About This Show
The Theatre of a Two-headed Calf, led by the troupe’s director, Brooke O’Harra and composer, Brendan Connelly, have turned to an unusual classic for their next production: The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great, adapted from Henry Fielding’s 1730 burlesque comedy.
The adaptation will be not at all traditional. The itsy bitsy hero is played by a potato. The actors wear wooden costumes with video cameras built in, so they are simultaneously filming the play and directing the camera visuals. Finally, the 18th century play has been “translated” by the composer into a language that accentuates the natural percussiveness of English: for example, the h’s and k’s are emphasized and accompanied by an unfurling percussive musical line. Meanwhile, music is supplied both by offstage musicians and instruments played by the actors themselves.