Originally commissioned by the Ark in 1999, Zoe's Play by John McArdle is here given a new production in celebration of the Ark's eighteenth birthday. Written as a prequel to the classic fairytale 'Little Red Riding Hood', Zoe's Play tells the story of twelve year-old Zoe, an imaginative, playful child who is beginning to find her own voice in an adult world - and her efforts to protect a family of wolves she has dreamt about from her farmer Dada's unrelenting destruction of the forest, despite his warnings that the wolves are dangerous. Zoe's transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by the juxtaposition of her daydreams into the magical, exciting, untamed world of the forest which she shares with her Nana, and the mystery of her Dada's sudden coldness and repression of the childhood wonder of the forest following Uncle Jack's death. Themes of childhood versus adulthood, feminine versus masculine, nature versus civilisation, and climate change are presented in a visually majestic piece of theatre that has its audience captivated and enraptured from start to finish.

Áine Ní Laoghaire (Zoe) has a great childlike innocence and agility, and her storytelling ability, as displayed in the metatheatrical play-within-a-play told at the beginning, has the audience fully invested in the wolf characters which are created through the use of very basic hand puppets, imaginatively illuminated by director David Horan through grey gloves and silhouettes. Similarly, movement director Bryan Burroughs creates a beautifully animalistic yet graceful portrayal of the wolves, assisted by deft millinery by Maree Kearns. Ruth Lehane does an excellent job as the caring and sympathetic Mama/Nana, and Karl Quinn shows his versatility in his equally convincing depictions of the cold, stern father and in the energy and childish wonder of the young Dada.

The real star of this production, however, is the design. The set, lighting and sound designs are beautifully married by director David Horan, and transport the audience into the magical world of Zoe's forest, with all the delights and dangers it holds. The set, designed by Maree Kearns, shows a large, expertly crafted tree which shelters the family home, and is used as means of imaginative and literal escape for Zoe from her family life. The house sits on an angled wooden deck, surrounded by earth and many coloured leaves and petals, and a sheet is hung behind Zoe's bedroom where, with lighting by Sinéad McKenna, she can bring her story to life. A miniature of Kearns' set sits on a table downstage, emphasising the metatheatricality of the play, and her costume design is suggestive of the intertextuality of Zoe's story, particularly Zoe's blue dress and dark pigtails which are reminiscent of L. Frank Baum's Dorothy, and the final iconic 'red riding hood'. McKenna's sophisticated lighting design, together with Denis Clohessy's bewitching score, cement the production as an evocative and memorable piece of theatre.

“The forest talks alright,” Nana tells Zoe, “the question is, can you listen?” The lesson presented by the Ark is definitely one worth listening to.

Helen Cusack has an M.Phil. in Children's Literature and B.A. in Drama Studies and English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.