On Friday a friend spontaneously messaged me saying Help! I forgot I had tickets to a show at 6pm tonight! Can you come with me?
Luckily, for me and for her, I was free and was delighted to accompany her. My delight only increased when I realised what the show was ‘The Steadfast Tin Soldier’ – a one man show that recreates the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson through a wonderful blend of painting, storytelling, music and physical theatre. Thalias Kompagnons would only speak about 100 words throughout the one hour show, but manages to convey a beautiful, funny, moving story through the pictures he paints on what is essentially a very large piece of gladwrap. Have a look here:
I love that stories can exist in so many forms. Stories don’t have to only exist in the book (or film, or play) that they originated in. They can be born again in as many ways as people can imagine them. And every reimagining brings something else to the story – like a snowball rolling down a hill, one amazing, tiny story can transform into a large web of ideas and images and creations that, like a snowball gaining momentum, can’t be stopped.
I love stories being transformed, alluded to, picked apart and stitched back together again. I am sure, in my bookish and storiesque travels, that I will come across another retelling of The Steadfast Tin Soldier. And I can’t wait to see what the story has to add to the snowball.
1001 Children's Books 