third show we've seen and they always get this level of involvement as they write so well for children."
Post-show, her nursery charges are seeking out costumes and props to mount their own version. "They're empowered by it becasue they've seen how the actors introduce the show and make up their costumes. We don't have ready-made costumes or props, so there's a lot of problem solving involved and they're quick to direct each other with little adult prompting."
Mrs Tickell is also impressed by the effect it has on children's confidence, as well as their imagination. "Those who wouldn't normally volunteer are often the first to come forward with ideas, and it also has the effect on vocablury. One child asked if he could be the "race commentator", because he remembered the voice-over the production
used. I've seen so many children advance through Licketyspit's shows. The choice of language hits the mark. It helps them find their own voices." Nor is it a transitory experience, she says. "They remember the shows for a long time. They remember the active audience involvement, the enjoyment of learning stories and taking part in their own versions. They get so much out of it; it will give them a lifelong love of theatre."
