Latest news with #AntoinedeSaint-Exupéry
CBC
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Toronto adaptation of 'The Little Prince' was written by and for the deaf community
'The Little Prince' reimagined in deaf-led physical theatre adaptation 6 hours ago Duration 2:42 Social Sharing A Toronto theatre is running an adaption of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's whimsical tale The Little Prince with a script written especially for the deaf community, and performed entirely by a deaf cast. The Little Prince: A Physical Theatre Adaptation at the Theatre Passe Muraille was created and written by Landon Krentz, a deaf artist who stars as the play's titular character. "This project is very special. It's very special to my heart," he told CBC Toronto. "It's about how we look for external solutions. We seek these things, but sometimes we have to look inward." The show combines vertical dancing on roles and harnesses with projection technology and visual vernacular, an art form that combines movement mime and American Sign Lanuage (ASL). The show runs April 19. Tickets are priced on a sliding scale.
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Revered in Riyadh but nixed in New York: how The Little Prince (almost) conquered the world
After the Bible, The Little Prince is the most translated book in the world. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's short, sweet novella has spawned more than 600 translations and counting, the author's great-nephew Olivier d'Agay tells me. And this surreal story of an aviator who crashes in the desert and meets a small princely boy who has travelled from his own tiny planet is still picking up fans globally. 'In Brazil, China, the Middle East,' laughs d'Agay. 'Even England.' The book was first published in 1943 in New York, pilot and writer Saint-Exupéry having fled occupied France. It may be 'an ambassador for French culture' as d'Agay puts it, but the innocent wisdom of its central character clearly taps into something universal. Over the years, there have been countless adaptations and tie-ins worldwide – and the latest is a dance-circus show, by choreographer Anne Tournié, which has already toured to 18 cities, from Riyadh to Mumbai to Sydney to Sofia. Its now about to land in London. In every theatre, there has been a different response. Tournié was surprised how famous the book was in Bulgaria: 'The room was packed,' she says. But the liveliest audiences were in Istanbul: 'They were applauding before anything happened, warming up the room.' In Luxembourg, people were more restrained: 'Heavier, like their sausages,' says composer Terry Truck. And in Saudi Arabia, people cheered at the scene when it rains in the desert. Co-director Chris Mouron appears on stage to narrate parts of the tale (speaking French, with local translation in surtitles) but the nature of the storytelling, through dance, acrobatics and aerialism, lends itself to crossing international borders. The characters the Little Prince meets along his journey through the universe are all spelled out in their movements: the beautiful Rose he loves is elegantly balletic; a drunkard is lopingly rubber-bodied (they were concerned about that one in non-drinking Saudi Arabia, where the character is cut from the book version, but people laughed); the king draws on courtly classical technique; the conceited man uses show-offy leaps and spins; and the acrobatic lamplighter climbs a Chinese pole suspended in the air. Marie Jumelin's projections, meanwhile, conjure up multiple worlds where the prince, with his mop of blond hair and philosophical turn of phrase, meets these deluded characters often consumed by pride, greed or power (it's a moralistic tale, without doubt), and Truck's score draws on musical styles from around the globe. They first tried the show out in Marseille – apparently its audiences are the most brutally honest – and it passed that test. Perhaps that's because the prince's gnomic pronouncements ('It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye') are part of the vernacular in France. They had rave reviews in Paris, but somewhat less enthusiastic ones on Broadway, where the show closed three months early. I tell Mouron that I read the New York Times review. 'Very bad,' she laughs and shakes her head. 'It's funny – that's the only bad critique we had.' She adds that the book was in part a critique of American consumerist culture. 'I think Saint-Exupéry was inspired by the materialism he saw in New York.' Critics there found this production too whimsical. 'Well, the story's whimsical,' says Truck. 'It's not a big singing and dancing musical.' Tournié has made plenty of spectacular shows in the past. Her background is originally in ballet and she has worked with Robert Wilson and Robert Lepage, but recently she's been creating vast extravaganzas in Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi and Macau, with stunts and acrobatics, big sets and lots of tech. This was a deliberate move away from that scale. 'After 10 years of that, I wanted a simple show that was just human,' she says, because the story itself is about coming back to simple, human values. It's tricky to capture the particular voice of the book on stage, and there's a randomness to its strange world – it starts with some dancing sheep, for example. The mood is often melancholy and the show is strongest when it reaches for some emotional heart, themes of loneliness and friendship and our responsibilities to each other (and our planet, too). The message is about caring for the people and the environment around you, tending your own garden as it were, rather than trying to take ownership of the stars – as the 'businessman' character does. Which all seems very pertinent for a story written eight decades ago. The odd bad review is certainly not going to sink The Little Prince. 'It's not a question of culture or generation, it's just talking to the humanity in people,' says d'Agay of its endurance. 'We still have the same questions, the same quest for meaning. Humanity has not changed.' The Little Prince is at the Coliseum, London, 12 to 16 March. Lyndsey Winship's trip was paid for by the producers, Broadway Entertainment Group.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Somerset in Pictures: The sweet taste of victory
Valentine's Day is all about romance, and there has been plenty to love in Somerset this week. Team Bath got their netball season up and running with a win, and the public were generous with their donations so a four-legged visitor could have a permanent home here. Down in Hardington Mandeville they locals have a lot to be thankful to one family for, as they have been keeping the village shop going since the late 1800s. Winning smiles: Team Bath Netball kicked off the 2025 NXT Gen League season with a victory against Nottingham Forest in front of a sold-out home crowd. It's showtime: Toby Thompson took to the stage at The Egg Theatre in Bath to perform The Little Prince, an adaptation of the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's novella of the same name. Pretty stunning: Is there a rugby stadium in the country with a better backdrop than the Recreation Ground in Bath? We highly doubt it. The lamp of love: A time-honoured tradition took place in Frome on Friday night, with the annual lighting of a lamp dedicated to Valentine's Day. Reg Ling, now 93, began the event in 1993 but has handed it over this year saying he is "too old" to continue. A new home: This rescued North American Bobcat called Bode can now relax after more than £3,500 was raised by Tropiquaria Zoo, near Watchet, after the animal's former owner was convicted of animal welfare offences. The fundraiser means he can stay in Somerset permanently. Inspiring: Paralympic footballer Jack Rutter visited St Lawrence's Primary School in Westbury to lead exercises and pass on some crucial advice about overcoming adversity. A family concern: Daphne Creed MBE is the third generation of her family to run the village shop in Hardington Mandeville, near Yeovil. She took it on from her mother in 1991, who had managed it from 1936, who in turn had taken over from Ms Creed's grandmother, who had run it since the 1890s. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Somerset in Pictures: Racing, alpacas and music Somerset in Pictures: Blue skies and ghost stories Somerset in Pictures: Wildlife and winter swimming Somerset in Pictures: Fog and Harry Redknapp Somerset in Pictures: Snow, flood and races Somerset in pics: Fog, fundraisers and fairytales Somerset in Pictures: Tractors, rainbows and a circus Somerset in Pictures: Panto and a 100th birthday Somerset in pictures: Santa and Christmas lights Somerset in Pictures: Santa, sunsets and Pinocchio Somerset in Pictures: Snow, carnival and racing Somerset in pictures: Santas on ice and bus DJs Somerset in pictures: Hedgehogs and carnival Somerset in pictures: Tor aurora and Willow Man Somerset in Pictures: Pumpkins and stolen cheese Somerset in pictures: World records and ponies Somerset in Pictures: Mullet wigs and a giant moon Somerset in pictures: Autumn arrives in the county Somerset in pictures: Caravan racing, motorbikes and street art Somerset in pictures: Swans, scarecrows and cricket Somerset in pictures: A retiring lollipop lady and bus strikes Somerset in pictures: Images from across the county
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Somerset in Pictures: Team Bath and romance in Frome
Valentine's Day is all about romance, and there has been plenty to love in Somerset this Bath got their netball season up and running with a win, and the public were generous with their donations so a four-legged visitor could have a permanent home in Hardington Mandeville they locals have a lot to be thankful to one family for, as they have been keeping the village shop going since the late 1800s. Winning smiles: Team Bath Netball kicked off the 2025 NXT Gen League season with a victory against Nottingham Forest in front of a sold-out home crowd. It's showtime: Toby Thompson took to the stage at The Egg Theatre in Bath to perform The Little Prince, an adaptation of the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's novella of the same name. Pretty stunning: Is there a rugby stadium in the country with a better backdrop than the Recreation Ground in Bath? We highly doubt it. The lamp of love: A time-honoured tradition took place in Frome on Friday night, with the annual lighting of a lamp dedicated to Valentine's Day. Reg Ling, now 93, began the event in 1993 but has handed it over this year saying he is "too old" to continue. A new home: This rescued North American Bobcat called Bode can now relax after more than £3,500 was raised by Tropiquaria Zoo, near Watchet, after the animal's former owner was convicted of animal welfare offences. The fundraiser means he can stay in Somerset permanently. Inspiring: Paralympic footballer Jack Rutter visited St Lawrence's Primary School in Westbury to lead exercises and pass on some crucial advice about overcoming adversity. A family concern: Daphne Creed MBE is the third generation of her family to run the village shop in Hardington Mandeville, near Yeovil. She took it on from her mother in 1991, who had managed it from 1936, who in turn had taken over from Ms Creed's grandmother, who had run it since the 1890s.
