This is a random blog, I'll admit, but I've been on a kick as of late, about a particular bit of theatre...

A few years ago, I happened upon an interesting little British show called Shockheaded Peter. As most of you probably know, I am a big fan of creepy macabre movies, literature, music, etc. Something's probably a little crazy with my DNA, but I love being creeped out. Anyway, so I looked into this show and found a copy of the soundtrack on ebay. I payed, like, five bucks for the CD and when I got it was oh so happy with my purchase! It's written and performed by a British band called The Tiger Lillies (imagine my surprise when my CD also happened to be autographed by the band) using only a stand up bass, percussive instruments, and an accordion. The lead singer sings with this wicked little falsetto voice that makes the songs that much creepier.

I listend to this soundtrack for a few years and decided last week to try and find a copy of the book from which the show is adapted.

I found a copy of the book on Amazon and got it in the mail yesterday. Called Struwwelpeter, it was written by a German doctor named Heinrich Hoffman in 1845 as a gift for his son. The stories are all tales of warning for children. All the good kids in the stories are rewarded with gifts and the bad children are all taught a stern lesson in some way, shape, or form. Sometimes they are even killed (I told you it was macabre). Since the stories are all written as poems, they come across as innocent and unassuming, but good Lord, some of them are vicious. Check out this website to read part of the book online: http://books.google.com/books?id=-Kzb2LPyE0oC&dq=struwwelpeter&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPP1,M1

Here's an example:

The Story of Little Suck-A-Thumb

One day, Mamma said, "Conrad dear,
I must go out and leave you here.
But mind now, Conrad, what I say,
Don't suck your thumb while I'm away.
The great tall tailor always comes
To little boys that suck their thumbs.
And ere they dream what he's about
He takes his great sharp scissors out
And cuts their thumbs clean off, - and then
You know, they never grow again."
Mamma had scarcely turn'd her back,
The thumb was in, alack! alack!
The door flew open, in he ran,
The great, long, red-legged scissorman.
Oh! children, see! the tailor's come
And caught our little Suck-a-Thumb.
Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go;
And Conrad cries out - Oh! Oh! Oh!
Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast;
That both his thumbs are off at last.
Mamma comes home; there Conrad stands,
And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;-
"Ah!" said Mamma "I knew he'd come
To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb."

That gives you an idea as to the type of stories in the book. Here is how the story was told in the musical:


And here is another version done by a German film student (using the original German text):


I don't want to give the impression that the tactics used on poor Conrad are ethical or humane, but it is an interesting story, nonetheless.