Luminato 2009: Tales of the Night(wood), Back Burner Productions Does it Again!

Forgive me while I indulge in a Curran-esque personal anecdote to start my article this month…

When I was little I always wanted my favorite story books to be turned into movies. I could picture them perfectly in my head, devising untold details right down to the colour of dresses the mice at the ball should be wearing. That the logistics of dancing mice is virtually impossible never occurred to me, after all, movies made magic happen. Then, with the arrival of the digital age, these books actually did become major motion pictures and I always eagerly awaited their debut. And I always ended up disappointed.

Unique stories like Ella Enchanted got destroyed in theatres, changed from their original delightful tales into over-dramatic mass-consumerist junk. Even the classic fairy tales like Snow White never seemed quite right (of course, that’s probably because I was allowed to read the gruesome and all-too-honest Brothers Grimm version…). Still, every time a piece of literature is translated into a physical adaptation, I’ve never had something nice to say about it.

Until now.

Back Burner Productions recently remounted it’s adaptation of The Nightwood, the beloved fairy tale by Robin Muller. As part of the Children’s Books and Illustrations segment in Luminato 2009, this theatrical performance was held at the Lillian H Smith library, and brought the magic of books to life for children and adults alike. Co-directors Guy Doucette and Glyn Bowerman led the company in one of the most endearing shows I’ve seen this year.

The Cast of The Nightwood. Photos/Jacklyn Atlas

The venue was ideal; cascading stairs into the depths of a library opened into a circular stone lobby lined with torches. As the audience entered we were greeted by the Earl’s men (BJ Jeroy and Eric Hopkins) announcing the rules of the evening:

“Thou shall not enter the Nightwood!

Thou shall stay inside after the sun sets!

Thou shall not wear the colours of the night!

(Thou shall turn off all cellphones and pagers, thou shall unwrap all crinkly candy wrappers now, though shall keep the aisles clear for stilt-walkers…)”

Jeroy repeated this time and time again- never once faltering or losing character, as Hopkins strode behind him with… unique… musical accompaniment. The pair made quite the comedic duo, the perfect preface to a quaint story. And yes, the play did actually include two very talented stilt walkers.

But it was Glyn Bowerman who stole the show, encouraging laugh after laugh in his acrobatic role of the Fool. From every quirky gesture to each charming smile, he had the entire audience under his spell. The story of young Elaine (played by the stunning Katrina Carey), the Earl’s daughter who is lured into the Nightwood is made suddenly much more believable. You’d follow this man anywhere.

Glyn Bowerman plays the quirky yet charming Fool

Although it draws on classic fairy tale elements, The Nightwood is not a typical morality play. It maintains the textbook fundamentals of light versus dark, good almost succumbing to evil and then making a startling recovery, but Muller presents this struggle in a surprisingly sincere perspective. Instead of simply telling children to abide by their parents every word, she tells a story that truly addresses the difficulty of parenthood and dealing with children who are coming of age. The importance of shared knowledge and respect is revered over unquestioning obedience.

While this message went well over the heads of many youngsters in the crowd, many of whom were squirming as the hour dragged on, it was obvious the story appealed to young and old alike. The children were fascinated with the colorful costumes, the puppet shows, and the physical humour, while the adult were enraptured in the sheer beauty of the piece. Satisfying such a variety of audience speaks volumes of the quality of work this company is producing and Back Burner Productions is proving to be the little company that could!

While Back Burner’s last production was poorly attended, thanks to the Luminato hype this show was actually “sold” out- all 130 free tickets were spoken for well in advance. Despite Luminato’s great accessibility, people were actually turned away from this event. It’s a shame more people didn’t see this show, this time for an entirely different reason!