Like dreams, fairy tales are full of magical events, some of them horrific, and the stories in
Beasts and Beauties are not short of horror. 'Bluebeard' and 'The Juniper Tree' are two of the darker and more gruesome tales that are full of
blood and bones . In 'The Juniper Tree', the jealous stepmother chops her stepson's head off and makes a stew out of him which the boy's unhappy father eats! When the mother bangs down the lid of a heavy wooden box onto the boy's neck, it looks to the audience as if the boy's head is severed, but actress Elaine Claxton tells us what is actually going on
inside the box to create this illusion. Director Melly Still tells us how
positioning and lighting are used to create the illusion and the sense of blood and gore that accompanies it. A
wax head is used and a behind-the-scenes look at a rehearsal shows how actor Kelly Williams seamlessly trades her real head for the fake one. You can also take a look at the different stages involved in
making the wax head .
In the next scene of 'The Juniper Tree' the evil stepmother is shown at her ghastly work in hell's kitchen, wielding a cleaver. But the audience sees shadows of the butchering projected on a screen leaving their imaginations to complete the full impact of what is happening.
Behind the screen , the actors do not stop acting. Actress Zara Ramm, who plays the sister, tells us that she is absolutely
exhausted from screaming and sobbing .
In the third part of
'The Juniper Tree', the story takes on an almost operatic form as the soul of the dead boy appears as a bird made from the very kitchen tools used in his destruction. Director Melly Still tells us about
portraying the bird , prop-maker Bill Talbot explains
how the bird was made , and actor Vineeta Rishi, who operates it, talks about
making the bird come alive .