Sarah Jones discovers a children’s classic from Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde’s book The Selfish Giant was brilliantly brought to life by Wrongsemble at The Pound Arts Centre over the weekend. This was the most amazing show, with a cast of two and a simple – but clever – stage of three walls.
For those like me who have never read the book, it’s about a selfish giant (Oscar) who won’t let children play in his garden until he learns from a young girl (Evie) that kindness always wins over selfishness. There was a deep moral in the story that is wonderfully told through song and very good humour, meaning that it can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
While the age range for the show was 3-7 years, I actually think a three year old would not be able to interpret the story, although they would certainly enjoy the singing and action. However, my five year old really enjoyed the production and is now obsessed hunting down ‘polite notices’ saying Keep Out – something the giant had used to cover the boundaries of his garden. My seven year old, meanwhile, took slightly more from the story about not building walls and accepting people.
The show was just short of an hour long, with no interval. It ended with a special treat where by children and adults were invited on to the stage, now set up as the giants garden, with clothes for children to dress up and the chance to meet the cast.
I would highly recommend the show. In fact, I would highly recommend anything now from the fantastic family theatre company Wrongsemble. Meanwhile I’ll be hunting down the book – It must have been a good play as I want more!