Licketyspit's Magic Spaghetti '05
'Buonissimo!! If there is anything to wet your appetite for good food, Magic Spaghetti has got all of the essential ingredients.' (Edinburgh Guide)
 |
 |
Licketyspit's latest theatre show for young children and families has just completed an eight-week sell-out Scottish tour.
Magic Spaghetti is set in ‘Scotaly’, where the ‘modern’ way to eat is to eat Plain food – eschewing all things ‘fancy’ - by which they mean green or flavoursome. Strega Nonna returns home, after a lifetime of travelling and tasting, with a Magic Spaghetti pot and the town is forced to re-examine their lifestyles with hilarious consequences. |
'Our starting point is to entertain and tell a good story' says Artistic Director Virginia Radcliffe, 'but the young age of our target audience means we have to be very aware of the intrinsic values within the shows'. Magic Spaghetti expresses positive values about eating and has proved to be remarkably effective in encouraging children to share those values.
'This was a fantastic production. I loved it as much as my son. He was actually jumping up and down with excitement when we went outside'. (Parent)
 |
|
A key feature of this work is the way children play with the story afterwards – re-enacting it, singing the songs and quoting catch phrases like 'Big Noodle!' and 'You don’t have to like everything but you do have to try!'. |
'This is by no means a dull preachy piece. Larger than life characters, teamed with a wicked sense of humour, played out with such energy that the audience can’t help but get caught up in it'. (LIST)
'Our children came home and said "Plain food is so boring!". They promptly ate courgettes, couscous and salad. We are astonished!' (Parent)
Magic Spaghetti played to nearly 7000 children, teachers and families selling out 99% of shows. Mary Contini of Valvona & Crolla is working with Focus on Food to launch a three-year Healthy Eating initiative for Scotland. It involves 'The Cooking Bus', which travels around teaching children to cook and eat well. Licketyspit has been approached, funding permitting, to tour the show along with the bus. It would be a thrilling combination to inspire children and give them practical knowledge.
Magic Spaghetti also tours with an interactive exhibition funded by Lothian Health Board comprising three market carts: How to eat, What to eat and Where food comes from. Licketyspit produce free theatre programmes which can be made into puppets of the characters from the show and an extensive teacher’s pack for follow-up activities in the classroom. 'Magic Spaghetti' is now a staple on many school and home menus. Licketyspit has published two books - Wee Witches and Molly Whuppie. The company hope to produce a Magic Spaghetti book with songs, games, Mary Contini's recipes and a CD of the music from the show.
Magic Spaghetti was developed in consultation with St Nicolas & Craigroysten Primary schools, The Haven Project and Families Inc.
'Licketyspit has its finger so firmly on the public pulse it almost cuts off the circulation.' (TES)
|
Licketyspit was launched in January 2004 after a three-year gestation period as Wee Stories Early Years Project producing Hare & Tortoise, Molly Whuppie, Wee Witches (re-worked in Spring 2004), Quangle Wangle and A Piece of Cake.
Their distinctive, highly popular brand of work is developed through consultative workshops with children. Licketyspit targets three-to seven-year-olds, but thinks good theatre for children is good theatre for everyone. This work is also very popular with children with special educational needs. |
|
 |
'Two children with only echolalic speech have been singing your spaghetti song, which is fantastic. We also have a lot of fussy eaters but most of them tried the magic spaghetti we made back at school, which we are amazed at. The parents and ourselves are very grateful to you'. Teacher, DSE
Licketyspit is a project-funded company and has recently been awarded Scottish Arts Council funding to tour a re-working of their production Molly Whuppie with live Clarsach & Fiddle in Spring 2006.
Supported by the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council |