Striking terror in the hearts of theatre-going children

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I’m an avid reader of Fark, owing to my fascination with the strange and odd, the funny, and the plane crashes. I ran across this gem of an article last night:

The ballet that left children cowering in terror (click for orginial article and picture goodness, otherwise text here:

Billed as “a magical introduction to ballet”, an adaptation of children’s favourite Angelina Ballerina looked like an ideal treat.

There was a buzz of excitement in the theatre as scores of little girls, many dressed in pink tutus like their fictional heroine, waited for the curtain to rise.

But shortly after the show began many were having second thoughts.

Scenes featuring a baby being snatched by a black-clad villain, a ballerina stabbed in the stomach by a pin from a spinning wheel and a ghost appearing as the lights were dimmed sent children cowering behind the seats.

Others started sobbing and buried their heads in their mothers’ laps.

Afterwards, many parents complained that the English National Ballet performance was unsuitable for small children, although publicity for the show said it would “enchant’ three-year-olds upwards.

Clare Gardner, 40, who took her five-year-old daughter Georgi to one of the opening matinees at Wimbledon Theatre in south-west London, said the adaptation bore little resemblance to the Angelina Ballerina books.

“I chose this production because my daughter loves the books and thought this would be an ideal way to introduce her to ballet,” she said.

“But it was totally unsuitable for its target audience. My little girl was terrified.

“The baby-snatching scene was totally inappropriate for three-year-olds – especially in the current climate after Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.

“When the ballerina was stabbed with the spinning wheel pin everyone gasped – no one was sure if she had been murdered or not.”

Angelina Ballerina is a fictional mouse who dreams of becoming a famous ballerina, created by author Katharine Holabird.

The first illustrated book was published in 1982 and there are now 20 of them.

It is the first time the series has been adapted for the stage. The ballet, which is based on the story of Sleeping Beauty, opened last weekend in Wimbledon and is currently showing in Sunderland, before visiting a further 20 venues around the country.

On the English National Ballet website the show is described as an enchanting production suitable for children aged three and upwards and “a magical introduction to ballet for all ages”.

A spokesman for the company said the opening night had been “a resounding success”.

She said: “If members of the audience are concerned about any part of the show then I would welcome their comments.”

So, is this a case of overreacting parents? Baby-snatching has been prevalent in fairy tales since the days of Rapunzel and Rumplestiltskin. And OMG, the ballerina was stabbed with a pin (as the article says), those scary scary pins! Quick, ban those from all sewing rooms in houses around the country, lest the children have flashbacks to this horrifying experience.

While true that kids are surrounded (and maybe conscious) of worse things on a daily basis, does that mean that seeing something like this in a theatre will scar them for life? Obviously, the easy answer is no. However, I’m not too certain of that.

The first play my parents every took me to was a production of Alice in Wonderland at the Children’s Theatre in 1982 (hey look, someone created a page for that production!). I was three, the same age as these “terrified” ballet goers in England. We had great seats, as my parents always made sure we did (why pay for theatre if you’re not right up front? I kinda agree). I knew the Alice in Wonderland story. I loved the Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar (foreshadowing my smoking-sly-witted self in years to come, I’m sure). I liked Alice playing croquet with the flamingo and hedgehog.

But for some reason, I was not prepared for the baby that turned into the pig. Yes, it’s in the book and I knew that section, but there was something about seeing this mother throw her baby up into the air and have it come back down a live pig that then ran off stage that I couldn’t handle. I lost it, and was taken to the crying room in the back (aptly named that day) for the rest of the show. I still, 25 years later, remember that moment. And I’m a bit horrified that I could relive it by getting a VHS copy of that production.

Of course, the floating head in the Egypt wing in the Sesame Street tv movie Don’t Eat the Pictures also scared the shit out of me. So maybe I’m just prone to the overreaction.

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