Cast members launch Wethersfield Amateur Performers’ latest production, A Tiny Tale

A WORLD premier of the first-ever musical based on Thumbelina, the famous story by Hans Christian Andersen, is to take place next month in Wethersfield.

The performance of A Tiny Tale sees the culmination of a life-long dream by mother-of-two, Wethersfield resident and professional musician Jessie Threadgold.

“It’s very exciting, but it also feels a bit surreal,” said Jessie, talking about how she felt knowing that the show date was coming close.

“It has taken more than a year for me to write and I don’t think I’ll actually believe it until I see it being performed.”

The musical will be performed by Wethersfield Amateur Performers (WAP) and tells the story of a tiny girl and her adventures of escaping numerous marriage proposals from the woodland animals.

Luckily, she manages to escape the amorous advances and even manages to capture the heart of her very own pocket-sized prince along the way.

The score is written largely for piano and three multi-woodwind instrumentalists, giving the musical an even more original feel.

A Tiny Tale is the first-ever Thumbelina-based musical to be ratified by the Hans Christian Andersen Archive, the guardians and promoters of the great storyteller’s work, based in Denmark.

In fact, the people at the HCAA were so delighted with Jessie’s work, that professor Jacob Bøggild has been asked to be kept informed with progress and is even coming over especially to see the first performance.

The show at Wethersfield Village Hall runs from March 14-16, including a matinee on the Saturday. Tickets cost £8.50 (concessions available for Thursday evening and Saturday matinee at £7), and are available for purchase from the website, w-a-p.org. Tickets are also available on the door.