New West Theatre is bringing a beloved children’s book to life for their annual winter Theatre for Young Audiences performance of “If You Give The Mouse a Cookie.”
The production runs in the Sterndale Bennett theatre Dec. 26-Jan. 7.
“It’s adapted from a pretty well known book ( Laura Numeroff’s “ If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,”) so it’s pretty well known by children,” said director Glenda Stirling.
She teaches movement at Mount Royal in Calgary to numerous students including Kelsey Flower, who stars in the show with Willie Banfield, who has been in the previous couple Munsch productions.
“When I hired Kelsey for this, he said it was his favourite book,” she said.
“A lot of the kids who come to this show will have read the book,” she continued. She said the costumes are very much inspired by the illustrations in the book.
“It just a little book about a little boy who is left home alone for the first time. He makes friends with a mouse,” she said adding together, they end up almost destroying the house.
“It’s the mouse’s fault, because it could never be the boy,” she laughed.
“ It’s very cool acting in this story,” said Flower, who plays the boy and who grew up reading the Numeroff’s books.
“It’s great seeing the world in the book come to life. It’s the closest I’ll get to playing something like Harry Potter,” he enthused.
He is enjoying how much movement and physical comedy there is in the show.
“I’m enjoying working with people who enjoy the book as much as I do,” he continued.
Working with one of his former teachers has been a highlight as well.
“It has definitely created a level of comfort,” he said.
“ I’m excited to be part of it,” he said.
Willie Banfield, who is a familiar face during the past couple New West Munsch productions is looking forward to playing the mouse.
“ It’s been a pretty great experience,” he said. He is enjoying they physicality of the role. He wasn’t familiar with the books before he got the part.
“ I wasn’t familiar with the book before. I was a little too old for them, but I’m all caught up now,” he laughed. He is enjoying making a mess of the kitchen, which is the setting of the play.
“ We turn it into a complete disaster by the end,” he said.
“ I think the highlight for a lot of children coming to the show will be seeing these characters they’ve only seen in 2-D, come to life,” Stirling said.
“If You Give the Mouse a Cookie” runs Dec. 26-Jan. 7 in the Sterndale Bennett Theatre at 3:30 p.m., Dec. 27-31 and Jan. 2-7 plus early 1 p.m. matinees Dec. 26, 29 and Jan. 5 and Jan. 7.
