"Fairy‑Tale Week", Theatre Tout à Trac, Canada, 2019 |
Tour Dates: 13th May - 10th June, 2019 Program: Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio Tour Dates
Since 1998, Tout à Trac has been exploring the inner workings of imagination and of theatre through a creative process in which acting with masks, storytelling and puppetry all play an active part. Chasing imaginary lands, digging for invisible treasure and discovering impossible worlds, Tout à Trac invites spectators, whoever they may be, to rediscover this very simple thing we experienced as children as we sat before the red theatre curtain, around a bonfire or in our parents' embrace: the enchantment of being told a story… Our productions are a gateway to a dream world and an invitation to explore the depths of your imagination. Sometimes with a puppet in hand, almost always with a mask, we seek out audiences wherever they may be… In theatres of course, but also in the streets because we believe magic can arise anywhere, even from beneath the pavement. What we create is a theatre of precision and rhythm, a theatre that values both thoroughness and playfulness. Fun must be had by actor and audience alike. Fun in the search for skillful theatre, for genuine theatre that reveals its inner workings because we think the believability of theatre is achieved through its ability to bring us into a world of real fantasy. Program: Alice in Wonderland Alice refuses to do her schoolwork. She prefers to play and daydream in her father's study where she stumbles across a strange rabbit that nibbles on books. Wanting to stop him from eating all the books, she follows him into his rabbit hole. That is how she discovers Wonderland, a world inhabited by many strange characters: an egg sitting on a wall who is afraid to fall, a philosopher caterpillar, a mad hatter, the queen of a castle of cards who loves to cut off heads… an intriguing universe where the rabbits are always late and where arguments lead to friendship… Faithful to the unbridled humour and madness of the original tale, this adaptation of Lewis Carroll's famous book is crammed with surprises which bring the vast range of colourful characters to life. Prepare to be amazed by the ingenious set in which we discover that each book becomes a door to the next adventure. An homage to reading, Alice in Wonderland becomes a window into our imagination… Will you follow the white rabbit? Program: Pinocchio "Pinocchio" means "little pine" or "pine nut"in the Italian language. This adaptation of Carlo Collodi's book tells the story of the puppet, Pinocchio, and his quest to be a real boy. Geppetto is a poor, elderly man whose job as a wooden toy maker is falling by the wayside, as technology and machines have taken over the toy industry. Planning to use his last log in the fire to warm himself, Geppetto is surprised when the log talks to him, and even more surprised when he finds himself carving it into a boy. As with all versions of this classic tale, we follow Pinocchio on his journey to becoming a real boy. However, one key difference in this version is the idea that Pinocchio becomes a real boy by working hard and learning to care for others, not by magic. During the course of the play, Pinocchio will experience all forms of temptation, and will have to face the consequences of his actions. He will battle with the lure of money, fame, false religion, easy success, and more, and eventually learns that none of these things really matter. When the Blue Fairy finally appears at the end of the play, she tells Pinocchio that he is already a real boy. There is no magic wand changing him from wood, but instead a gradual growing up of the character. |