THEATRE
CHRIS THURMAN: Classic story comes to life in different ways
The literal and imaginary are drawn upon to explore the big questions in 'The Little Prince'
When it comes to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic book The Little Prince, there are three types of people. For some, it is almost like a sacred text — a way of unlocking the mysteries of life, the universe and everything — weaving together all the Big Questions about childhood and adulthood into a unifying metaphor. Then, there are others who don’t always understand what’s going on but enjoy its quirky characters and its endearing narrative, as well as its iconic illustrations. For others still, it is simply too opaque, too obscure. My wife falls into the latter category. She calls it “Waiting for Godot for kids.” But if, as one critic famously put it, in the two acts of Samuel Beckett’s play “nothing happens — twice”, then my wife’s literary-dramatic comparative crossover is entirely appropriate: for, in Johannesburg until November 25, the “nothing” of The Little Prince is happening simultaneously in two very different stage adaptations of the book. At the Pieter Toerien Theatre ...
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