A Grimm Day Out

Rain, wind, a tent and a car park do not sound like ideal ingredients for a good afternoon’s entertainment.  However, as soon as the fourth form stepped inside the palatial Mirror Tent in Oxford, they were transported to an enchanted forest – with a handy little crêperie situated on its outskirts. Of course, fairy tales play (played for me, alas) a huge part in all of our childhoods, but just how well do we know these stories?  The actors presented to us the familiar tales of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ but they were cleverly interwoven.  We were treated to the undiluted and almost unrecognisable version of ‘Snow White’.  Some of the stories (such as ‘Death and the Apothecary’ and ‘The Travellers who Stole the Moon’) were entirely new to the audience.  All very edifying but also frightening, funny and bizarre. The cast of six consisted of versatile and talented actors, and it was especially heartening to see Sideshow Bob forging out on his own at last!  For me, the technical wizardry and stagecraft was almost as absorbing as the performance itself, though nothing could beat the sight of the zombies dancing to ‘Thriller’ and seeing some of the boys jump out of their skin.  Boo! Many thanks to the whole year group for making this a really enjoyable day out for the staff, too.  The hardest thing I had to do all day was to decide which delicious topping would adorn my crêpe! JS


Tags: English, Events, Prep, Visits