FRBV26 LC ENGAGE Pride – Drama workshop 2026

"Little Red Riding Hood" Project

The actress Marjorie Efther designed a workshop based on excerpts from Joël Pommerat’s play “Little Red Riding Hood” (2004), with the unique feature of also offering shadow theatre and object theatre work. The playwright revisits the traditional tale and sets it in contemporary society. The story highlights the intergenerational exchanges of the 3 female characters, also questions related to the education of young girls and ways to protect them from the predatory behavior of some adults. Moving through the tale, with its known symbols and motifs, allowed for a subtle approach to difficult societal issues.

In terms of theatrical acting practice, the workshop was very rich and diverse:

-The students had the surprise of working on lines in a modern and colloquial language. During the first sessions, the students had to take charge of the scenes in groups of 4 or 5, choose the breakdown of the text and do the distribution of lines among themselves. They then made several appearances on set to present their staging ideas and explain their choices.

-The discovery of acting techniques on stage was paired, from the very beginning, with learning the animation techniques of Chinese shadow theatre: a white paper screen stretched across the centre separated the space in two. When one group was performing on stage, another had to handle the manipulation of objects to create the shadows for the scene. The silhouettes were designed and cut out of cardboard by the students during the sessions, along with everyday objects (flashlights, foliage, clothing accessories, kitchen utensils).

The performance at the Dunkerque Theatre (on Tuesday, May 12, 2026) took place in front of an audience of parents, our high school partners (presenting their own workshop alongside us), and the middle school management staff. The students presented their work for 25 minutes, benefiting from the professional sound and light control of the Bateau Feu. The voices were amplified by microphones placed on stage.

The students learned to manage their stage fright, adapt to the unexpected, and handle mistakes during the show. An immense feeling of pride was shared by everyone. The adults supervising the workshop noted enormous progress in certain students who were very withdrawn at the beginning (or even refusing to participate); the challenge, indeed, was to lead a whole group of non-volunteer students (the workshop being scheduled as part of the Erasmus project) to practise an activity of artistic and physical expression. A total success.