The familiar tale of The Boy Who Cried Wolf takes an unexpected turn in I Theatre’s re-imagination of the beloved classic.
Filled with puppetry, masks and songs, the musical created for children aged three and above will explore the perils of lying through the perspective of… the sheep.
Little Day Out catches up with director and writer Brian Seward during a rehearsal to find out how sheep might save the day.
Encourage Telling the Truth
“I once read an article that said when you use a stick to punish bad behaviour like lying, it is not very effective,’ said director and writer Brian Seward.
“The reward for telling the truth is much more effective.”
Inspired by this approach of positive reinforcement, Brian decided to look at the story in a way that encourages telling the truth.
Director and writer Brian Seward
Bored with looking after the sheep, Boy decides to play a lying game of crying out for help “Wolves! Wolves!” Very soon, the nearby villagers will stop believing him – but what happens when the wolf actually appears? How will the sheep save themselves?
“More than telling people the answer, we’re hoping that the play will challenge them to think about the answers.”
Four Sheepish Stars
So, the story is led by a herd of four sheep, played by masked actors Alecia Kim Chua, Joshua Lim, Erwin Shah Ismail, and Daphne Ong.
The sheep’s simplicity and geekiness are played up to comedic levels. And I suppose we can expect a fair amount of knitting to be done during the play.
The Boy will be played by Ghazali Muzakir.
Audiences can expect a fun, fast-paced story filled with physical theatre and laughter, with altogether 17 characters in the story.
The diverse musical styles – from gospel all the way to musical theatre – will take the audience to different countries like Southern France and the UK.
Of course, there will be something in it for both the adults and the kids.
In fact, Brian has found the creative space to weave in another familiar folktale into this story.
Beyond this, Brian is pretty tight-lipped about what we might actually see at the show. So expect some fun surprises!
The Boy Who Cried Wolf will stage at Jubilee Hall from 15 Feb to 19 Mar 2016.
Meanwhile, you can download Little Day Out’s fun activity sheets to complement the show experience!
THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel, Singapore
15 February to 19 March 2016
Written and Directed by Brian Seward
Music Composed and Arranged by Julian Wong
Duration – 55 minutes plus meet and greet
Most suitable for 3 to 13 year olds and families
Tickets on sale from SISTIC
