Jack the Lad

Following the success of their collaboration on Robin Hood David Wood andDave and Toni Arthur wrote Jack the Lad a musical celebration of Jack theubiquitous hero or everyman of English legend myth and folklore - fromLittle Jack Horner through Jack and the Beanstalk to Spring Heeled Jack theTerror of London.The setting is a gypsy encampment where a series of Jack tales and songsare performed by the gypsies to celebrate the 80th birthday of their seniormember - affectionately known as Jack the Lad. The play thereforedepicts contemporary gypsy life as well as traditional gypsy customs andsuperstitions and is a delightful amalgam of the traditional arts of storytellingsinging and dancing with a mumming play a shadow-mime andpuppetry also employed within the main framework.