St Mary's School Calne

First Stages Theatre Company

At St Mary’s, a new Theatre Company - First Stages Theatre Company - has been formed for the New National Theatre Connections 2008 project.  The cast consists of fifteen LV Form girls who are embarking upon an early AS in Theatre Studies; the crew are girls from other years.  The Company is currently rehearsing a new play The Peach Child by Anna Furse which will be performed on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th February.  The form of theatre we are exploring is shadow puppetry and physical theatre.  The performance at St Mary’s will be assessed by a director from the National Theatre and the Education Director of Bath Theatre Royal.  If shortlisted, the play will be performed at the Theatre Royal, Bath in May and may then be chosen for performance at the National Theatre in London in July.

The Peach Child is an adaptation of a well-loved Japanese fairytale. One day as the Old Woman washes kimonos in the river, a large peach floats by. She takes it to her husband for dinner. As he cuts into the flesh, a baby boy is born. They call him Momotaro – ‘peach child’ - who brings joy to their lives. At the age of 15 the boy tells his adoptive parents that he has to leave them. Over the other side of the mountain dwells the evil Ogre who must be overcome.