THE traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood has been given a modern twist as the MAC theatre’s annual Christmas show returns.
Written and directed by Patrick J O’Reilly and produced by the MAC, the show follows a feisty Red Riding Hood (Naoimh Morgan) as she embarks on a journey through a fairytale planet.
“I really loved the twist in the story,” Naoimh explains.
“It takes the classic fairytale but gives it a more modern and relatable narrative.
“Red has quite a modern, cool dynamic to her – she’s quite quirky and fun but during the show she loses herself a little bit so it’s a journey for her in more ways than one.”
Racing to deliver a festive hamper to Granny Hood (Ash Ashton) Red finds herself in a whirlwind of mistaken identities and familiar faces, including porridge stealer-turned-media sensation Goldilocks (Catriona McFeely) and a Big (though perhaps not-so-bad) Wolf (Jay Hutchinson).
“Similar to Red, the Big Bad Wolf goes on his own little journey where he discovers that, really, at the end of the day, he is just a wolf and unfortunately he eats people,” laughs Jay.
“But I think those comedic elements really help the show appeal to both adults and children so I’m looking forward to the rest of the run and seeing how people respond.”
In addition to its modern take, the production has also added a few new additions to the story including Jack Horner, Timmy the troll and the mysterious child catcher, all played by MAC Christmas show veteran Jack Watson.
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“It’s great to be back working with such an amazing team,” Jack enthuses.
“The music by Garth McConaghie is beautiful, Patrick’s script is really tight, funny and fast paced and the team have done an unbelievable job with the projections – it’s just magic.”
Speaking on the inspiration behind the show, writer Patrick added: “We wanted to give Red a voice that speaks to the digital age with themes of identity, connection and courage that kids encounter every day.
“We’re excited to reimagine this timeless story for families of today, when our fairy tale planet breaks through the ‘digital screen’ bringing you an unforgettable theatre experience.”
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Although reinventing such well-known roles can be a challenge the cast are looking forward to offering up their own versions of theses iconic characters.
“It’s so exciting,” says Naoimh.
“People will come with this preconceived notion of how Red should be and we’ve kind of done the opposite which actually means there’s less pressure because there’s more room to explore.”
Similarly, Jack believes the “twists” within the characters add a uniqueness to the story.
“They all kind of fit into a cohesive unit within the show so we’re all doing a different spin on the characters which may not be what the audience expects but hopefully they enjoy.”
Having just finished their first performance in front of a captivated secondary school audience it’s appears that the run is off to a good start.
“The first show is always strange, your battling nerves and everything but it was really good for us to see how it would be received,” Naoimh says, breathing a sigh of relief.
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Jay adds; “When you go through the stages of rehearsals you spend a lot of time in rooms with none of the amazing set or anything so actually getting onto the stage and in front of an audience felt great.”
Between the captivating onscreen visuals, detailed set design, intricate costumes and stunning score The Adventures of Red Riding Hood is set to be a truly immersive experience.
“For the technical elements alone I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Jay says.
“It’s really something quite special and that added in with our amazing characters I think makes it a good show to see for all the family.
“There’s a few nods that the adults will appreciate and enjoy and the kids are going to love it.”
The Adventures of Red Riding Hood is at The MAC until January 1, Themaclive.com
