The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs: Spotlight on: STORY

We always produce plays that are based on literature – it’s even in our mission statement: 'We specialize in literary adaptations of great children’s books.' Adaptations of literature are great for our audience because they connect imagination and literacy.  We want our shows to inspire our audience through great stories and creative journeys.  Plus, any time we can inspire a child to read, it's terrific! What is interesting is when a particular story comes from so many places, or is so old, its original source is somewhat unknown.

The Three Little Pigs was published in The Nursery Rhymes of England (London and New York, c.1886), by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps. It later was seen again in English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, first published in 1890. The oral version of the story is thought to date back even further than published versions. There have been hundreds of subsequent retellings, including the one we’re working on, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

It is fascinating to talk with children about what a difference a view point can make – who is story is told by, who is portrayed to be the good/evil characters, and whose side of the story is ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’ And when a story comes from so far back in history, the best part is, there is no right answer! Kids may tend to lean towards siding with the version of the story they know best, but it's all about how the evidence is presented. Makes for a great discussion. 

Are your children familiar with the story of The Three Little Pigs? If so, will you try and prepare them to see an old from a different point of view?