The Tower & the Tree - Winner of 2023 Young Critics “Best For Young Audiences” Award at the Cradle of Creativity International Festival of theatre for young audiences.
This multi-award winning story is a wonderfully funny and poignant modern fairy tale about love and friendship.
A lonely, proud tower has driven everyone away with his selfish bell-ringing and rude behaviour. A mysterious tree befriends him and gives him the courage to change. A delightfully humourous story of love and friendship suitable for the whole family.
Originally written & directed by Patrick Kenny as an audio play for the 2020 National Arts Festival where it won an Ovation Award and an invitation to the 2021 Brighton Fringe Festival - England’s largest arts festival. Now presented at the National Arts Festival as a puppet show. The delightful puppets, created by director Peter Court are voiced and animated by Patrick and Shannon Kenny with the additional vocal talents of Londiwe Ngwazi, Anna Kenny and Peter Court. Music and songs by Alan Judd of Leopard Moon Studios and Shannon Kenny.
Production Credits
Written by: Patrick Kenny
Puppets: Designed by Peter Court
Direction: Peter Court
Producers: Mixed Media & Creative Madness
Cast of Characters (in order of appearance)
• Narrator - Londiwe Ngwazi
• Tower – Patrick Kenny
• Mayor – Shannon Kenny
• Rose – Anna Kenny
• Tree – Shannon Kenny
• Ms. Deeds – Peter Court
• Studio Recordings – Alan Judd
• Songs – Shannon Kenny
• Music – Alan Judd
• Technical – Peter Court
About the Artists
Patrick Kenny is a writer, director and actor. He lives in Durban with his wife Shannon and daughter Anna. His short story "Lowering The Bar" was published in the inaugural edition of the Imbiza Journal for African Writing 2021. "The Apology" which Patrick wrote and directed, was selected and performed for the Main Curated Festival of the 2021 edition of the National Arts Festival (NAF). Patrick is the director and co-writer of a series of one-man plays with comedian Aaron McIlroy: ADHD And Other Gifts (2018 -2019); Comedy Master Class - Durban Theatre Awards 7 Nominations, 4 Awards including Best Production (2016 - 2017) and The Happy Clapper (2014 - 2015). Patrick also appeared in eTV's Inbewu as Dr Wallace for 2 seasons. He is currently lecturing at the The International School of Performing Arts (ISPA).
Peter Court has worked in education, the creative arts and theatre for almost thirty five years, and in South Africa for over twenty five years. Much of his current work focuses on strengthening school systems through the creative arts and life orientation programmes. He is also a certified life coach, counsellor and a skilled facilitator. He continues to make theatrical work and to perform occasionally. Peter is the Director of Creative Madness (Pty) Ltd. Creative Madness is an award-winning company with international experience in theatre and education and specialises in creating tailor-made productions, processes or curricula for the corporate, not-for-profit and education market. Creative Madness works with the Mr Price Foundation as the Creative Arts implementation partner in its National Schools Development Programme - EduRise.
Shannon Kenny is an actor, singer and writer who variously works in theatre, film and television. Shannon has sung internationally in Europe and the Middle East. Her song, "Pick Me” features in the Tower and the Tree. Her international theatre collaboration in 2024 has extended to the “Your Memoir as Monologue” Play Lab, directed by Kelly DuMar (Massachusetts USA) in collaboration with the International Women’s Writing Guild – where, as an actor, she worked alongside writers to develop monologues for stage performance.
Some of her poetry and prose has been published in Ake Review, Volume 9; 100 Words of Solitude (Rare Swan Press); Kalahari Review; African Writer Magazine; the Bosphorus Review of Books; the Journal of Expressive Writing and most recently in the anthology, Rainbow Punch (Arkbound Press).
Shannon is the Drama Specialist at Gordon Road Girls’ School in Durban.
