Northern Beaches Mums spoke with director and artist, Kim Carpenter, ahead of Incredibilia, his new theatrical adaption of Australian literary treasure Libby Hathorn’s beloved children’s books, performing to the general public at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta on 1st June!
What inspired you to adapt Libby Hathorn’s extensive collection of children’s books into a play?
We successfully collaborated on her story Grandmas Shoes about 20 years ago! This was a co-production between my company Theatre of Image and Opera Australia. New accessible opera is rare for young people. So I knew her style of writing which is largely romantic and stylised and therefore best suited to singers. I looked at 40 of her children’s books and found common themes of nature, family and insights into foreign countries. We began a discussion and working out a shape and order. There are 20 books represented in the show.
Can you tell us the process of adapting a book for the stage?
The process is long on and off over a year. I work visually to find a way of staging the stories and also edit them to give the essence of each story. We ended up creating 4 drafts. The composer input is crucial to making 10 out of 20 stories work as songs. We searched for a dramatically contrasting journey with peaks and valleys of tender moments to humorous to thrilling moments. The element of surprise is also important in making a work for a contemporary family audience. The design has resulted in 101 extraordinary props and puppets which are made of ordinary things turned into the most imaginative creatures and places.
What excites you about bringing this work to Riverside Theatres in Parramatta?
No new show is ever complete without an audience, and it is exciting to see and hear their reactions. I have had at least 10 shows performed at Riverside. The last family show was Monkey. Journey to the West. Then Brett and Wendy… A Love Story Bound by Art, in 2020 which broke all box office records at the time.
Can you describe Incredibilia in three words?
Spellbinding, beautiful, humorous
For more information and tickets, visit https://riversideparramatta.com.au/whats-on/incredibilia/