The Fountain of Happiness
An essential part of the show is the Fountain of Happiness.
It is present in all marketplace scenes (A1/S1, A1/S3 and A2/S8).
I’ve put a lot of thought into it:
- It needs to be impressive
- It needs to look magical
- It must not contain water
- Conkers, Bonkers and a man need to be able to fall into it
- It needs to be able to be taken offstage when necessary
I like the look of this one …
And here is a simpler version …
The audience knows it’s a pantomime and will excuse the lack of realism and water.
A guiding point here is that moving water is a distraction. Also, have you ever listened to the sound of a fountain? It is going to be a major distraction for the audience, besides everyone’s going to have to get up and go to the loo halfway through the first act. So no moving water nor sound effects.
The vertical ‘water’ streams can be made with (silken) strings. Celophane, tinsel, clear acrylic and iridescent gift wrap are also useful here. I have heard of glittery blue fabric hanging down in strips. These will look good in the right lights.
The ‘pool’ on the base is painted with shiny paint or, with edges, the audience will probably not see the ‘pool’ at all.
So it just remains to be able to build the actual structure.
I have seen instructions on how to build it from cardboard or styrofoam, with a wooden base for stability. But also, garden ‘baskets’ and/or containers could be used.
The right lighting will make a big difference.
I’d be delighted if anyone could offer advice on this.
