Children's theatre is a unique offshoot of normative
theatrical practice. The dependency on conventional narrative delivery is
lessened and the performance instead employs a looseness that allows for, say,
the introduction of a rapping explorer in comically over-sized glasses. Scottish Youth Theatre's Family Storytime shows are aimed at children aged
between 3 and 7. At such a young age it goes without saying that much of the
traditional ways of consuming theatre -sit quietly in the your assigned seat-
has not yet been engrained onto their psyche (although this reviewer finds them
better behaved than a lot of adult theatre audiences...). The gang over at
Family Story Time realise this and not only do they offer a colourful, engaging
and easy to follow story but they present the children with opportunity after
opportunity to get involved in the story.
This current season of Family Storytime are all based around the timeless fables of Aesop (each season is based
around a different theme; we have recently had fairy tales, rare tales etc.).
Aesop's fables survived for two connected reasons; their brevity and their
strong morals. This makes them perfect fodder for the Family Storytime treatment;
in this weeks tale The Lion and the Mouse
they spend 20 minutes of their 45/50 minute show simply taking a tour of the 'safari'. The
children were -of course- on board the bus the entire time. It is telling that
it is the product of a Youth Theatre; that inherently understands what children
want, which is simply to run around and make noise. What better opportunity to
do this than by encouraging them to pretend to be monkeys?
A constant musical rhythm is
maintained throughout the entire show that keeps the involved in the changing
plot, although they may have to stay pretending to be those monkeys, they have
got to get back on that bus, as the song (and the show) must continue. This is
maintained throughout the entire performance; sure, the songs change but the
beat is constant. At moments were there was a threat of disengagement from
their audience, the performers are well trained and canny enough to realise
this and engage with them on a one-to-one level. For instance, one child who
did not involve himself with any of the interactive elements was asked (along
with several of the other children, he was not singled out) what animal he was.
His response to this was 'An evolved ape' which, whilst being a particularly smart answer, nonetheless demonstrates
an involvement with the text on display. Family Storytime is an innovative and
engaging way to introduce children to theatre, with 5/10 minutes at the end of
every performance dedicated to the children storming the stage and 'playing'
(in the theatrical sense, perhaps?) with the props. Each and every show not
only presents a fun story for kids to enjoy but also encourages imaginative
thought and, importantly, an introduction to the art of performance.
Sean is a member of SYT's Young Reviewers group. A group of young people who study
theatre and they are passionate about performing arts for children and young
people. If you want to take part or to find out more, you can email
kyriakosv@scottishyouththeatre.org.
