HOLDEN & ARTS ASSOCIATES
SHARING STORIES AND CREATING PARTNERSHIPS SINCE 1983
THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
Produced by tutti frutti and York Theatre Royal
From Leeds, England
Resources
About the Company
Silas is from a family of shepherds and has to do right by his mum and granddad as he reluctantly takes on the responsibility of watching their sheep up on the mountain over the winter. But he’s bored, lonely, and missing out on the fun of the annual knitting competition in town, so he cries - “Wolf!”
Written by playwright Mike Kenny and inspired by Aesop’s famous fable, this is a beautiful wintery tale about a boy who learns that “nobody believes a liar, even when they’re telling the truth”. A gifted ensemble of actor musicians play instruments and sing live as they embody all the delightful characters, including hilarious sheep and perhaps a scary wolf or two… All set in a village of knitters with fingers flicking, needles clicking and where every new jumper tells a tale! Ultimately, Silas finds a place for himself (and his imagination) in his warm woolly community.
"Funny, enchanting and visually inventive, The Boy Who Cried Wolf represents Tutti Frutti at their absolute best." - British Theater Guide
Best for: Grades PreK-5th (Ages 4-10 years)
Audience Size: Small, Medium, & Large Venues
Please contact us to watch a full length archival recording.
Curriculum Connections
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Fine Arts: Performance, Sound Design, Music and Composition
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Language Arts: Storytelling, Character, Adaptations, Creative Writing
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Science: Wolves, Sheep, the Natural Environment, Shepherding, Wool
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Emotional/Social Development: Self Awareness, Self Management, Identifying Emotions, Empathy, Respect for Others, Perspective-Taking, Relationship Skills, Social Engagement, Relationship-building, Teamwork, Ethical Responsibility
Outreach & Workshops
With advance notice, tutti frutti is able to offer drama based workshops in your venue for students or children. Please contact us if this is something you'd like to explore.
“Relaxed” or “Sensory Friendly” Performances
This performance is also available as a “sensory friendly” or “relaxed” performance if arranged with the company in advance and with specific direction as to what adjustments are necessary for your venue.
Minimum Tech Requirements
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Load In Time: 4 hours (if lighting pre rig is done)
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Crew Needs: 2 technicians for load-in, focus, sound establishment, and load-out. 1 additional sound technician to operate radio mics.
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Min. Stage Size: 20’ width x 20’ depth x 12’ height, no wing space required.
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Sound Needs: 3 wireless mics
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Load Out Time: 1 hour
Artistic Team
Director – Wendy Harris
Writer – Mike Kenny
Composer – Dominic Sales
Movement Director – Joanne Bernard
Designer – Hannah Sibai
The touring team will comprise 3 actor/musicians and a stage manager.
Critical Acclaim
"The children in the audience were captivated from the offset but, as it happens, so too were the adults. It was enchanting, uplifting and could melt the heart of any children's theatre cynic." - Lauren Masterman, Yorkshire Times"
"…director Wendy Harris aided by Kenny’s take on the story, offers a magical world full of sheep, knitting and wolfish behavior where the audience’s imagination can run riot," - Steve Pratt, Northern Echo
"Reaching out through imaginative storytelling and hilarious characterisation, the show is alive with creative ensembles of music and dancing … There is a fun, folky edge to this yarn."- Vanessa McDougal, York Mix
Company Background
Past tours: Underneath a Magical Moon, Ugly Duckling
tutti frutti has been creating imaginative, visual and meaningful story-based theatre for children for over 25 years. We specialize in bringing fantastic, distinctive and carefully crafted shows to children aged 3+ and their families and teachers across the UK and the world. We commission award-winning writers like Mike Kenny, Evan Placey and Emma Reeves to write new plays for children and adaptations of traditional stories. Over the years we have delivered high quality touring productions and built an excellent reputation for inventive, creative and highly physical productions for children aged 3+ and their families.
In 2013 we started making in-roads into international touring. We have toured several times to Hong Kong, Singapore and Ireland, performed Rapunzel at the Assitej World Congress in 2014 in Warsaw and Wild! at the IPAY Showcase in Madison, US in 2017. We were also juror selected to perform at the Assitej World Congress in Cape Town in 2017. In 2019 we completed our first USA tour with Underneath a Magical Moon by Mike Kenny.
Of recent we have created a series of 23 digital stories that spotlight books authored and created entirely by global majority and/or disabled writers. This has broadened the pool of artists we work with and going forward will increasingly enrich the work we make. We currently perform to around 37,000 children and their families giving over 250 performances per year. Recent productions include Underneath a Magical Moon, Snow Queen, Wild!, Snow Child, Ugly Duckling and The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
For more information, please visit the company’s website.
Gallery of Past Productions
Photo by Brian Slater