The Wild Swans
Written in 1838, The Wild Swans was one of the first short stories ever written by Hans Christian Anderson. He is one of the most prolific fairy-tellers in history, having contributed in excess of 160 tales to worldwide culture. Famous stories such as The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling, were all originally created by Anderson, although there are possibilities that some of his tales were adaptations of earlier folk stories as told by the Brothers Grimm. The Wild Swans is one such example, baring a striking resemblance to the Grimm's The Six Swans.
These notes are intended to be used as a preparation for your class before coming to the show, and also as useful activities and discussion points after viewing the play. They have been compiled by second year students Ken Crowther, Kasey Smith, Jess Domrow and Jyl Moncrief under the supervision of Dr Janet McDonald as part of the Drama and Theatre Studies major.