Felt Tip Theatre Company production

Forget singing mice, pumpkin coaches and happy endings.

This December, the Felt Tip Theatre Company is bringing a “grim” interpretation to Armidale audiences of the traditional classics everyone knows so well.

“It’s a play that I have written based on the grim fairy tale,” Felt Tip Theatre Company director Alex Robson said.

The actor and playwrite formed Felt Tip Theatre Company at the end of 2011 to get local young people involved in the dramatic arts.

“We’ve got several scenes where we look at the characters we think we know very well like Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel … the story is still true as written by the original but [we’ve] kept in all the grim and gross bits,” he said.

“Snow White really blew my mind … in one of the earlier versions the wicked Queen is actually Snow White’s biological mother but she still sends her out into the forest to be murdered.”

Mr Robson said his inspiration came from his ability to seek ideas and information beneath the surface and create a juxtapose showcasing the dark nature of the stories.

“My sense of humour is very deconstructive and I point out that this is the way things really are,” he said.

“I’ve become increasingly aware that some of the messages in shows aren’t appropriate …  some are so chauvinistic and that really took me back.”

Mr Robson, who has just moved to Sydney, said Armidale was a hub for talent.

“We’re so lucky in Armidale … especially with young people … it was very easy to find a cast,” he said.

Another driving force behind the production is co-director and drama teacher, Anita Brown.

Ms Brown has taken the reins for most of the rehearsals which run two or three times a week.

“We have been able to get various groups together and had two or three rehearsals a week and then a fortnightly full cast rehearsal,” Ms Brown said.

“The show is in really good shape now … the kids are amazing.”