The current theme is based around a pack of wolves. The basis is the story of Peter and the Wolf. Natalia Tats was director of the children’s national theatre in Moscow during the Stalin period. She invited Prokofiev to write an instruction of musical instrumentation using creatures to emphasise each instrument. The result was the story of Peters encounter with the Wolf. Behind this charming and inspirational story was the fact that Tats was exiled with her husband, and the work was considered subversive as it represented the Grandfather as stubborn Communist tradition, the young Peter as the breakaway youth defying authority, the Wolf as a threat to the status quo. The humanity in Peter to stop the hunters killing the Wolf clearly indicates the compassion required to halt military aggression.
Wolves have been hunted to near extinction throughout the territories in which mankind finds them. Demonised by Farmers and Shepherds, the subject matter for Horror movies without much understanding of their inherent value to the environment. It seems ironic that mans best friend has had such of rough deal. All domesticated dogs have a common Wolf origin. The Wolf symbolises the birth of Rome as Romulus and Remus suckle the Wolf mother. The former Roman fertility and purification festival of Lupercalia celebrated in mid February is a precursor of pre Lenten Carnival. Lycanthropy from the Greek ‘Lukos’ is the mythical transformation of a person to a Wolf, once again implying a form of masking. From Aesop to Grimm the Wolf has accompanied us from biblical times to the present day. Our lupine story is the story of Europe.
As the Eastern European Wolf moves in a westerly direction, modern sensibility and greater understanding allows a tentative acceptance of the wolfs increasing presence. Though a recurrence of former attitudes looms on the horizon as Brexit forms the two great social fractions. Then Red Riding Hood must revisit Grandmas house, a bounty is paid for the wolfs head, and then a Catholic priests head and ultimately the scalp of a Sioux brave.
As a metaphoric vehicle, the Wolf becomes a many layered indicator of our human condition. Churchill’s quote: “A Sheep in sheeps clothing”, Three Little Pigs. The ‘Wolfskinder’, ‘Steppenwolf’ Aesop’s ‘Crying Wolf’ and Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’ all deal with fear and threat and derision, and ultimately, help refer to a need to challenge our base instinct with reason and tolerance.
The narrative becomes an appropriate theme for costume portrayal for outdoor and site specific location.
