The Tinderbox

The Tinderbox

by The PlayGround Collective
Based on the classic fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen
Directed by Eleanor Bishop
Produced by Cuba Creative
Original music by Gareth Hobbs

BATS Theatre
25 Nov – 3 Dec, 7:30pm
Tickets: $15/$20
To book: 802 4175 or book@bats.co.nz

The PlayGround Collective’s The Tinderbox is an epic adventure based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale of a soldier who comes upon a magic tinderbox. Can he resist the temptation to use it for evil? Will he find redemption and save the woman he loves? Or will he fall prey to those who will do anything to get their hands on the Tinderbox?

A visual and aural feast, the play creates a world where the enchantment of fairytales meets the horrific reality of war on a backdrop reminiscent of the Wild West – a place where revenge, redemption and courage rein. With extraordinary design by Simon Coleman (puppetry designer of multi-Chapman Tripp winning production The Arrival), innovative and imaginative storytelling devices are used such as puppetry, shadow play and object transformation to create a work with poetic depth and emotional resonance.

The Tinderbox is a coming-of-age story as the soldier figures out how to live in the world. Director Eleanor Bishop notes why the young theatre company were particularly interested in exploring the story: “The transition from being children to adults is an issue that we can relate to. We are all raised on fairy tales that promise the good life - ‘Happily Ever After.’ In the case of The Tinderbox it is in exchange for very little, simply for being a ‘good person’. So as a child we think we will grow up to be very important and rich, a hero. As we emerge from being children, we are struck by the realisation that reality is very different to the fairy tale promise”.

The creative process for The Tinderbox is hugely influenced by the feedback received from other creatives, invited guests and audience goers. The idea of the audience having open opportunity to influence a work is not a new one, however is rarely seen in Wellington theatre.

The first of the works three acts was developed in January 2011 as part of The Peek Party at the Gryphon Theatre. The audience and critical response to this first part of the work was tremendous, playwright Ken Duncum calling it “funny, poignant and consistently inventive”.

Audience feedback will also be encouraged for the upcoming STAB season. Bishop says the reason for active feedback from the audience is “it shows them that the work is really a response to the world around us, and encourages them to make their own connections, and to think about what they are interested in or curious about”. Online blogs and a Facebook page, forms at the box office and discussions with company members after each show will be encouraged to collate the feedback.

From the collective that brought Katydid and the hugely successful The Intricate Art of Actually Caring to Wellington audiences, The Tinderbox promises to be another creatively innovative production that will harness the audience’s imagination.

ENDS

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