|
 2007
marks the fortieth anniversary of DAVID WOOD’s work in
children’s theatre. He staged his first play for children at
Worcester’s Swan Theatre in 1967 and since then his career,
which has encompassed success as an actor, composer, producer,
director and playwright, has long since earned him the mantle of
‘The National Children’s Dramatist’.
In a recent interview, David
revealed that his secret to keeping children entertained was to
include “Lots of suddenlies”. He went on to explain: “This
has become my credo ever since a Canadian children’s book
publisher told me the story of her eight-year-old daughter, who
greatly enjoyed a book, and on being asked why, simply answered…"lots
of suddenlies”. When I am writing I actually count the number of
suddenlies on each page! The aim is to make it absolutely
impossible for the audience to want to take their eyes off the
stage, for fear of missing something”.
Besides staging his own plays and
books, he has been prolific in adapting and directing the works of
other authors, including many of Roald Dahl’s books (‘Danny
the Champion of the World’ is the current Birmingham Stage
Production presentation that David has adapted for the UK theatre
circuit). He sees adaptation as a craft. “It is not simply a
case of plucking the dialogue from the book and sticking it on the
stage! The structure of a play is very different from the
structure of a book. I try to be faithful to the book and its
author, while sometimes changing the running order of events,
omitting scenes or characters, or even inventing new ones.
“The story has to be made to
work in theatrical terms. Action as well as dialogue is important.
Getting from one scene to another must be smooth. The whole
process must be logical, with lots of excitement, use of
theatrical tricks like sound, lighting, music and, in the case of
Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’, stage illusion. I particularly
like using magic, because it takes me back to my conjuring
roots!”
When asked about plays that
patronised children, he responded: “We must tell the story
honestly and excitingly, never
underestimating children’s ability to understand. Most children,
if the story grabs them pay for more attention to what is going on
than adults. The amount of detail that children
remember
is admirable. Just look at the drawings and paintings they often
send in. Quite honestly, I write the play for myself. I don’t
necessarily think about the children in the audience. Having said
that, I think I do have some sort of antenna, which tells me how
children are likely to react to things.
Furthermore, David Wood believes
there are certain things that are a child’s right, including
free library books and going to the theatre. “The arts are as
important as eating and drinking” he maintains. “The
triggering of the imagination leads to creativity, which every
child needs. I believe we all have an imagination muscle that will
not develop unless it is exercised. The theatre is a wonderful
place for this to happen. The school curriculum needs radical
rethinking, to include the arts - music, drama, painting in
particular. A teacher at an infant school, explaining to me how
even three-year olds were working towards the dreaded test, said
“We don’t have time for fun anymore”. This struck me as a
very sad reflection on our education system”.
During a forty-year career it
should come as no surprise that David has shouldered many
commitments. His memberships include Equity, the Society for
Authors and the Inner Magic Circle (with Gold Star!). He is also
the co-founder and director of Whirligig Theatre (the touring
children’s theatre company); was member of the drama advisory
panel of Arts Council of Great Britain from 1978 to 1980; Chair of
Action for Children’s Arts since 1997; and has been a Board
Member
for Wimbledon’s Polka Theatre since 1979.
Ten years ago, producer CHARLES
VANCE wrote in the ‘Amateur Stage’: “It is fair to say that
David Wood is to children’s theatre (and theatre for children of
all ages) what Alan Ayckbourn is to popular theatre entertainment
for adults”. He went on to quote critic SHERIDAN MORLEY as
saying that David was: “the only surviving master of the
children’s play form”. In conclusion, Charles expressed the
hope that “even the most philistine of politicians will
recognise his unique service and honour a man whom every
theatre-going child in this country would love to be able to call
“Sir David Wood”. A decade on who would argue with that?
PETER
G FOOT
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