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remotegoat.com schools comments  

click on a title for a review

remotegoat.com schools comments  
 

river image - click for media page A montage of traditional acting, puppetry and digital technology woven together to create a rich tapestry that fascinated the children and drew them into the story.

The use of the camera as the children entered the performance area helped them to familiarise themselves with the technology in an interactive way.

The wicked stepmother projected on the screen brought the unpleasantness of the character without the fear and fright.  The shadow puppets on sticks and the overlaying of the stepmother's face was powerful and convincing.

I just love your characterisations - as usual.  The dogs, horses, deer, stepmother, king etc all very believable through your use of body actions and voices.  You both bring to the story such energy and are masters of your craft.

Thank you for yet another story that engaged all our senses and transported us into the magical theatrical story world.

Elizabeth Hill, Headteacher, Hyde Park Infants School

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river image - click for media page

"Magic Old and New Enchants."


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Stories open doorways in our hearts and minds, telling us about other worlds as well as our own, showing us things we think we know and things we know we don’t. A story says, ‘Life can be like this.’ The stories we tell children, safe in their own bed, or curled up in an armchair, offer danger, excitement, possibilities. Bill Buffery and Gill Nathanson of multi story theatre company say that after their wonderful play ‘Little Brother, Little Sister,’ the question most children ask is, ‘What happens to the Wicked Stepmother?’ In other words, do we really live happily ever after? Is evil ever completely overcome (‘Ding, Dong! The Witch is Dead!’) or is there an honest way to prepare children for the inevitable re-emergence of wickedness in another shape, in another place. I think the best stories encourage imagination and resilience to flourish in children, and resilience /ingenuity/courage/kindness will be their best protection as they travel through the forests, mountains and cities of their own story, learning to hope and dream, but aware of shadows and storms.

Multi story’s work is in this best tradition. The old, deep magic of words, conjuring up archetypes (not stereotypes) combines beautifully with the new wizardry of technology, used at Exeter’s Bike Shed to create fairy-tale landscapes – the forest; the river; - and settings - the cottage; the castle. And here’s the wonderful thing, as Gill creates the outline of a building using straws, a child will think, ‘I could do that!’ Some children might even think, ‘I could build a better house!’ and that is a precious gift for a child.

The abundant gifts are both obvious and subtle – simple, effective shadow puppetry; wit and wordplay; music that enriches but never intrudes; projected images capturing first the excitement of the chase, then the horror of the hunt. There are also questions and choices. Is this a play or a story? Children can see that it is OK to question, OK to disagree, and possible to sink your differences to make common cause. These points are lightly, skilfully made.

As Little Brother explores the world and its delights and dangers, Little Sister worries, waits and tries to protect. Hands up those who want Little Sister to have adventures as well. But there are deep, uncomfortable truths here about families and male and female roles. Maybe marriage to the King was once considered adventurous enough for a young woman. Maybe for some, it still is. Sometimes stories show us how things have changed, and how they have stayed the same.

Both actors show a deep awareness of how children see and express things; whether it’s Gill’s angry step-mother’s scrunched grimace and phoney smile, or Bill’s turning his cap back to front, raising his arms for antlers and prancing like an heraldic deer. Later, when the children are back at school or home, I hope they feel inspired to make their own shadow puppets, turn their caps round for the chase and learn animation on their iPads. Magic.

Avril Silk, remotegoat.com

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Little Sister