Frankenstiltskin: Fairy Tales Gone Bad

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Cinderella falls down the stairs one night and is killed whilst her ‘fake’ mother and step-sisters are at the mansion where a three-night ball is being held so that the new owner, the Prince, can find himself a bride. The story starts with a mysterious librarian discovering a forgotten bookshelf with rotten books (like rotten fruits!) that are considered dangerous and forbidden. This bookshelf contained many well-known to us fairytales that went bad. The librarian chose to share a rotten story of Cinderella, that now is named Zombierella! Half Moon is the UK’s leading small-scale young people’s venue and touring company. It is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting artists and young people at every stage of their creative development. Working from our base in East London, we specialise in new writing and artform development, acting as a gateway organisation that provides pathways for progression and experimentation. Our wide-ranging programme reaches 49,000 people annually and engages those who are often excluded from arts activity. Our activity includes a season of professional plays for young audiences, national touring productions and an extensive creative learning programme, including seven youth theatres. Half Moon is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receives regular funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Fairytales Gone Bad is one of several productions that form part of Half Moon Presents, the producing arm of Half Moon, supporting the promotion and development of theatre for young audiences at a national and international level.

The Prince is smitten with Cinderella but every night at midnight she runs away. On the third night she leaves a part of her on the steps, but will the Prince ever find the woman he has fallen in love with? Zombierella was longlisted for the UK Diverse Book Awards 2021, and with it being written by award-winning poet Joseph Coelho, and beautifully illustrated by Freya Hartas, I can absolutely understand why. Se han preguntado alguna vez que pasa con esos libros olvidados en las estanterías? Pues nuestros amados libros nunca mueren, de hecho hay algunos que evolucionan gracias a su capacidad de reinventarse para mantenerse vigentes. I think this is exactly the kind of book I’d give to and read with the younger people in my life, it had references to common fairy tales and stories but put a very fresh and unique spin on the plot that took me pleasantly by surprise. I loved how fun and engaging this one was, with it’s snappy pacing and funny dialogue. The descriptions were ridiculous in the best way and I will admit that the description of someone being ‘spaghettified’ made me actually laugh out loud. The three fake sisters chopping off their own feet, in an effort to convince the prince that the foot belongs to them, is very reminiscent of the original Brothers Grimm version of the tale, where the sisters chopped off toes and parts of their heels in an effort to make the slipper fit.

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I especially liked the amusing twists on the classic tale, like Zombierella leaving behind a foot instead of a glass slipper. I've read one of this series before, and really enjoy the dark way it's twisted to still be palatable and child-friendly, but with just the right amount of gleeful gruesomeness and morbidity.

Crawl out of the grave and step into your mushroom carriage for this haunting and humorous adventure of the undead girl searching for her happily ever after. This fabulously illustrated and spooky little book is the perfect Halloween read for any kids (or adults!) with a taste for gore and twisted fairy tale fun. It's a hilariously gruesome take on Cinderella, who rises from the dead to attend the ball of a sinister prince who travels from town to town setting up house to hunt for fresh "brides" in every area...so he's pretty much perfect for her. ;)I think Zombierella is perfect for younger readers who like a bit of gruesomeness to their tales - those who like Horrible Histories will no doubt like this story.

This is one of those books that will keep you along for the ride and make you want to read more. I really enjoyed it. When the town receives an unusual visitor in the guise of a prince whose culinary tastes are on the bloody side and whose bed is more wood and dirt than cushions and frame, Cinderella's life is about to take a dark turn. Yet whether life as a Zombie is as bad as it sounds is something for the reader to decide.

Zombierella is the first in a three-part series by Coelho, called 'Fairytales Gone Bad', which are retellings of classic fairytales, but with a gruesome twist! In this retelling of Cinderella, Cinders falls down a flight of stairs (after slipping on some dog poo 💩) and becomes a Zombie Princess, but can she still enjoy the ball and woo the Prince?

The first in a funny, deliciously dark, three-part series of twisted classics, written in verse by award-winning poet Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Freya Hartas. Not many children's stories feature taxidermists. It also manages to talk about animal conservation and grief, so really does cover quite a lot.A mysterious vaudeville storyteller with a magical top-hat and coat unwinds the true stories behind the happily ever afters, which are maybe not as charming as you remember!