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A play for Key Stage 1
Created & Directed by Tim Baker
Designer: Max Jones
Cast: Catrin Aaron, Griff Jameson, Alex Parry, Laura Penneycard
Stage Manager: Tina Middleton
This production toured to schools in Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham and Cheshire during March and April 2005.
Flights of Fancy took five myths and legends and presented them in an exciting and visual way designed to capture and stretch the imaginations of children. We used live music, song, puppets and poetry and a range of theatrical techniques to explore the stories.
There are five stories in all:
The Wild Swans
This is a Hans Christian Andersen story and features a young girl called Eliza. Her brothers have been turned into swans by their evil step-mother and they travel from land to land in a quest to find out how to break the spell and turn the swans back into her brothers. Eliza has a dream in which a fairy tells her she can save her brothers by knitting each of them a coat of nettles but the nettles must come from a graveyard. When she is caught foraging in a graveyard she is accused of witchcraft and taken to a place of execution where she will be burned at the stake unless her brothers can save her.
The Changeling
We have created this story from a number of different sources. There are many stories of babies being stolen and changelings in Welsh myths and legends and this story is a kind of combined version.
In it a character called Mary Williams destroys a fairy ring by ploughing it and planting corn and in revenge the fairies take her baby and replace it with a monstrous changeling. She is then set a series of tasks to complete in order to bring her baby back. The most distinctive feature of this presentation is the use of a double headed puppet to represent the two babies.
March’s Ears
This is a story exactly as handed down and is a story about fairy mischief. In this case fairies have replaced the king’s ears with horses ears. To keep his secret he executes every barber who cuts his hair until a young boy appears – very handy with a pair of scissors and he trusts him with his secret. Unfortunately the secret begins to eat the boy up and eventually he tells the secret to the earth. Immediately magic reeds spring up and when a piper cuts a pipe from one of the reeds to play at the King’s Ball, what comes out of the pipe is a voice saying the king has horses ears. At first furious the King is persuaded that to admit he has horses ears is his most dignified option and comes out of the experience a changed man.
Rhys and Meinir
This is one of Wales’ most famous stories. There are no elves, pixies or goblins in it. It is simply a heart rending story. It was customary for the bride to hide on the wedding day and for the guests to find her and bring her to the groom in the Church but Meinir was never found. They searched high and low and eventually Rhys searches himself for days. With his heart breaking he sits under the old hollow oak where they used to play as children. The heavens open and in the storm a bolt of lightning splits the tree open revealing Meinir’s skeleton still in her wedding dress. Rhys dies of a broken heart.
Taliesin
This story is told through a song telling the story of when Ceridwen made a potion so that her son would be wise. Unfortunately a servant boy swallows the elixir, becomes wise and a chase ensues during which they change into various animals. Eventually the servant becomes a grain of corn and Ceridwen becomes a hen that eats it and then gives birth to a baby boy. He grows up to be Wales’s great poet Taliesin.
Comments from teachers.
“Congratulations on a wonderful performance. The children were entertained the whole way through. It was wonderful.”
Ysgol Acrefair
“A magical performance which held everyone’s attention from beginning to end. Truly inspiring! “
Hafod y Wern Infants
"An absolutely fantastic performance that was thorough enjoyed by both the children and the staff! The enthusiasm and great talent displayed, kept even the liveliest children captivated! Thank-you."
Nannerch VPC
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