DIRECTOR, WRITER, CO-PRDUCER: RUTH MARY JOHNSON
DESIGNER: ANNA ROBINSON
LOCATION: GALA THEATRE, DURHAM, REGIONAL TOUR
photo taken by Sophie Teasdale
This performance takes the story of Chicken Licken and funks it up with live music and current themes. It explores fake news with Foxy Loxy emulating Trump, he comes complete with a ‘Make Foxes Great Again’ cap. There are two endings that the audience can choose from but not before they hear hustings from Chicken Licken and Foxy Loxy. Touring around twenty different venues, this show was a hit featuring a one woman bird band, stripper trousers and of course some banging riffs. Rock and Roll!
The premise of the story was that the venue had been double booked - Ruth Mary Johnson, a storyteller and NailJam, a band, were competing for the stage and the audience. So the challenge was to design a set that could accommodate both gig and story time.
Initially the story line started with Ruth being a mega fan of NailJam which was reflected in the costume design. Throughout the rehearsal process the script changed making Ruth into a storyteller which led to the dungarees and yellow top.
The boys costumes had to transition from rock and roll band members to Foxy Loxky and Chicken Licken. The trick with Foxy Loxy was to use orange and ginger tones in the band costume so all it would take to transform into the fox was a tail and ears.
Chicken Licken’s costume was more of a reveal - the character had been waiting all his life to play Chicken Licken and was always prepared. A simple removing of the NailJam t-shirt, whipping off the stripper trousers and donning a headband and wings made him Chicken Licken.
Filmed by and for Gala Theatre