Baba Yaga

The transformative process of meeting someone wild, a rule breaker with a different attitude to life is explored in this incredible production of Baba Yaga by Windmill Theatre, which was performed at this weeks Imaginate Children's Festival in Edinburgh by Shona Reppe and Christine Johnston.

Good children's theatre has to be even more engaging than adults and this was an outstanding symphony of surreal animation, costume, sound, storytelling and bewitching performance.

Baba Yaga resides at the lofty apartment 101, Poultry Park Apartments, serviced by the timid receptionist, 'Vaselina', who is bullied by the rule loving residents into confronting the formidable Baba Yaga about her rebellious behaviour.

However Baba Yaga opens Vaselina's eyes to all her repressed dreams, releasing her from her mundane, thwarted existence by transporting her first into her world; of rebellion, of passion for loud music and forbidden cats, and then on to unknown worlds on apartment floors beyond reality. Forcing Vaselina into scary situations to face the unknown by being true to herself and fulfilling her dreams.

Theatre is a collaboration and this piece was transglobal collaboration: created by Christine Johnston, Shona Reppe and Rosemary Myers. Peter Nelson who was the composer and sound designer, Chris Edser who made the incredible animation, Selene Cochrane who designed the costumes, Chris Petridis the technical manager, Tamlin Wiltshire lighting engineer, Julianne O'Brien the dramatist, Carol Wellman Kelly the movement consultant and Alisa Paterson the design realiser.