Tin Soldier and Other Plays for Children

adapted from (The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen) A Tasty Tale (Hansel and Gretel) Hood in the Wood (Little Red Riding Hood)

Noel Greig, David Johnston, Hans Christian Andersen

• Publisher: Aurora Metro Books
• eBook ISBN: 9781906582227
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

A collection of three enchanting plays adapted from popular fairy tales and suitable for family audiences:Tin Soldier (adapted from The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen), A Tasty Tale (Hansel and Gretel), Hood in the Wood (Little Red Riding Hood).

Acclaimed playwright Noel Greig, has recreated these well-known tales for the stage with wit and imagination. All three plays have been performed throughout the UK by Tangere Arts, winning a Time Out Critics' Choice Award.

Teachers, youth theatres and amateur groups working with young performers will use this collection time and again for productions, drama classes and workshops - whether for one performer or many.

Suitable for children aged 7+

The simple form and language of the plays belie their theatrical and psychological sophistication.

Tin Soldier
' a powerful poetic drama, an epic fable for our times.' **** Independent

A Tasty Tale (Hansel and Gretel)
' Delicious moments... fashioned into a rhyming feast.' **** Time Out

Hood in the Wood (Little Red Riding Hood)
' a first-rate piece of storytelling that will make children squeal with terrified delight and parents shiver with recognition. ' **** Guardian

A Tasty Tale –

the true story of Hansel and Gretel

First performed by Tangere Arts in East Midlands Schools in September 2007. Featuring Gary Lagden and Lewis Gibson, directed by David Johnston with music composed and played by Lewis Gibson.

A river bank. A picnic table, two chairs and a hamper. Two plates with knives, forks and napkins. A large menu with the word ‘Menu’ printed on it. A covered dish with a sign saying ‘Pudding’ on it. A fishing rod and line.

A Musician sits on one of the chairs. As the audience enters he plays music.

The lights go down. The Musician stretches and yawns. He closes his eyes and sleeps. He snores a little. He laughs in his sleep. In his sleep he utters a couple of little ‘quacks’.

We hear – off-stage – a couple of happy ‘quacks’.

Duck enters. He wears a Hawaiian shirt with a pattern of feathers; a pair of baggy shorts; a pair of yellow flippers; swimming goggles. He swims into view, executing some fine strokes and uttering a few ‘quacks’ along the way.

Duck is about to exit. He stops mid-stroke and slowly turns around. He looks at the table. He swims back, climbs out of the water, shakes himself and crosses to the table. With a look to us – as if asking our permission to sit at the table.

The Musician looks at Duck. He plays some soothing music. Duck sits. He does not notice the Musician. For indeed, the Duck is his dream.

DUCK

It’s not often a duck gets to
Sit at a table. We’re not taught to
Eat off a plate with a knife and fork,
And we don’t really feel able to
Pick up a menu and order a meal.

But before you dismiss us as having no
Manners, and turn up your nose just because
You suppose all we’re fit for
Is fishing for worms in the river,
Here is something you ought to consider.

We are wise.

Don’t look so surprised
And laugh up your sleeve.
You might not believe that
A creature who walks with a waddle
Has serious thoughts.
But if I hear you saying that
Ducks are just Daffy,
You will hear me reply
That I think you are just talking twaddle.

He tucks a napkin into his shirt. He picks up the menu and reads it. As he does so he lets out an occasional – and distressed – ‘quack’.

Duck soup with fresh cream,
Roasted duck with spring greens,
Crispy duckling in sweet cherry sauce.
Duck salad with celery,
Duck dumplings with dates,
Duck griddled,
Duck grilled,
Duck garnished with grapes.
(He slams the card down)
Well!

You will find that a duck is a
Calm kind of creature.
An occasional quack,
A bit of a flap or a flurry,
But I’m finding this menu
A bit of a worry.

Well, how would you cope
With a meal that’s made up
Of a list of your friends and relations
– a chum,
Or even my mum
Or my very best mate –
All done to a turn
And dead on a plate?

So you won’t be surprised
When I say that I’ll stay
With my usual diet of weeds
And of worms in the river

He gets up. Then notices the dish that says ‘Pudding’. He looks to us, as if asking advice, then – with a nervous ‘quack’ – starts to lift the lid. Then changes his mind and quickly replaces it.

‘Pudding!’
Well – puddings are safe,
They are sweet,
There’s no meat in a pudding
– I’ll risk it!

He bravely lifts the lid and looks at the plate. He holds up a gingerbread man.

It’s a biscuit!
All made out of ginger!

A gingerbread man!

Well, here’s a real treat!

Something safe I can eat!

(Sings)

Gingerbread man I’ll eat your arm,
Gingerbread man I’ll eat your leg,
Gingerbread man I’ll eat your feet,
Gingerbread man I’ll eat your head.

He makes to eat the gingerbread man. Then he stops.

But…

Gingerbread man I cannot eat you
Gingerbread man I’m full of fear,
Gingerbread man reminds me of
The terrible tale I heard last year.

Shall I tell you?

But…

It’s a bit of a fright,
And I’m worried it might
Give you dreams that disturb
In the dead of the night.

Shall we risk it?

Well all right.

It was one winter’s night,
Right here
On the bank of this river.

The waters are wide
There is ice in the air
And the wind makes you shudder
And shiver.

And a boy and a girl
Standing there, hand in hand,
Crying out ‘Mister Duck, won’t you help us?
There isn’t a bridge and there isn’t a boat
And we cannot swim and we wouldn’t float,
And we must get home as soon as we can,
But we don’t know how and
We haven’t a plan.
Mister duck, Mister duck won’t you come to our aid?
We are Hansel and Gretel,
We’re alone, we’re afraid’.

Well…

What would you do?
If you were a duck
And you saw two young children
So down on their luck?

Exactly… you’d do as I did.

So onto my back the little ones leaped
And I started to paddle out into the night.
But it wasn’t as easy as you might be thinking
– In a minute or two we’d all started sinking

Now ducks never sink – we float and we glide –
We ride high on the tide and we do it with pride,
But now with a ‘gurgle’ and ‘glug’ we’re descending
To watery graves and there’s no use pretending

‘The problem’

– I said as we sank like a stone –
‘Is that Hansel’s too heavy,
I’ll take Gretel alone:
You’ll just have to wait
On the bank of the river
– I’ll deliver your sister to the other side,
Two at once is too much
And the water’s too wide’

And here is a curious thing that I noticed
– While Hansel was plump as a pumpkin,
His sister was thin as a rake –
– There could be no mistake –
He’d had far too much of
Puddings and pastries and pies,
While she was half starved
– Like a twig with two eyes.

‘Take me first, take me first!’
Hansel started to shout,
‘Don’t leave me alone
While the witch is about!
She’ll catch me and cook me and
Have me for dinner,
She won’t want my sister,
For she is much thinner’.

Now witches are things that we ducks
Don’t believe in.
And part of our wisdom
Is not to give in to
Those stories that children
Are so eager to hear
About things going ‘bump’ in the night
And that fill them with fear…

So when good little Gretel
– All skin and bones –
Said ‘There is no witch, Hansel,
You have nothing to dread!’
I said ‘Sensible child,
That was very well said!
So I’ll swim you across
From this bank to the other,
Then turn right around
And come back for your brother’.

And the moon came up as we crossed the water,
Like a rind of lemon in the sky,
‘Hang on to my feathers little child’ I said,
‘They’ll keep you warm, I’ll keep you dry’.

And she whispered into my ear, ‘Dear duck,
There really, really wasn’t a witch,
My brother just dreamed that story up.
I hope you believe me,
I’m telling you true,
All his talk of the witch is
A lie through and through’.

‘Well now Gretel,’ I said, as I paddled along,
‘I can see, at a glance, you’re the sensible type,...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Introduction
• Tin Soldier
• Tin Soldier – Notes on the Play
• Hood in the Wood
• A Tasty Tale
• Biography
• Other Works
• Copyright
• Back Cover