Just So draws on the creative imagination of Rudyard Kipling, who used to make up stories to tell to his young daughter on their long sea voyages from Southampton, England, to South Africa.
These stories often involved some of the animals that they were familiar with from their time spent in both Africa and India.
As is so common with young children, repetition is a favourite part of the story-telling process - and Kipling's daughter was no exception.
The trouble was that sometimes Kipling would forget a certain detail in the retelling of a story, but his little girl was quick to point out the error and say
"No, tell it just so, it has to be just so" -
Hence the collection of 12 short stories were published as The Just So Stories.
Our musical starts at the time of the very beginnings, when the Eldest Magician has created a world and filled it with animals.
Unfortunately all of the animals look the same, but rather than performing further magic and changing them, the Magician tells them to go out into the world and find their own characters. Therein lies the first theme of the show - a celebration of individuality and diversity.
Just So is about story telling, and that requires the listener to use his or her imagination.
In keeping with Kipling's wit and creativity, we ask the audience to allow your imagination to take over when we create thesee animals and locations on stage.
We are not portraying the animals realistically but, as in HONK!, as human types with animal-like traits and characteristics. Likewise, our scenic elements are created simply from everyday items which, with a little imagination, are transformed into something else.
We invite you to join us on our adventure.
Anthony Drewe and George Stiles
Just So was produced by Cameron Mackintosh at the Watermill and Tricycle theatres in England, as well as at the Goodspeed Opera House and North Shore Music Theatre in the USA.
Take a sneaky peak and listen |
