Creativity across communities

Young Writers Lab group The Unknown went out on tour this week in the Jonköping region and beyond lead by their teacher Anna Larsson and accompanied by the international writer, Mel Perry. The group performed their Third Grade production of Dario Fo’s play The Virtuous Burglar or “Bättre en tjuv i huset, än en fnurra på tråden” to school audiences in Skänninge and Ödeshög. Fo’s satirical farce explores the double standards of the wealthy and politicians compared to the simpler but frowned upon life of the burglar.

Mel used her time on the tour to explore the play’s characters with the actors. This will be followed by creative writing activities that use autobiographical techniques to help the students further understand the background and motivation of the characters they play. This approach will be a valuable tool to help the students explore characters they play in future productions, in addition to any self-exploration they may engage in.