Circle of Tales

Presented by: Puppetcraft

Sat 17th Mar 2012 to Sun 18th Mar 2012

Price: £3.50 - £22.00

Running time: 50 mins

Ages: 4+

for stories, asking friendly and fierce animals if they could help, but none knew any stories,

or even what stories were.

After hunting up and down mountains, through thick bush, meeting many scary and funny creatures, Mazanendaba was

told by a wise elephant where

to find the secret of wonderful

tales to tell...

Come at 1.15pm to participate

in a music workshop and be part

of the show! - for all the family

age 6+ £3.50

It all started so long ago that it is impossible to remember when. There were no stories at that time. One day, a woman called Mazanendaba, set out to search for stories, asking friendly and fierce animals if they could help, but none knew any stories, or even what stories were.

After hunting up and down mountains, through thick bush, meeting many scary and funny creatures, Mazanendaba was told by a wise elephant where to find the secret of wonderful tales to tell...

Come at 1.15pm to participate in a music workshop and be part of the show! - for all the family age 6+ £3.50

Back to his roots.

John Roberts, artistic director of PuppetCraft tells of his journey to make his latest show.

For over 21 years I have been turning stories into puppet shows, drawing on myths and original tales from all around Europe. At the start of last year I won a grant from the Arts Council to go back to my roots. I travelled to South Africa where I spent a month collection traditional crafts, recordings and photographs to inspire the look and sound of the show. At that stage I had no story, so I linked up with one of Africa's most popular storytellers – the dynamic Gcina Mhlophe. For three weeks she told me about a thousand stories, from all over Africa, drawing on her huge remembered collection. We chose a creation myth from Cameroon to start the show, and linked it to a southern African story about how the first story came to be told. While in Africa I commissioned a renowned artist David Phoshoko to carve a woodcut that has been used for the publicity image.

Back in England I worked with a team of superb makers to carve, sculpt, bead and paint the 35 wooden and wire puppets, all based on the crafts I had brought back from South Africa stuffed in my suitcase. It took us five months to make everything, including a portable stage, scenery, costumes and lighting before the show was complete and … rehearsals could start.

Music has became an important part of the show, gluing it all together with a wonderful laid-back rhythm. Lucky for me I have linked up with Chartwell Dutiro, a Zimbabwean master-musician, now living in Devon. The music is created live on the mbira - an ancient African instrument, made from a plank of wood with metal prongs that are plucked by thumbs and finger, that produces a sparkling, melodic sound. Chartwell has been playing this instrument since he was 4, and he has toured the world with the legendary Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, performed at WOMAD and for the Royal Shakespeare Company…and much, much more.

We call the puppet show “Circle of Tales”. It is told with African and English language and since its premier in October the show has been yo-yoing up and down the country bringing a little glimpse of African craft, music and story halfway across the world to Britain.

Come at 1.15pm to participate in a music workshop and be part of the show! - for all the family age 6+ £3.50