ANOTHER COOK UP | WHAT TO DO? | STIG OF THE DUMP | THE BORROWERS | THIS IS IT | CARRY ON DOWN THE RIVER | DOWN TO THE RIVER
“What to Do?” Dec 2006-April 2007 was a devised piece of theatre designed to tour Birmingham and West Midland Primary Schools and small enough to be packed away and flown to Sri Lanka to tour the tsunami-affected areas of the South Coast. Janine was commissioned by Dr Ellie Parker of New Theatre Works, a resident company based at The Courtyard Theatre Hereford, to direct and devise a show with a professional team of actors, that could operate in three languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English. Based on research done by Emma Pask on The elephant/human conflict, which in turn became a metaphor for saving the jungle and the recycling of rubbish and planting of crops, this enchanting piece of theatre traces an elephant's journey. When elephants were banned from performing in the Circus our elephant, Bob from Birmingham, goes to Sri Lanka via Marco the Magician‘s magic coat to find his roots. The show included a mornings acting, mime, music/dance and mask-making workshop with up to 40 children who learned the “Pera hera” national dance; greetings in Sinhalese (“ What to Do?” is a well known phrase used in Sri Lanka used in the face of adversity) and the children became a very important part of the performance in the afternoon. The show was a huge success, with original music by Ian P Russell and as usual, with Janine’s work, loads of comedy and fun.
