Interview: Cinderella at Hull Truck
28/11/2014
Jerome Whittingham is a photographer and interviewer with a keen eye on community development, social issues and the arts. Here he speaks to Mark Babych, Artistic Director of Hull Truck Theatre and Director of Cinderella, about what makes this Christmas show so special.
Jerome: Mark, it must be a huge responsibility directing the Christmas show, with the theatre receiving more people through its doors than any other time of year.
Mark: It is, although it’s no different from any other show in that you make the very best work you can for as wide an audience as possible. This year feels a little different because we’re expanding the ambition for our work for families and children to make magical and imaginative adventures at Christmas for the whole family to enjoy. Cinderella is full of live music, movement and dance, and told rather unusually by a bunch of rats that live beneath the floorboards of Cinderella’s house to share a version of the tale that most people won’t have seen done quite like this before.
Jerome: Mike Kenny is well renowned for writing children’s theatre. Have you worked with him before?
Mark: Yes I have. I had the very great privilege of restaging The Railway Children at Waterloo a few years ago for Damian Cruden at York Theatre Royal. I got to know Mike then and had admired him for a long time already, as he’s extremely experienced and gifted in creating magical stories for families and children. He manages to capture the world of very well known tales and gives them a delightful spin.
Jerome: Without giving too much away, where is the spin in this particular show?
Mark: It’s told from the rats’ point of view. In her absence, they recreate the story of Cinderella, how they met and befriended her, and took her to the ball. It’s neither Disney nor pantomime, but with magical elements that both genres contain, like comedy and great music.
Jerome: Tell me about the rats, are they easy to direct as a team?
Mark: They’re a great bunch of people. Five really talented actor-musicians play the rats, who come from a world of travellers and gypsy folk tradition. The music is inspired by a sense of where these creatures may have come from. Then we have Cinderella herself, topping off a perfect cast.
Jerome: And James Frewer is the Composer and Musical Director.
Mark: That’s right. James has written and composed all of the music; not just the songs but also the live underscore. We had a summer session where we knocked ideas around and the end result has been expertly arranged and shaped by the very talented James Frewer.
Jerome: Cinderella is one of the biggest productions for Hull Truck during the year. It must be a delight to work on.
Mark: It’s good to have more resources but the focus is always on how we use them to enhance the audience experience and surprise and delight them. It’s a celebration of the imagination, igniting the story in the hearts and minds of all ages.
Jerome: Plus there’s a supporting cast of young people.
Mark: That’s right, two teams from our senior youth theatre. They’re not that young, but certainly younger than me! They’re supporting the main cast and doing a great job. This engagement helps the groups we work with to develop valuable life-enhancing skills. The experience they gain on stage with professional actors is part of our commitment to making the work we make open, accessible and knitted into the fabric of people’s lives. In essence, Hull Truck Theatre strives to be a creative community of people dedicated to enriching the life of this great city via high quality and enjoyable work, celebrating the value of creativity in making Hull a great place to live.
Listen to the full interview on Soundcloud.
You can follow Mark and Jerome on Twitter
