Wolf around in the shadows

Moments from the play

There would hardly be any child who has not thought of the big bad wolf and felt a fearful shudder. As kids, we have played out the stealthy, evil fictional character through imagined wit and gumption. Now, the Big Bad Wolf is back as a puppet play directed by Kapil Dev, who will present a combination of two popular childhood stories - Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs.

Dev, who has created each of the puppets, says, "The script is an adaptation of the original fables. We have made a few revisions, and hope the audience will be able to pinpoint the changes." The puppeteer reckons that young viewers will pick up images and ideas from the play through shadow puppetry and impactful voice intonations. Dev feels the wolf as a dramatic symbol of consequence - although oft-used - doesn't fall short of commanding an aura of suspense.

The Big Bad Wolf was co-written by Dev and Reshma Shetty. Shetty will also be playing the characters of Rabbit and Murkhanand in the piece. She shares, "We have used rod puppets, muppets and half masks for real actors to present the play in myriad forms. Puppet theatre is still nascent in Mumbai, and is yet to carve out a niche. So, we are aiming for it to be recognised as a form of expression." The play also offers an opportunity to learn puppet-making; attendees can sign up for a two-hour-long workshop hosted by Dev himself.

Shetty elaborates on the need to adapt texts for today's kids and their sensibilities: "The original story of The Three Little Pigs tells us that the pigs were killed. We have been careful with language. In our version, to avoid violent impressions, we say the pigs were taken away. Since portrayals are equally important, our grandmother in Little Red Riding Hood isn't as frail and helpless." In a re-telling where the bad wolf is out of the zoo and threatening inhabitants of the jungle, we hope to see intended victims taking charge of their circumstances.

On: June 4, 5 pm; June 5, 6 pm
At: Harkat Studios, Versova.
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 250 onwards