'The Little Festival' finished on a high note with a fabulous performance of Choon- Hyung by Theatre Seoul. It was a visual treat and thoroughly enjoyable.The child actors were very professional and gave a flawless performance. Children and adults in the audience loved it! It played to a full house.
All three productions at the festival were just brilliant and very different from each other. They catered to children of different ages. "Matti Patti Pu" from Berlin was really fun for the littlest ones in the audience (3 to 6 yr olds) and simply magical!
"The Kingdom of Joomba" appealed to older kids (7 years onwards) and adults. It was very very different and very cleverly done. It was entertaining and had a very strong story line and fabulous music. The use of magnificent masks and giant puppets brought in fantasy and tickled the imagination. The young cast performed beautifully. This was an original script and score from The Little Theatre team.
The Little Theatre is gearing up for the panto in december 2010 and all set to bring you the next edition of 'The Little Festival' in June 2011! Here's to more World Class theatre for children....
Until then, watch this spot!
Campfiretales on September 6, 2010 at Cheria aana...in Expresso
In Indulge, The New Indian Express today!
Creative Workshops for children
- The Little Theatre began in May 1991.
- It was the brainchild of Aysha Rau. She believed that the education system was too stressful for the youngsters and they needed activities that would allow them to ventilate and develop their creative talents. And what better way than by participating in workshops conducted by professionals in dance, drama, art & craft, mime, music, poetry, puppetry, magic, photography, 3 D projects! At The Little Theatre we believe that learning should be a joyous experience. The Little Theatre has an annual membership of around 70 children between the ages of 5 to 14. The numbers are restricted as we feel that it is more productive to work with smaller numbers. The Little Theatre is a registered Trust with an 80 G exemption. We strongly feel that every child has a right to explore his/her creative abilities. The Little Theatre has been quietly helping underprivileged children by conducting similar workshops at the Corporation Middle School, Chetpet. Education scholarships are given to really talented children to pursue further studies. We believe that half the delinquency on our streets today is due to dissipation of untapped talents…
In the Hindu today!
 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Monday, Jun 21, 2010 |
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| Metro Plus Chennai |
Fun takes centrestage
| Chennai's first international theatre festival for children had many creative moments |
RAISING THE BAR Scenes from ‘Choon-Hyang True Love'.
“T hank you,” squeaks a little voice. I drop my notes in surprise, wondering where it's from. Then I look down and see a knee-high kid in pigtails, a frilly dress and big toothy grin.
The rest of the Korean children chime in. “Thank you for coming to our play,” they sing, posing prettily in their bright costumes and big smiles. The audience, filtering out of the theatre is delighted. It's all handshakes and group hugs.
Only Cruella De Vil could give this cast a negative review.
Chennai's first international theatre festival for children, organised by The Little Theatre might have had its hiccups, but in the end it did raise the bar. Children's productions have relied on the cutesy factor for far too long.
‘Kingdom of Joomba'.
‘Choon-Hyang True Love' by Theatre Seoul (Korea's first English Musical Theatre company for children) is remarkable because it isn't fuelled by the aww-factor. Although its cast is undeniably adorable, featuring tiny members who dance, prance and sing with single-minded determination, the production is demanding, pushing each actor to really work his/her roles. No space for random wandering and waving on stage to please proud parents, thank goodness. Even the songs and dances are tight and intricately choreographed, using each child's abilities to create spectacular scenes, featuring drumming, juggling and dancing, all aided by flamboyant props ranging from bamboo fans to sparkly butterflies.
The story, adapted from a Korean tale, is centuries-old. The production, however, takes the best from every age to maximise colour. This works in terms of costumes — the stage is a delicious riot of candy floss with all the vivid sashes, flirty frills and pointy shoes. It's also a smart devise to keep young audiences from getting fidgety.
However, the tale does sit uncomfortably in a contemporary setting.
Choon-Hyang falls in love with nobleman Mong-Ryong. In classic love story tradition, he's the cat's whiskers. He can wield a sword and a fan with equal dexterity. And he's a whiz at b-boying. (Yes. Break dance. And he's good enough to join Gwen Stefani on tour.) Yet, Choon-Hyang is a product of stubborn patriarchy. Her role's reduced to that of a helpless wilting wallflower, waiting incessantly for her ‘master.' (“Look out for Cruella De Vil/ If she doesn't scare you/ No evil thing will.”)
The script, studded with songs, is simple wavering on bland. Yet the spirited cast lifts it with their synchronised dancing, quirky humour and sincere emotion.
‘Matti, Patti and Bue'.
Since the actors spoke in an unfamiliar Korean accent, the words were not always clear, a problem magnified by a poor sound system. However, the actors were so vocal with their body language it didn't hinder the play as much as it could have.
The home production, the ‘Kingdom of Joomba' musical was a spirited, original children's theatre, featuring a script and music written specifically for this festival. Working with masks and flamboyant props, including a cloud of fat bees, it had its moments. Yet, juxtaposed with the Korean production, it did display how much our children's theatre in English needs to improve.
The festival also showcased ‘Matti, Patti and Bu' By Fliegendes Theatre, Berlin. Targeted at the three to six year olds, this short piece of play theatre managed to connect, and a good thing too. Children that age are as concerned about performers' feelings as they are about the emotions of a jam jar.
Marie-Elsa and Rudolf Schmid Drelon use a combination of shadow puppets, computer graphics and audio-visual elements to tell the story of Matti. Sitting at two tables equipped with laptops and lights, with a screen as a backdrop, they tease the audience's imaginations, conjuring up everything from bouncy footballs to fearsome monsters.
The children contribute incessantly. Not always helpfully. For instance as Rudolf dramatically folds a zero into two, to make it into a boat, he asks “What is this?” “A spoon… A chip… half an apple,” the children yell. Then one little boy stands on his seat and squeals definitively, “That's a smile!”
What more can we say? Coochie coochie coo?
In the Deccan Chronicle on Friday June 4th 2010
New trends in theatre find more takers
June 4th, 2010
Earlier, theatre was a means of entertainment which only appealed to the convent-educated, English speaking literati. But with changing times, theatre, along with everything else, has undergone a dramatic transformation and now caters to wider and diverse audience.
According to professionals, the various needs of the audience prompt them to experiment with new theatre forms.
Sunil Vishnu, of Evam, says, “The scenario is changing rapidly. It is no more about what we want to do and what inspires us. It is in this context that theatre has evolved and has become more interactive. We have people watching TV programmes like Lost and when they go for a play, their expectations are high.”
An area that is witnessing rapid growth is children’s theatre, with many veterans in the field taking the initiative to train and scout for young talent. Ayesha Rau, who has been at the forefront of children’s theatre, says, “Plays for children have been around for a long time. There has been a number of musicals for children over the years.”
Youngsters have also found that working in theatre can be of immense value as a learning experience. Recalls Vaishnavi Prasad, who was with the theatre group Impresario, “About three years ago, I performed for a Stage Fright production, called ‘Halloween Murder. The audience helps in solving the case. These plays require a lot of presence of mind. It can be challenging at times, and you have to constantly be in character. Theatre, as such, is independent of cinema and gives you the opportunity to be creative.”
Arjun Suresh, an ardent fan of theatre, adds, “I just heard about the Little Festival that is coming up exclusively for kids. I hope to catch some good plays.”
In the DC today, March 27. 2010. World Theatre Day.
KK's (Gratuipous) Film Kaadhalaagi is releasing next month! Don't miss it! :)
After Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya became a hit, there is spurt of interest in romantic films in Kollywood. The latest to be launched in the same genre is Kaadhalaagi by K.R.Vishwa who has a few Tamil films to his credit. Well known in the short and documentary films circuit, Vishwa says his film explores love in a different perspective. Krishnakumar, Ajay and Roshan Nawas debut as the male leads and Srushti Thange, Amrutha Chabria and Nakshathira play opposite them. Prakash Raj will be seen in a different role this time. The songs are composed by AR Rehana and the background score is by Thaman. A.S.
To see more stills from the film follow the following url:
 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009 |
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Audience feedback on the Panto!
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Rohini and Ajay in the DC on Republic Day, 2010!
From wearing ethnic outfits to taking part in Republic Day celebrations, city youth are all set to show their patriotism `IT'S COOL TO BE PATRIOTIC AND EXPRESS IT'
Af sense of national pride and Republic Day patriotism is in ull flow among city youth. The young crowd is bubbling with excitement about activities like stepping out in fancy finery of the Indian ethnic kind, attend- ing Republic Day parades in their neighbourhood or even installing patriotic songs as their ring tones.
Yes, they're flaunting their patriotism in every possible way on the occasion of Republic Day. As the city buzzes with various RD activities, youngsters are forming groups and attending events like flag-hoisting and even watching the live telecast of the RDay parade from New Delhi.
Confirming this, a final year college student, Lakshmi R says, "I think it's cool to be patriotic and express it. My friends and I will be attending the flag hoisting in our neighbourhood. We will be wearing salwaar kameezes or sarees and a national flag pin the whole day. And the sweets we get at these places are an added bonus!" According to R.
Muthukrishan, a parent who resides in Anna Nagar, the number of events being held in the city on Republic Day, triggers a spirit of celebration among the young generation. "In our area we have youngsters who come with their friends from with their friends from other colonies for the flag-hoisting," he says.
Even when it comes to schools and colleges, teachers say there is no compulsion to attend, despite which the students turn up of their own accord. Jintha Titus, English teacher at Sacred Heart Matric HSS says, "I simply tell my students to try attending the Republic Day celebrations, but we do not compel them. Many of them volunteer to come up with innovative, bright ideas for the RD student assembly.
The students take pride in actually finding out more about it and even discussing it among themselves."
For Rohini Rau, a sailing champion, representing India at an international level is the biggest achievement for her. "I am a very patriotic person. In school I used to look forward to Republic Day every year. But I think the youngsters today are unable to express it the way one would do in countries abroad, because of the rules. I think the rules guarding the national flag should be eased a little so youngsters feel more free to express themselves!" she sums up.
Useful information for Artists visiting the UK
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The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) has this week published details of how it intends to operate some aspects of the Government’s new non-EU migrant cap which will take effect from 6 April 2011.
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