Running Wild is embarking on a UK tour this year and Ink Pellet dropped in on final rehearsals and chatted to the show’s creative team
For those of you lucky enough to have caught Running Wild at the Open Air Theatre last summer, you’ll be delighted to hear that the Children’s Touring Partnership are taking the production on tour around the country from February, with dates through to June. I was fortunate to be invited to sit in on rehearsals at the Hackney Empire studio space, as the finishing touches were being made. The story and the animal puppetry is sure to captivate audiences and am looking forward to seeing the production soon.
Taking the show, and Oona the elephant, on tour has necessitated a development of the story and enabled the use of lighting and scenery changes that were restricted for the OAT production, so if you have seen the show previously, there will be sufficient changes for you to enjoy, whilst you marvel at the skill of the puppeteers/actors.
Michael Morpurgo’s novel, based on a true story, has been adapted for the stage by Samuel Adamson, originally presented by the Chichester Festival Theatre and is co-directed by CFT’s Education Director Dale Rooks and Artistic Director of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Timothy Sheader, with puppetry design and direction by Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié for Gyre & Gimble, both previous Associate Puppetry Directors on War Horse.
Running Wild is the story is of a girl named Lilly, who, whilst on holiday with her mother in Indonesia, takes an elephant ride. But then the tsunami hits… Oona, the elephant, suddenly becomes anxious and runs from the beach deep into the jungle with Lilly on her back. Miles from civilisation, at first there’s wonder, discovery and tree-top adventures with the orangutans, but, as thoughts turn to her mother left behind on the beach, and wild tigers prowl, and hunger hits, Lilly must now learn to survive the rainforest. And then the hunters come…
The lead role of Lilly will be played on tour by three young actors in rotation – Annika Whiston, India Brown and Jemima Bennett – who won the parts though open auditions, and will be accompanied on tour by a chaperone/tutor to ensure they keep up with their studies. Lilly is on stage for much of the show, making this quite a challenge for such young actors, especially as the role demands a wide gamut of emotions and much of her interaction is with the animal puppets. But, having seen the rehearsals, I am sure these three will each make the role their own.
The puppets are incredible – or perhaps more accurately, the puppeteers and their animals are incredible! Drawing upon their experience with War Horse, the Gyre & Gimble team have created a spectacular jungle full of animals. Even in rehearsal, you are quickly drawn into the characters and reality is suspended; for example, the orangutans don’t have legs, but the audience fills that in with their imaginations and it feels like there is a real elephant in the room! Soon you don’t ‘see’ the humans, such is the skill of the puppeteers, often working in conjunction with others on the same character. Oona the elephant has four puppeteers and the larger orangutans two. Chatting with the actors, you can sense the close bonding they have with each other and their animals; synchronising their breathing, for example, adding to the life-like animation.
The Running Wild tour has been made possible through support from the Arts Council and the Born Free Foundation, although this has also meant a development in the script and message carried by the show. The original storyline emphasised the threat to rainforest habitats, particularly for palm oil production, whereas the Born Free team have asked for the show to emphasise the plight of elephants and other animals. Virginia McKenna, a friend of Morpurgo, saw the conservation benefits behind the story, and wanted to get involved. Following consultation with the creative team, Will Travers, CEO of Born Free, proposed there to be less actual riding of elephants in the new touring production, as the Foundation campaigns for this practice to stop, as it usually involves much animal cruelty, and the storyline now has more emphasis on animal sanctuary.
These and many other aspects featured in the show can be incorporated into classroom learning. There is an extensive Teachers Resource Pack available via the www.runingwildlive.co.uk website, with activities and exercises covering various aspects of the KS2 and KS3 curriculum including: Drama and Performance, English, Art and Design, PSHE and Geography.
Check out the tour dates and organise your classroom activities to ensure your school party maximise the benefit from their visit – and look out for Oona making an appearance in town centres during the tour!
Born Free is working to end the suffering of elephants in captivity and to keep elephants where they
belong: in the wild. To help/join them visit www.bornfree.org.uk