Jack the Lad

Following the success of their collaboration on Robin Hood, David Wood and
Dave and Toni Arthur wrote Jack the Lad, a musical celebration of Jack, the
ubiquitous hero or everyman of English legend, myth and folklore - from
Little Jack Horner, through Jack and the Beanstalk to Spring Heeled Jack, the
Terror of London.
The setting is a gypsy encampment, where a series of Jack tales and songs
are performed by the gypsies to celebrate the 80th birthday of their senior
member - affectionately known as Jack the Lad. The play, therefore,
depicts contemporary gypsy life, as well as traditional gypsy customs and
superstitions, and is a delightful amalgam of the traditional arts of storytelling,
singing and dancing, with a mumming play, a shadow-mime and
puppetry also employed within the main framework.