Classic comes to life on the stage.THE children's classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt is coming to life at the Theatre Royal this week. The 20-year-old picture book by Children's Laureate lau·re·ate adj. 1. Worthy of the greatest honor or distinction: "The nation's pediatrician laureate is preparing to lay down his black bag" James Traub. 2. Michael Rosen has been adapted into a play, bringing his words and the colourful pictures of illustrator Helen Oxenbury alive on the stage. The story, as you probably know or have guessed, follows five brave young adventurers and their dog as they embark on a bear hunt across the countryside The book's huge popularity is based on its simple yet effective plot which appeals to children and children at heart. The story combines the adventure of the great outdoors with nature and discovery. The book won the Smarties Smarties may refer to:
The play was adapted from the picture book by director Sally Cookson whose previous work includes Aesop's Fables, Clown and Please Get The Moon For Me. Sally said: "The book has been a favourite in my household since my children were very young and I always thought it would translate very well on stage." Music plays a key role in bringing the book to life. Michael Rosen is well known for writing in a rhythmical style. The music, as well as conveying this, also helps to add atmosphere. Composer Benji Bower described the task of composing the music for the play as enjoyable yet daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin . He said he kept himself calm with the comforting line from the start of the book: "What a beautiful day, we're not scared." This also sums up the feelgood factor in the plot (everyone gets home safely). We're Going on a Bear Hunt is at the Theatre Royal from tomorrow until Saturday with performances at 10am, 11am, 12 noon and 2pm. Tickets from the Theatre Royal box office on 08448 112 121 or online at www.thetheatreroyal.co.uk Cal Sherlock A Macintosh utility starting with Version 8.5 of the operating system that provides a common facility for searching the local hard disk, the local network and the Internet. CAPTION(S): HUNTING The cast of We're Going On A Bear Hunt, above, and one of Helen Oxenbury's illustrations from Michael Rosen's popular children's book. |
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