Presented by Maritime Marionettes
- Grade Levels: Appropriate for all ages, recommended for grades 3-7
- Duration: 50 min. with optional question and answer period
- Cost: $750 + HST for one show, $1200 + HST for two
- Format: In person performances
- Booking Dates: Available on request during the school season
- Languages: English and French
Workshops available by special arrangement:
- Introduction to Puppetry for grades 3 and up (1 hr, max 3 per day)
- Marionette Making for grades 5 and up (2.5 – 3 hrs, 1 per day)
Please contact coordinator[at]performns.ca for more details.
Script: Darryll Taylor
Marionette Design: Heather Taylor
Marionette/Prop Builders: Bruce Wood, Heather & Darryll Taylor
Costumes: Robert Doyle
Sound Production: Reeltime Recorders
Voices: Jamie Bradley, Pamela Kinsman, Mike Peterson
Music: Peer Gynt Suite, Grieg: Dans Macabre, Saint-Saen: The Ring, Wagner
Production assisted by the Cultural Affairs Division , Nova Scotia Department of Education
Maritime Marionettes breathes life into an ageless folktale as magically as Rumpelstiltskin spins straw into gold. Rumpelstiltskin is the tale of a poor miller’s daughter who becomes trapped in her father’s lie: that she can spin straw into gold.
She is forced to perform this impossible task by a greedy king who holds her life in ransom. With nowhere to turn, she forms a pact with a strange little man who agrees to help her in exchange for her first born child. To her surprise, she becomes Queen and mother to the future ruler of the kingdom.
“Rock him gently when he cries, but do not spoil my little prize”, mocks the mysterious little man when he returns to haunt the queen and her child. Eager to savor his victory, he gives the queen three days to guess his name in exchange for her son. Unable to reveal her secret to the king, and with only one day left, she conducts a desperate search for the correct name and uses her wits and strength to overcome all adversities.
Rumpelstiltskin uses seven puppets: the king, a courtier, the miller, the rabbit, Rumpelstiltskin and two versions of the miller’s daughter – one in plain home spun and the other in her royal garb. The 50 minute performance is filled with colour, magic and excitement; from the appearance of Rumpelstiltskin to his incredible demise.
Maritime Marionettes have gained an international reputation for their artistic excellence and high quality family entertainment in Canada and abroad since 1986. Heather and Darryll Taylor are two gifted puppeteers who give their audiences an opportunity to experience a unique and ancient art form. The Taylors bring traditional and original stories to life with exquisitely made and skilfully manipulated wooden marionettes. The company creates its productions from concept to finished product, including fashioning the marionettes and creating sets, props and costumes for every show.
