East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Welcome to the USQ Performance Centre's 2005 Children's Theatre Week production of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, written and directed by Scott Alderdice.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon originates from ancient Celtic folklore and has since been transformed into a Norwegian fairytale, which often features traces of well-known fairytale, The Frog Prince. The play has been re-written and adapted for this production by the Head of the Department at USQ, Scott Alderdice, so that it will appeal to today's youth. 

Whilst this story is fundamentally aimed at a primary school audience, this production features some Brechtian conventions, which may be relevant to a high school audience as well. These conventions include having the full cast onstage at all times and having all lighting and scene changes in full view of the audience.

These teachers' notes will provide you with in depth information on the mythology and symbolism featured in the play. They will also discuss the themes and characters in detail as well as offer some suggestions for activities relating to the performance that may be useful for your students.

Synopsis

Characters

Themes

Behind the Scenes

Fairytales and Mythology

Activities