Magical Puppetry Brings THE TALE OF THE WILLOW PATTERN PLATE to Life at Rosebank Theatre

Magical puppetry will bring to life THE TALE OF THE WILLOW PATTERN PLATE at the Rosebank Theatre when Jill Joubert performs her adaptation of the story in the intimate suburban theatre.

In 1790, Thomas Minton designed and engraved the Willow pattern for the Caughley porcelain factory In Shropshire, England. The design proved to be so popular that it remained in use for the next 200 years, with variations on the theme made by. amongst others, Spode, Wedgewood and Crown Devon in England, and Gilman Collamore in New York. While the elements of the design were based on Chinese porcelain imported into England in the 1700s, The Willow Pattern is essentially English, as was the love story invented by Minton to promote its popularity and sales.

The story has been told many times in various interpretations, including an illustrated children's storybook and puppet plays. It was made into a comic opera in 1901, a silent film in 1914 and an animated film set in Japan (1992).

Jill Joubert brings this story alive once again in an intimate setting, using beautifully crafted puppets to tell the tale. As the story unfolds, so an enlarged plate grows with the addition of the pieces that make up the essence of the Willow pattern. In addition, a magical shadow theatre and an ancient dragon tell two Chinese creation stories that enhance the romantic tale.

Joubert has been an art educator since 1997 and was a founder member of the Handspring Puppet Company. She made puppet plays for her children's birthdays for 12 years and then explored some puppet plays for her own birthdays. Joubert was the principal of the Frank Joubert Art Centre for 13 years, where she co-founded The Ibhabhathane Project which still does extensive work in in-service teacher training, using step-by-step methods of instruction, with enough space for personal creativity. In 2012, Joubert completed her Masters Degree in Fine Art with distinction, focusing on her own unique style of tableaux-puppetry. For the last six years, Jill has been teaching the Young Leaders of Net Vir Pret in Barrydale how to make simple puppets with children for the annual Barrydale Day of Reconciliation Parade, funded by the Handspring Trust. Currently, Joubert teaches Creative Arts to Foundation Phase PGCE students at UCT and works on the Assitej Kickstarter Creative Arts Intermediate Phase teacher-training team as one of the two visual arts specialists.

THE WILLOW PATTERN PLATE runs on Mondays through Fridays from 22 February - 24 March at 10:30, with additional shows on 27 February and 5 March at 17:00. Tickets, ranging in price from R60 - R80, are available through Webtickets.

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