Eat Your Vegetables!
If only more plays were written about delicious vegetables like turnips, carrots and brinjals; perhaps more children would be encouraged to eat their vegetables!
Brian Seward’s adaptation of the popular story The Enormous Turnip by Alexei Tolstoy clearly conjures up the magic of rural life. The stage set is simple yet effective – the lovely country cottage and huge vegetable garden transport the audience to the hometown of the Diggorys, simple country folk who yearn to grow the most enormous turnip in the world; thereby winning the county fair, their ticket towards becoming rich and famous.
Enter Eek the Mouse, a tiny creature who dreams of nothing more than to be loved and appreciated. What happens then when tiny Eek almost ruins the Diggorys dreams and aspirations? Will there be a second chance for the poor little mouse?
Seward takes the Tolstoy tale up a notch by introducing wholesome family values such as honesty and integrity. His adaptation of the play also introduces the strong notion that significance is not measured by your size; and that even one as small as a mouse could make a difference as long as he or she is determined and perseveres to the end.
Also noteworthy were the songs, written and composed by Julian Wong. The tunes were catchy, the lyrics meaningful, and the dances easy on the eye. In fact, we even found ourselves humming along to the music way after the play had ended!
The Enormous Turnip is a delightful story and easily enjoyed by audiences as young as 3 and even by children as old as 12.
This was a first for our son Z, who turns 3 in July. He overcame his initial hesitation to enjoy the play thoroughly, even desiring to participate alongside the other children when they were invited up the stage to help with the harvesting of the turnip.
In this respect the play was most successful – it was a clearly engaging experience for the young audience, and many of them were moved by the high level of participation that the play inspired.
Posing with the cast of The Enormous Turnip (third from left): Mr Diggory (Faizal Abdullah), Eek the Mouse (Isabella Chiam), and Mrs Diggory/Magician (Ethel Yap).
I Theatre’s The Enormous Turnip is on till 8 June 2013 at the Alliance Française Theatre. You can book your tickets through SISTIC, call the SISTIC Hotline (65) 6348 5555 or at SISTIC Authorised Agents islandwide. But hurry, as tickets to the ACE! 2013 Festival Lite (showing both The Enormous Turnip and The Magic Porridge Pot) are 99% sold out!
Read more about I Theatre’s Theatre For All programme that brings arts to the wider community and find out how you can do your part.
To extend your little day out at The Enormous Turnip for your children, you can have hands-on Fun with The Enormous Turnip and The Magic Pot Activity Sheets!
