As Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales show, they speak to something deep in the unconscious of adults and children, addressing our darkest fears and anxietiesOver the holidays, I took my family to see Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales at the Bargehouse on London’s South Bank. An “immersive theatre” experience, it reminded me, not for the first time, of the gulf between traditional fairytales and the more anodyne, modern stories for the young. In some of these old tales, children have their heads hacked off and adults are stuck in barrels full of nails and rolled in to rivers to drown. Like the ancient stories of Greek gods, random violence and cruelty were part of the paradigm. My children lapped it up.Interestingly, they were the only children there. It appears to be mostly adults who are attracted to the traditional narratives these stories showcase. These are stories at their most basic, with little in the way of character development or dialogue. Plot – and the meaning that lies within it – is everything. Modern adult storytellers – at least in the literary world – sometimes look down on plot as the poor relation of style, but the audience profile at Grimm Tales speaks of the enduring appeal of powerful tales simply told. Continue reading...
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