Kommentare - Der Grüffelo

ENGERHAFE... everyone was absolutely thrilled and now knows that the Gruffalo, a monster from the children's book by British author Julia Donaldson, really exists. They had seen him in person in Engerhafe at the mobile theater "pohyb's und konsorten." The sheer enthusiasm with which children can be swept away was palpable. What the mobile theater, the duo Maike Jansen and Stefan Ferencz, offered without elaborate sets or technical equipment was fantastic. With simple means, but expressive body language and pantomime, they sparked the imagination, and the children "saw" the animals in the forest. They rejoiced with the clever mouse, another character from Julia Donaldson's children's book, and enthusiastically helped him, because the mouse certainly wouldn't have survived some situations if the bright children hadn't warned him loudly and in time. ...Once again, it became clear that animals don't stop at borders, and so the snake was a Russian immigrant who, with "Dawai, dawai and Spasiba," provided just as much excitement as the Italian fox, from whom one almost expected to hear "I don't even have a car" at any moment. The owl, on the other hand, came across with a snobbish nasal voice and a coolly English understatement; this multicultural mix was simply hilarious. Since 2005, the duo Maike Jansen and Stefan Ferencz have been touring with their performances, not only in Germany, but also delighting children wherever they go. Thanks to their expressiveness, there are no language barriers... Osnabrücker Nachrichten (Barbara Hoppe)

KNETZGAU. A stroke of luck for the kindergarten. To conclude the kindergarten year, the parents' council of the Knetzgau kindergarten organized a play in the town hall and cultural center. Engaging the two actors from the mobile theater company pohyb's and associates, who live in Hofheim, proved to be an absolute stroke of luck, as they shone with passion and professionalism from the first to the last minute of the performance. The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions by the two actors was evident right from the start, when Stefan Ferencz peeked out from behind the stage scenery and performed the first pantomime movements. With clownish charm, he managed to break the ice and captivate the approximately 110 children. Together with his co-star Maike Jansen, he created a summery forest atmosphere at the beginning of the performance, complete with buzzing bees and chirping birds. It was clear throughout the entire performance that the two actors had written their plays specifically for themselves. All the roles and scenes based on the children's book "The Gruffalo" are interpreted with absolute authenticity and conviction. With plenty of wit and humor, they explore the emotionally moving themes of the book without sacrificing depth. Moments of tension, clearly visible on the children's faces, are followed by comical scenes, to which the children respond with peals of laughter and visible relief. The actors' energetic performance is immediately contagious, encouraging the children to process what they've seen far more effectively than a television film. The Gruffalo is a fearsome monster, a figment of the mouse's imagination to escape the hungry forest animals. Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson's picture book takes up the age-old theme of David and Goliath and shows, in a story accessible to children, that fearlessness and resourcefulness can overcome what seems insurmountable. It's a story that speaks to children's primal fears while also instilling courage. For: "Even if you are small and vulnerable, you don't have to let yourself be defeated; you can defend yourself with wit and imagination." (Maike Jansen) The little mouse, portrayed by Maike Jansen – always with a cheerful "Schupti-Dupti" on her lips – encounters the fox, the owl, and the snake on her way through the forest. With simple, expressive props, used effectively on stage, the two actors slip into the roles of these animals, giving each a distinct character through gestures, facial expressions, and voice. The British-looking owl wants to invite the mouse for "tea," and the fox turns out to be a macho man in the Italian style. The entire production thrives on rapid role changes, the skillful use of body and voice, and the lively performances of the two actors. The children sense that the two artists have mastered their craft down to the smallest detail and are immediately drawn into the story. This visit to the theatre will probably remain in the children's memories for a long time.

MOSBACH. Monstrous performances by “Pohyb’s and Associates” – Gruffalo stories brought to life with boundless imagination. “I’m not afraid of the Gruffalo at all. But all girls are.” With this dubious statement, a youngster commented on the performance by “Pohyb’s and Associates” on Friday morning. Jürgen Mellert of “Kindler’s Bookstore,” who organized the two performances at the Sängerheim (singers’ hall), was delighted with the huge turnout of 160 spectators. Anyone who had already seen Maike Jansen and Stefan Ferencz with “The Three Friends” knew that the two actors, musicians, mimes, and puppeteers bring their literary works to life in a very special way. The pair also presented Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s “Gruffalo” stories about the “monster-strong” mouse who uses his wits to send all his enemies running – instead of ending up in their stomachs – with both playfulness and poetry. The fact that they largely dispensed with props further stimulated the audience's imagination. The prologue already revealed a unique perspective on the world and its prevailing pace. Behind the black stage set, one could hear eerie noises, wild grumbling and stamping. With a "Shh!" Stefan Ferencz calmed the rumbling, imaginary creature. He put on a vest, removed imaginary lint, and was quite surprised to find a group of children sitting before him. Even a "One, two, three," followed by a snap of his fingers, didn't reveal the audience to be in a bad dream. Luckily, Maike Jansen appeared at just the right moment and played a light, summery melody on the concertina. "There's a lot going on in the woods," the two explained. They created the atmosphere of the forest with cuckoo calls, frog croaks, and mosquito buzzes. With a cheerful "Schubedibu" on its lips, the mouse strolled through the woods. A hairband with mouse ears was all the actress needed to slip into the fabulous role of the rodent. “Ciao, Bambini,” the fox greeted the children, first polishing his oversized tail to a high shine before declaring, “Ho fame, breakfast, I’m hungry.” At the sight of the mouse, a soft, “Yummy,” escaped him. Cunningly, he tried to invite her to his home for a meal of jelly. But the little girl saw through his charmer and flatly refused. The hint that she was expecting the Gruffalo, who loved fox meat, chased the highwayman away. The invitation from the swooping owl for tea was just as ignored as the one to the “snake and mouse feast.” Sometimes the Gruffalo dreamed of “owl with icing,” other times of “snake puree.” A cheerful “Shoo-bee-doo-doo” on his lips—the children quickly added a “Dub!” The mouse hopped away, marveling at the animals' gullibility. This continued until the imaginary monster stood before her in the flesh and declared: "My favorite treat is buttered bread with mouse." But even the man in a giant mask with a bloodcurdling voice couldn't be fooled by the mouse. In the story of the Gruffalo's Child, masterful pantomime brought his best friend Stick Man to life. A wild, slow-motion chase thrilled the audience, as did the actors, always good for a quirky interlude. Perhaps in the end, it was almost too much of a good thing. The younger viewers would probably have found the first story alone sufficient to inspire their own imaginations.

GERNSBACH. Children are having a great time at the Marienhaus with "Pohyb's and Associates." "Other way! Behind you. No, there!" The excitement is building, the children are shouting louder and louder, barely able to sit still. They want to warn the clever mouse about the snake hissing towards them, ready to devour the little creature at the "Snake-Mouse Feast." But the mouse has a plan. She's been invited to the Gruffalo's house, with its "fiery eyes" and "spikes on its back," who also happens to love "snake puree"... The church's public library gave its youngest readers a wonderful gift on Thursday afternoon to mark its 125th anniversary: The mobile theater group "Pohyb's and Associates" performed the popular children's story "The Gruffalo" at the Marienhaus. Maike Jansen and Stefan Ferencz slipped into the roles of the mouse, the Gruffalo, and the forest animals who usually enjoy mice as a meal. With pantomime, completely live sound effects, music on a concertina, and a stage set reduced to a black wall with a small door, the duo conjured a forest atmosphere in the packed Mariensaal. Then the mouse appeared with a boisterous "Shoo-doo-doo-doo-doo." Lovingly crafted were the owl with its English accent, the snake hissing in Russian, and the vain fox trying to lure the mouse with Italian. The rhymes typical of this tale were also incorporated by "pohyb's and consorts"—so much so that some children eagerly joined in, and I happily encouraged them to participate. "When is the Gruffalo finally coming?" called an impatient audience member. Then he was there: larger than life and unmistakable, the figure appeared above the edge of the stage. The connection to the Gruffalo's child, who is warned by his father about the "wicked mouse": "Its eyes can flash like fire," was also successful. But the little Gruffalo bravely sets off in search of the mouse – and encounters the familiar forest animals again. ("Pohyb's and Associates," who developed the play in collaboration with the publisher "Beltz & Gelberg" based on the two children's books, give this toy of the young Gruffalo a special role. "Mr. Stick Man" doesn't want to go into the forest. Stefan Ferencz amusingly portrays this in his clownish fight, in which the stick figure ultimately comes out on the losing end. It's astonishing how much the duo extracted from the popular children's books.) Although the character of Julia Donaldson's story and Axel Scheffler's illustrations were retained, something entirely new emerged. - BT (Daniela Körner)

Hi you two, thank you so much again for the wonderful theater experience! It was great that we were there! I giggled so much and had a blast! Love, Ben (3.5 years old) with Mom from Stuttgart

When Ferencz portrays the owl as an English snob, transforms the fox into an Italian daredevil, or plays the snake as a rustic ne'er-do-well with a Russian accent, it's not just pure children's theater, but also a piece of satire – not entirely politically correct, but hilarious. "Pohyb's and his associates" slip through all the roles created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler in their book with lightning speed. Besides the lovingly designed costumes, a black partition was the only stage prop. It served as the fox's den, the Gruffalo's cave, and a dressing room for the actors. They told the story of a little mouse and her clever deception to escape the menu of three thoroughly shady forest dwellers. Soon, however, she discovers that the Gruffalo doesn't just exist in her imagination.

The younger members of the audience proved to be experts on Gruffalo matters. They chanted the title character's name even before entering the theater and recited entire passages from the picture book by heart. The children were also completely engrossed in the brave mouse's adventures. True screams of panic erupted when the nasty snake tried to sneak up on the rodent from behind, immediately followed by derisive laughter as the snake slunk away, terrified and empty-handed. Whether it was the play or the audience's reactions that were the more entertaining spectacle that afternoon was impossible to say. Simon Blümer

CÖLBE. “There, behind you!” Many of the children shrieked excitedly and pointed their fingers as the snake crept up behind the unsuspecting mouse, and even more so when the Gruffalo himself suddenly appeared. But they laughed even more at the funny sounds, movements, facial expressions, and conversations, and eagerly followed the perilous journey of the little mouse, who encountered a fox, an owl, and a snake. She escaped being eaten each time by mentioning her appointment with the dreadful monster, the Gruffalo, who supposedly loved to eat “fox skewers,” “owl with icing,” or “snake puree.” In the end, however, the Gruffalo she had only imagined actually appeared. But the brave mouse finally scared the monster away by saying that her favorite food was Gruffalo crumble. With minimal props but quick costume changes, the mobile theater group "Pohyb's und Konsorten," consisting of Maike Jansen and Stefan Ferencz, delivered a captivating and poetic performance that also delighted the adult audience. The support associations of the "Löwenzahn" (Dandelion) kindergarten in Cölbe and the "Lummerland" (Lummerland) kindergarten in Bürgeln thus succeeded in giving the children and their families a wonderful (belated) Christmas present. Not only the kindergarten children, but also their siblings and parents were invited.

VELBERT The little theater fans excitedly fidget on their bottoms. It's about to begin. He's coming soon. Who? Why, the Gruffalo! A star of the children's play scene, whom the target audience – bookworms aged four and up – usually only knows from picture books. Today, however, they'll get up close to him at the central library. The Hofheim children's theater group "pohyb's & konsorten" has brought this peculiar creature along. Before the Gruffalo, and later the Gruffalo's Child, dare to venture onto the stage, quite a bit will happen, because the story begins with a cheeky mouse. She gleefully skips through the forest, encountering all sorts of dangers. But she's not stupid and threatens the snake, the fox, and the owl, saying she's about to meet the Gruffalo. Fortunately, the forest dwellers don't know him, so they describe him as someone who enjoys eating "fox skewers," "owl with icing," or even "snake puree." Because, it should be mentioned, all of these animals actually have the little mouse on their menu. The story of the gray rodent fills the forest dwellers with a great deal of respect, and the Gruffalo groupies? They can hardly contain their laughter. Even in the first act, a tentative laugh rings out. It will transform into a resounding "Hahaha" as the afternoon at the theater progresses. Because "pohyb's & konsorten" really know their stuff. Like a good dentist's drill, Maike Jansen and Stefan Ferencz hit the kids' nerve—their laughter nerve, to be precise. The two actors create plenty of suspense and lots of humor. They spontaneously incorporate the children's shouts into the play. And despite the many characters they portray, there are only two of them. Although, no, the "Stick Man" shouldn't be forgotten here. Even though he's only made of wood, he has his own small supporting role. To play the other parts, Maike Jansen and Stefan Ferencz regularly disappear behind the black wall, slipping into new costumes. The wall is the focal point of the stage. It transforms itself alternately into a cold winter's day or even a dark full moon night. Sometimes, however, it simply serves as the backdrop for the chase scenes, which often end in spectacular falls – much to the delight of the children. (WAZ Velbert, Saskia Baeck)