Why fairytales spark creativity and keep getting retold

Ryan Duncan, Home Delivery Director
This morning it has been a month since I first read Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid; our opening story in the autumn season of Home Delivery. I’ve had a month to mull over ideas for the session and forget the boring bits. This means it’s time to try and write my own version from memory.
I have the Disney soundtrack on in the background, it’s distracting hearing it after 20 years, but maybe it’ll give me some more ideas…Regardless, along with the coffee, it has put me in a wonderful mood. My inner 9 year old is poised at the keyboard. Ready after a month apart from the story, to retell it in his/my own words [mentally crack knuckles]…

“Far out in the Ocean, where the sea is blue and deep (unfathomably deep), out beyond the shipping lanes, take a left at the slowly rotating island of plastic waste…

 

When in the background I hear…

“Under the sea,
Darling it’s better
Down where it’s wetter
Take it from me”

A welcome opportunity for procrastination! I sing the bits I know and try to imagine the images from the movie.Then a thought hit me (not for the first time):Isn’t it mad how many times fairytales get told and retold. After further ponderings I’m now procrastinating by writing them down for you all to read. I’ve even spent time thinking of a title to help keep this blog post on track. And make sense. (you’re welcome):

Why fairytales spark creativity and keep getting retold

They have been the inspiration for countless movies, plays, pantos, musicals, music of every genre, art (I could go on)…why?- They’re fun. I, possibly we all, have enjoyed fairytales in many mediums and they’re always fun. Disney’s brand of fairytale has certainly taken the fun to new heights, but I can think of endless other instances where a fairytale retelling has been enormous fun regardless of my age. Fun is a pretty good spark for creativity.

Fairytales are fantastical

The characters in Fairytales are fantastical, distinct and recognisable. Making them easier to imitate or recreate. They can provide an easy way into performing, storytelling and writing. Additionally, the stories don’t give very detailed accounts of the characters themselves, leaving a lot of room for creativity and exploration. “The Big Bad Wolf. That’s what you have to go from – now run with it! And have fun!”

Fairytales are familiar

The stories that people recognise are more likely to be popular at the box office. It’s a fact. We love to go see the stories we recognise being retold! It seems to speak something of human nature, but I’m not entirely sure what it is saying…

Fairytales are formulaic

The story structure is easy to strip down to its core steps, characters and themes. Making it very easy for the new storyteller to then change the world in which it is set, add characters, layer in some modern cultural references… make the witch’s candy house a game arcade. They’re not novels you are adapting! A condensed story is easily recognisable and retold by anyone!

Procrastination well and truly complete, I really am off to write that script for the session now, and if you’d like to join in and see how it turns out, you can sign up for next term’s Creation Home Delivery here.

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