about the show

A brand new adaptation from Karina Wilson, writer of C theatre's nine previous acclaimed Hans Christian Andersen shows. Red Riding Hood and the Wolves is based on the original tale by Perrault, with a dash of Brothers Grimm.

On a moonlit night, dark shapes lurk in the shadows of the woods. Shapes with red, glowing eyes, hot breath and big teeth. All the better to chew up any lonely traveller who happens to cross their path. Are they wolves? All the same, the villagers do not go in the woods. There are worse things than wolves, after all.

Pashnik plays with her best friend Baryluk near the woods and one day he disappears between the trees. She decides to go after him, and sets off to her grandmother’s cottage for help. Deep in the heart of the woods Pashnik’s grandmother lives, for reasons best known to herself, keeping away from the village. Pashnik’s journey is a perilous one, and she finds herself face-to-face with Skorepa, a creature who was once a nice little girl, like Pashnik, but is now something worse than a wolf. Both of them seek the same thing: Baryluk.

Pashnik cannot rely on a passing woodcutter to save her life, however her grandmother is not prepared to lie down and be eaten by a passing wolf either. As well as the familiar Brothers’ Grimm version, Karina Wilson has drawn upon the original morality tale warning young ladies of the wolfish intentions of strangers. The werewolf legends of Eastern Europe also permeate the play, exploring the fear of the savage beast that lies just beneath a person’s skin. The audience are transported into the depths of the forest, where lonely travellers may only be a heartbeat from the grinning jaws of a wolf. Beware!

what the press said

'It is brave to offer children a dark and haunting version of a classic fairytale; there is a risk that it will sail eerily over their small heads and chill only the hearts of their mothers. However, this beautifully nimble, flexible and hugely enthusiastic cast, enchanted and rapt from minute one; especially the littl’uns who froze in silent suspense. Piercingly red-eyed werewolves battle a heroic Red Riding Hood, and her medley of demented helpers, in this magical adaptation akin to a sinister lullaby; the way fairytales should be told, there is no room for pantomime in this slick and sophisticated piece of children’s theatre.' Three Weeks

'The best children's show I’ve seen in ages' Edinburghguide.com

'Thrilling, tautly written' TES