Theatrical Play: Fantastic Mr. Fox

22nd May, 2009

It was going to be the first time at the theatre for some children and our teachers have been pre-empting them about the environment – that it may be dark, loud and noisy. Daring and inquisitive as they may be, we set off for Ulu Pandan CC Theatrette on the morning of 22nd May, 2009 (Friday) for the theatrical play “Fantastic Mr. Fox”.

When we arrived at the performance venue, we were greeted by 2 cast members dressed as a farmer and the farmer’s wife. Group pictures were taken with 2 of the show’s characters in the background. A few children blubbered as the lights were dimmed and the giant characters appeared on stage but were soon engrossed in the show after being consoled by their teachers.

The show was about Boggis, Bunce and Bean - one fat, one short and one lean, different in looks but equally mean. They were 3 greedy, loathsome farmers out to make life miserable for Mr. Fox, his family and their animal friends. The farmer trio devises devious plans to drive the animals away – they hunt them, they bring in their shovels and dogs and big machines to dig them out, they camp out for days on end at the foxhole hoping to starve them out!

What can Mr. Fox do? The fate of the animal folk are in his cunning hands and it’s up to him to outsmart the mean farmers with some “digga-digga-dig” antics. As the play progressed on, our children were exposed to ideas of community and team work. They were encouraged to problem solve and think out of the box. At the end, Mr. Fox, his family and their animal friends’ self-belief, perseverance and determination prevailed. We believe our children have benefitted from this theatrical experience. Though the younger ones may not fully understand the story, it exposed them to a new dimension of story-telling and we trust it is also a positive experience for them.

see more pictures in Facebook