JKP was delighted to attend the launch of Dramatherapy with Myth and Fairy-tale: The Golden Stories of Sesame by Jenny Pearson, Mary Smail and Pat Watts at Central School of Speech and Drama in North London on Saturday 15th June.
The launch was crowded with the authors’ colleagues, former students, friends and family, all keen to celebrate this exceptional book – among them Alida Gersie, who wrote the foreword, and JKP author, Sue Jennings. Jenny Pearson and Mary Smail regaled their audience with anecdotes of myth and fairytale in action, as well as reminiscences of Sesame days past. We were treated to two a cappella myth-based songs by Frankie Armstrong, world renowned singer and Voice Workshop leader, who also opened the occasion with a rendition of the warm-up song, ‘The Little Green Frog’ (with help from Jenny’s young grandson, Dylan).
The event was preceded by ‘Pat Fest’ – a tribute to Pat Watts, one of the authors, who unfortunately did not get to see the finished book, but who was responsible for committing her share of the stories to paper (originally on scraps of paper and envelope backs, as her co-authors revealed at the launch!). As a key figure in the history of the Sesame course and the creator of its first Myth element, many people came to rejoice in Pat’s remarkable work and legacy, and she was honoured with an enactment of ‘The Flowering Tree’ facilitated by Jeni Treves and Alison Kelly, coordinators on the Creative Arts supervision training course (CAST).
It was a hugely enjoyable evening and a wonderful way to celebrate this special book.
Below are a selection of pictures from the event:
