Grimms' Fairy Tales Production by the Guildford Shakespeare Company

“Once upon a time”. Four words which never fail to prick up the ears of anyone nearby. The promise of a journey spanning countries and generations, an escape from the surrounding world to the realm of fantasy, a beckoning call to the imagination of all, both young and old. The start of a story, and who doesn’t love a good story?

In 1812, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published Kinder und Hausmarchen, a collection of 152 tales, in the central German town of Kassel. An 1857 revised edition, the last in their lifetime, would increase that number to 211. By the beginning of the 20^th Century, Kinder und Hausmarchen, or Grimms’ Fairy Tales to us, was the second best-selling book in Germany. Only beaten by? The Bible. Now, 204 years after the brothers unknowingly created a legacy which would travel far beyond the outskirts of their sleepy German town and the span of their own lives, the Guildford Shakespeare Company brings the immortal essence of their tales to the Challengers’ Field in Guildford.

The production brings to life ten tales, mixing classics with the lesser-known to celebrate the variety and flair inherent in the collection. Rather than rattle them off one after the other, however, the team presents an ingenious approach; the stories come and go seamlessly, blending into one another as the layers of story-telling form an intricate web of artistic prowess. Arguably more impressive is the achievement of the sensitive balance of ‘feel-good’ appeal (singing, dancing and humorous moments) and dramatic quality necessary to do justice to the eerie, sinister undertones of the fairy tales.

Although props are used, the style leans on the minimalist, which makes the immersive nature of the production all the more stunning. The way in which the audience can be so absorbed in a re-enactment of ‘Rapunzel’ on a flat stage, with only a few blocks of wood vaguely resembling thorns, and long piece of rope brandished when the knight proclaims “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!”, is a credit to the staging and acting ability on show.

The overall ambiance complements that of the traditional European feel of the tales perfectly. The production is set in a Spiegeltent (Mirror Tent) erected in a corner of Stoke Park. The Mirror Tent comes from the early 20^th Century Low Countries and was originally used as a mobile dance and performance hall. Historically, its moveable nature only permitted candles, not electric lights, and so the interior lighting is amplified by mirrored-walls. Coupled with the intimate circular-seating around the central stage, the atmosphere is cosy and lively, an ideal setting for a production of Grimms’ Fairy Tales.

Those bottles of wine were most definitely not mine...

The company provides the chance to sit in a booth with a cheese board and bottle of wine. This is a nice touch as it combines the feeling of going out to see a live production with the comforts and hint of luxury normally reserved for staying at home. Once again, it is clear that the production has been tastefully thought-through, as this enhances the appeal of traditional entertainment and showmanship, a slightly different concept to theatre.

On until the 30^th October, the Guildford Shakespeare Company’s production of Grimms’ Fairy Tales is an admirably ambitious effort to bring something unusual to the stage. It is also an exceptionally successful one. A great way to celebrate the group’s decennial anniversary, this is also a great way to spend a dark, autumnal evening. Step into the Mirror Tent, step back in time, and step into the tales – they might have taken place “once upon a time”, but they live on in the present, vivacious as ever, as an everlasting part of human essence.