Next, cut each roll into about 20 pieces. The play is on the June 23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Emirates Auditorium at 7:30pm.
![scrum diddly umptious scrum diddly umptious](https://hayloft.co.uk/persImages/views/01_PT35H19.jpg)
So while Charlie's chocolate dream will remain 'sweet', it remains to be seen if the City of Gold has the heart to make it sweeter. "The initial cost has been met by the organisers, but to take this concept further, for it to assume mass appeal, sponsors will have to step in with resources," says Bala.
#Scrum diddly umptious free#
While everyone seems to have woken up to the sterling efforts mounted by Ranjini and company - Crowne Plaza gave its auditorium absolutely free of cost - sponsors that could bankroll the lavish production haven't woken up yet. The entire experience has been spiritually uplifting for all of us," says Ranjini. Many of them broke down when they saw what their children were capable of during the rehearsal. "What was more heartening was the reaction of the parents of our kids who visited Al down watching and found the experience very touching. It was during this process that they also stumbled acros the musical talents of 16-year-old Shashwat who ended up giving the play its musical score. Rehearsals were held thrice a week at Ranjini's house and with each passing week, new facets to various personalities were being discovered. Undeterred they carried on and finished the artwork as well. There was so much work to be done," says Ranjini. The play is divided into nine scenes, and these are constructed around different situations - there is the Willy Wonka's Chocolate Room, the Invention Room, the Chocolate Waterfall and trees laden with toffee. "When you think about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you understand that the entire concept is also about visual impact. There was so much lip-synching happening," says Bala.Īnd as time went by, the enormity of the entire situation dawned heavily upon the trio. "Such was the synergy that every member apart from the chorus knew the songs.
![scrum diddly umptious scrum diddly umptious](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3g-Jltw6dcY/maxresdefault.jpg)
It was as if there was no difference between them and that was something that we wanted," she adds. "But then their initial apprehension quickly gave way to a camaraderie that was worthy of being admired. "Initially the children were very stiff with each other," recalls Anuradha. And though, it was tough to begin with, things started falling into place one after another. While Anuradha, with her past experience of working in street plays, took over the responsibility of getting the costumes and putting the assembled cast through its creative paces, Bala weighed herself in with the onerous task of getting the props in order, and with her finance background, she also took on the duties of managing the production costs. Auditions were held for the roles, and soon a 30-member strong cast was in place, half that would enact the various characters in the play, and the other half that formed the chorus. While a script was not very difficult to come by, getting a cast together was perhaps a little more exacting. The idea having germinated, they moved on to the more difficult task of executing the concept on a more practical level. The integration just wasn't there, hence the idea." On a more personal note, she adds, "We also wanted to sensitise our own children, and all those around us, to the needs of children with special needs." Having worked with special needs children, I was quite aware of their potential to be part of our social fabric, but at the same time I also realised that there weren't too many opportunities for them to showcase their talents under normal circumstances. "Besides raising money for charity, we wanted to integrate the talents of children. Ranjini, who has spent eight of her ten years in Dubai, working with Al Noor provides the raison d'etre behind the entire concept - one that has been borne out of her personal experience of working with special needs children.
![scrum diddly umptious scrum diddly umptious](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S6C62BlvDXc/maxresdefault.jpg)
This attempt, perhaps the first of its kind in the emirates, is the brainchild of three very accomplished women, Ranjini Ramnath, Anuradha Kumar and Bala Arvind, who have set up ACT ONE (Academy of Children's Theatre), the creative group behind the entire concept. This endearing tale that has 'sweetened' a hundred-million fantasies worldwide is now being imparted a special flavour.Ī stage adaptation that combines the unique talents of special needs children from Al Noor with those of mainstream students drawn from various schools in the emirates is to be staged on June 23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dubai. Extra dollar, on the opportunity to win a trip to the reclusive, and eccentric Willy Wonka's factory in Roald Dahl's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.