Wrong Tree theatre company creates some of the most special theatre for audiences and creative participants in Durham and beyond. Bringing Das Weben to the stage was a process centred around playfulness, curiosity and presence.
Inspired by three of the original tales by the Grimms Brothers, Rumpelstiltskin, The Three Snake Leaves and the Wilful Child, we aimed to adapt these well-known stories to create a world in which particularly our female characters are able to plead their case in a way the stories themselves never allow them too. The Grimms Tales have rich origins in Germanic folk tales, however what we found most curious was how endorsed they were by the Nazi regime, and then subsequently banned post-war as they were deemed ‘dangerous’ for children. You will perhaps notice the cruelty, violence and focus on the corruption of childhood that made the stories so dangerous and exciting. We have taken this composition and used it to springboard into our own adaptation in which these women, rather than presented as objects of violence, become subjects, and where a better place to set this than a circus freak show!
Das Weben is our creative exploration into these tales which have been brought together by a fantastic team who all treated this show with sublime creativity and curiosity. We hope this show will make you feel curious, uncomfortable, and entertained. We have nothing left to say apart from…enjoy the show!
By Lola Stakenburg and Emily Browning
Das Weben is performing at the Assembly Rooms Theatre until the 4th March
Photo Credits: Wrong Tree