Review of The Basket of Flowers from Lamplighter Theatre
https://www.audiotheatrecentral.com/2015/09/review-of-basket-of-flowers-from-lamplighter-theatre.html?m=0
The Basket of Flowers by Lamplighter Theatre is the story of a friendship between two girls; one is a princess and the other a convict. They are surrounded by a world akin to a fairytale without the magical elements.
In a way, however, it has a "magic" of it's own that is far more charming than that of witches and wizards. The relationship between Mary and Amelia is very deep; and we feel it as an audience too, even though the girls are hundreds of miles apart for much of the story. Lamplighter Theatre never fails to make us care about each character and believe in the relationships between them. And that is something magical in and of itself.
Like most of the other Lamplighter productions, The Basket of Flowers is also a story of spiritual growth. Mary is guided by her father in becoming a young woman who is faithful to God, even when it looks as if there is no such person.
In one part of the story, Mary's father falls sick. Lamplighter Theatre handles this very well, and it plays a key part in the story. However, this is a common trope which Lamplighter has used before, and it was a very popular cliche used in literature of the 19th century. Nonetheless, The Basket of Flowers has a very unique story, with several excellent plot twists and fascinating characters.
An analysis of the plot yields some interesting results. In structure, The Basket of Flowers uses the same basic outline as many romance stories do. This is what it looks like:
It is a simple pattern, and perhaps that's why it's so effective. Thousands of romance movies, novels and plays use this form of storytelling, because it works. Now The Basket of Flowers is similar to this, but rather than being a romance story, it is one of friendship. So the pattern would be this:
At the same time, Mary changes in a believable way - we sympathize with her as she goes through all the struggles that she and her father face as they travel. And yet in the end we rejoice because Mary was transformed in the midst of the pain. She lets go of her selfish desires and puts her faith in God.
The Basket of Flowers is a loveable tale fit for all ages. Though the main characters are both girls, boys will enjoy the story too; even if only for Lamplighter's superb production qualities.
You can pick up a copy of this excellent audio drama from the ATC Store by clicking here.
Editor's Note: This review is a post by ATC contributor Robert Thacker. Robert loves all storytelling mediums; especially audio drama because it's so overlooked. He wrote the audio drama script titled "A Search for Truth," which was produced by the creators of Jonathan Park. You can check it out at ThackerPress.com.
In a way, however, it has a "magic" of it's own that is far more charming than that of witches and wizards. The relationship between Mary and Amelia is very deep; and we feel it as an audience too, even though the girls are hundreds of miles apart for much of the story. Lamplighter Theatre never fails to make us care about each character and believe in the relationships between them. And that is something magical in and of itself.
Like most of the other Lamplighter productions, The Basket of Flowers is also a story of spiritual growth. Mary is guided by her father in becoming a young woman who is faithful to God, even when it looks as if there is no such person.
In one part of the story, Mary's father falls sick. Lamplighter Theatre handles this very well, and it plays a key part in the story. However, this is a common trope which Lamplighter has used before, and it was a very popular cliche used in literature of the 19th century. Nonetheless, The Basket of Flowers has a very unique story, with several excellent plot twists and fascinating characters.
An analysis of the plot yields some interesting results. In structure, The Basket of Flowers uses the same basic outline as many romance stories do. This is what it looks like:
Boy gets girl - Boy loses girl - Boy is reunited with girl
It is a simple pattern, and perhaps that's why it's so effective. Thousands of romance movies, novels and plays use this form of storytelling, because it works. Now The Basket of Flowers is similar to this, but rather than being a romance story, it is one of friendship. So the pattern would be this:
Girl gets friend - Girl loses friend - Girl is reunited with friend
At the same time, Mary changes in a believable way - we sympathize with her as she goes through all the struggles that she and her father face as they travel. And yet in the end we rejoice because Mary was transformed in the midst of the pain. She lets go of her selfish desires and puts her faith in God.
The Basket of Flowers is a loveable tale fit for all ages. Though the main characters are both girls, boys will enjoy the story too; even if only for Lamplighter's superb production qualities.
You can pick up a copy of this excellent audio drama from the ATC Store by clicking here.
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