the tinderbox - norwich puppet theatre · a new interpretation of the tinderbox. ... metal objects...
TRANSCRIPT
What sources were your inspiration for the new
Norwich Puppet Theatre Tinderbox show?
The original story by Hans Christian Andersen was the primary source of inspiration:
As this was a devised script we referred to the original text throughout the development
and rehearsal period.
Hans Christian Andersen was a master storyteller and very unusual for his time in
that he used ordinary language, which made the stories accessible to everybody.
We used elements of the translation by Diana Crone Frank and Jeffery Frank in the
final script.
Inspiration also came from the objects and materials that we used during a research
and development phase. As director I had gathered together some found objects
and materials that I thought would be good to use as starting points in developing
a new interpretation of the Tinderbox.
Because this story has lots of reference to money copper, silver and gold coins
I wanted to incorporate metal objects and metallic finishes into the set and
puppet design. All the puppets and masks have metal objects on their heads
the soldier has a an old half pint measuring cup which looks just like a helmet
and the princess has the top of a sugar shaker, which makes her look like she
is wearing a crown and the King and the Queen are wearing salt and pepper
cellars as crowns also. Metal objects are used in the construction of the
city and form the buildings in the animated city. If you look carefully
at the pictures you can see that the buildings are actually metal pots,
jugs, there’s a cheese crater and real clock!
I was keen to incorporate other natural materials such as wood
the soldier, the princess and the littlest dog Russell are made from
wood and form a set. This was because at the end of the story the soldier
and the princess finally meet and runaway together carried by the dog on
his back.
Russell is the first of the three dogs to carry
the princess to the soldier every night in her
sleep.
The revolving table which we use as part of
the set is also made from wood and there is a
real willow tree in the middle.
The tree is used throughout the story the soldier starts his journey being
lowered down on a rope into the tree, by the witch to fetch the tinderbox,
we use the tree to support the soldiers house in the city, the princess uses a
rope swing in the tree and finally it becomes the gallows prepared for the
soldiers execution.
A short interview with Norwich Puppet Theatre
director Joy Haynes about her new production
of The Tinderbox
The Tinderbox
In the performance the witch draws in the salt on a light box to summon the soldier to the forest. She
returns to the light box throughout the story drawing the city and finally creating the little house made of
twigs that is to be the soldier and princess’s home in the end.
Alison Harvey and Suzie Hanna the Animators also used salt to create many of the animations. The two
dogs Flicker and Shudder were drawn into salt using a feather, in the same way that the witch does in the
show, and then slowly animated frame by frame to develop the beautiful moving sequences that you see.
We were interested in exploring how to integrate two dimensional animated sequences with live
puppetry and performance aspects. This show is unusual in that we use projections throughout. The
animated sequences were developed from a story board, which grew out of the initial research and
development phase and presents the woodland and city scenes and the soldiers journey from one to the
other and some of the magical dogs. In our interpretation, the Tinderbox dogs (Russell, Flicker and
Shudder) have a connection with the witch and all the elements we use to tell the story so they appear in
a variety of ways. The challenge for us was to give the illusion of magic as they appear and to translate
the different scale of each of them: Russell has eyes as big as saucers and is a puppet made from wooden
kitchen utensils and metal objects a key for a tail and metal ears and of course saucer eyes, Flicker with
eyes as big as pinwheels and Shudder with eyes as big as the Round Tower of Copenhagen are presented
using traditional shadow puppetry through to fully animated sequences using the salt.
As part of the process of design I am interested in the way objects
and materials can be used in multiple ways to convey different
ideas.
The witches head is made from an old flint that we found in the Theatre, the flint has a hole
in it making it look just like a face.
When designing the set, puppets and animations for Tinderbox we were
influenced by references in the Hans Andersen story to the enormous
round eyes of the dogs and the circular copper, silver and gold coins and
used this shape for the screens, the revolving table top and used the drum
both as a stage and projection screen. I also wanted to convey a sense that
the soldiers destiny was being guided by the witch and that it is she that
sends him on an adventure full of action, opulence and extravagance and
extremes and then brings him back full circle to a simple life at the end,
when he and the princess share the little house made of twigs together.
The Hans Christian Andersen story is not a moral tale the soldier is not
punished for chopping off the head of the witch or enjoying being rich, but is also not presented as
selfish he gives money away and his generosity is ultimately the reason why he loses everything. He is
very human easily beguiled by riches and beauty, straightforward and without malice.
The Tinderbox production moves from the muted greens, gold and browns of the woodland to the
mad brightly coloured city environment. When thinking about how to approach the colours and shapes
for this production I was inspired by the work of Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser
who was an Austrian artist born in 1928. He had an original and unruly artistic vision which expressed
itself in pictorial art, environmentalism, philosophy, architecture and the design of coins, postage stamps
and flags. The common themes in his work utilised bright colours, organic
forms, a reconciliation of humans with nature, and a strong individualism,
rejecting straight lines.
Critical to the success of any performance is the skill, commitment and vision
of the people involved maybe most particularly in a devised piece when
there is no set script to begin with. Seonaid Goody and Paul Preston Mills are
the puppeteers and were very inspirational and fundamental to the
development of The Tinderbox.
As a Director I think it is vitally important that the performances are truthful and that the performers
feel some sense of ownership, which will enable them to go on developing and enjoying the performance
long after the rehearsals have finished.
What was the start point for you in devising
the Tinderbox show?
We started with a period of research and development with all the people that
were involved in creating the production including the puppeteers, animators and
composer Phil Archer. We started with the objects and materials and spent 3 days playing with
things to develop the narrative and design ideas. We discovered things like the flint witch head and
decided to interpret the original story a little differently giving the witch a more significant role. In the
Hans Christian Andersen tale she is beheaded and dies, but we felt that she provided the opportunity
for the soldier to start his new adventure. We wanted to give her an important magical presence
throughout the performance so her head reattaches to the puppet body and she guides the soldier
on his way using the salt to draw maps and pictures.
Can you outline the process that you went through
as a director to create this show?
Consideration of the text
Bringing together a creative team to include the puppeteers in Tinderbox
there are two performers, the animators, composer, puppet and set makers
and production manager
Collecting together relevant objects and materials and researching ideas and
themes
Research and development week a practical exploration of how the objects
and materials could be used to tell the story and developing the design and
the style of the performance
Developing the story board and liaising with the animators and the
composer
Designing and building the puppets and the set with makers
Rehearsal to develop the script and the action
Integration of all the technical aspects including lighting sound and projected
animated sequences
What is your favourite part of the process?
The design, building and rehearsal. I like things when they are unfinished and in process, when things
are changing and being developed.
What is your least favourite part or the most difficult part of the
process?
I don’t have a least favourite I enjoy it all, but I do get nervous about first performances. Every aspect
can be challenging, although I really enjoyed making Tinderbox with the rest of the team. It takes me a
long time to refine ideas to express things to an audience in as simple and straightforward a way as
possible.
What is your favourite part of the show?The little shadow people in the rain when the soldier has lost everything in the city.
Are there any things that you would like to do differently or bits
about the show that you would like to change?
Of course
I think creating a new show is a bit like starting a journey. Shows I have created in the past I have
gone on working with and making changes to for many years. It is difficult in a short time frame and
under pressure to make your best work. Things will always occur to you later and it is good to go back
it keeps the performance fresh.
I would like Tinderbox to have a long life and to be able to refine it, go on finding new surprising
things and changing elements working with the artists involved.