How stars become starfish

By NIGEL GEARING

Childhood memories of discovering what lives in rock pools fuelled Peter Wilson's imagination to such an extent he wrote a mythical tale of the sea for today's kids.

Songs Of The Sea, Nga Waiata O Te Moana is the result - a 40-minute piece of theatre using masks, puppetry, choreography, wizardry, lighting and special effects to take kids on a journey of discovery to find out where the first fish came from.

Wilson is the director of New Zealand's only professional theatre company for children, Capital E National Theatre, based in Wellington. He spent a year perfecting his script, in which the sky is a great big mirror, and stars fall into the sea and become starfish. The reflection of the sun and moon form sun and moon fish which create little yellow fish which then climb up a rainbow and become multicoloured.

Wilson's story contains four main myths, each with an accompanying song, scored by him and composer Steve Gallagher. Te reo is used extensively for names and in the music and the audience can sing along with the four actors, Lyndee-Jane Rutherford, Rashmi K Pilapitiya, Julian Wilson and Stephen Tamarapa.

"There's a fine line between the audience getting too carried away and the plot then becoming unfocused," Wilson says. "I hate that 'it's behind you' pantomime culture we have inherited from the English.

"Children's theatre has a reputation it doesn't deserve. A lot of drama school graduates think they can do a play, take it into schools and make money. But kids are an audience in their own right."

Wilson joined Capital E National Theatre when it started seven years ago. He had just arrived from Western Australia where he worked as artistic director for Spare Parts Theatre.

"Spare Parts was also children's theatre, so my whole professional life has been working for kids. I prefer writing for them as you can be so much more free with your imagination. I had intended doing some work for myself but saw an advertisement for Capital E and got the job."

His recent works for Capital E have included Penguin, a story about five different species of the much-loved bird, Seasons, exploring life cycles, A Farm Down the Road and On Our Street, an examination of who lives around us and the nature of their relationships.

"Rather than create educational works, what you present to the kids must be relevant to their lives. Kids up to 6 aren't corrupted by anything," he says.

Which makes them honest to the point of pain. Wilson is not a parent himself so friends' children provide initial inspiration and feedback before he conducts test runs in the theatre with children, teachers and caregivers in the audience.

"And if they don't like it the kids tell you. Kids' culture is changing all the time, especially at primary school age. When I grew up it was so different. For a start there was no TV. Now their culture, fashion and language is based on what they have seen while plonked in front of the TV. Relationships have changed. Solo parent and blended families are the norm."

Such a changing landscape for the writer and director can be a challenge working solo.

"I recently attended a festival in Brisbane where seven or eight professional children's theatre companies performed. Australia has built a solid foundation in this form of theatre. I miss having peers. What did make me feel good was that our work is of equal standard."

* Songs Of The Sea, Nga Waiata O Te Moana will tour New Zealand until November.

On stage

* What: Songs Of The Sea, Nga Waiata O Te Moana

* Where and when: Herald Theatre, June 26 and 27, 11am, 2pm