The Catfish & the Witch

An Old folk tale told through shadow puppetry with live music and voice.
Suitable for theatres and schools.

This show toured from 1997 - 2000 and is not currently available.
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(not including schools and private bookings)

Once upon a time there were two sisters, who lived in a far away forest amongst the birds and animals. One day they meet a magical talking catfish and their adventures begin. Who would have thought that dear old Granny, who lived in the darkest part of the forest, might not be all that she appears as darkness creeps in….? Rosie, gentle, sweet-natured and kind, is helped by her friend the Cheeky Sparrow, but Greta, jealous, rude and greedy, isn’t so lucky…

This is a show aimed at 4-11 year olds but is also very suitable for students with learning difficulties. It is based on an old folktale and uses simple shadow puppets on a batik screen with a revolving hexagonal booth. This show has a far away feel, introducing children to another part of the world with different values and customs. The main protagonist knows that she must be kind to the natural environment. This show also demonstrates the simple principles of shadow and light and can be accompanied by a simple shadow puppet-making workshop with musical accompaniment provided at the end.

Performed by 2 puppeteers and 1 musician
Duration: approximately 55 mins.

Adapted from an idea by Ricky H Silalahi
Batik screen and puppets designed by Anna Ingleby
The creative team: Anna Ingleby Heriyanto, Stephen Dirkes, Ron Reeves, Helen Evans, Aris Daryono, Clive Bell, Nina Gebauer, Neil Craig, Amy Hazeldine

This show first toured (in its earliest incarnation) in Indonesia from December 1997, where it’s alternative style of simple shadow theatre was a great success. At that time it was performed on a three-legged booth that was tied into place in each venue, with a pre-recorded sound track and added live music. The batik screen was rolled across for each scene.

By October 2000 the booth had been replaced with a twelve-legged hexagonal booth on castors with the batik scenery fixed around this instead. The booth now rotates so that each side of the hexagon can turn towards the audience. Lights were changed, as was the script and the sound became completely live through the use of new sound equipment and a radio mic.

Indigo Moon does not consider the content of this show to be frightening to small children, as many have remained unusually attentive and enjoyed its full duration. However the company do also adopt the philosophy that theatre shows, like fairy tales throughout history, have the function of necessarily touching upon dark issues in a safe and fun environment.

Technical Requirements

• Requires Blackout (or greyout) for full enjoyment.
• Maximum audience: 200, though preferably more intimate.
• Standard electrical power point.
• In theatre environments 2 spotlights are requested. No other lighting or sound requirements.
• Performance area needed: 4mx4m.
• Audience must only view from the front (not sides).
• Setting up time 90 mins.
• Get –out: 30mins.

For bookings or more information:

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