Is this allowed?

[deranged-angel]

Hi Penny

I read your post and was thinking about what you could do instead of using knives. I always find it helps to go to someone like the teacher you speak of with an idea. That way you are telling them they can't use the knives but you have another solution. The teacher sounds very unhelpful!!

 

Anyway, here's what I was thinking. Unfortunately it might take a bit of work but it would be worth it!!

Get a handle of a knife-with no blade in it. Drill a hole down the centre and attach some dowling in there using wood glue. Then attach a wall plug or something similar onto the dowling as it has the little spikes to stop it slipping, therefore the potato won't fall off. You could push the potato right down to the knife handle so the audience wouldn't see the dowling and hey presto!!

 

Also, if you could get some realistic fake potatoes, you could make them very secure by adding more glue to the bit of potato that touches the knife.

 

That's all I can think of for now, if I think of anythihng else, I'll let you know

 

Em

x

[J Pearce]

Or chop the knifes down in length and blunt the ends off. Keep one sharp knife backstage to make holes in the potatos then slide the blunt knives into the holes.

[Helen]

What kind of mentality does it take for a teacher to find this acceptable? I've worked with kids for 8 years and don't know anyone who would not seek another alternative! :o

 

Dowling is by far the responsible alternative and as for handles...they will not be visible until the child has let go of the 'potato' and if this is the case then surely a mock wooden handle should suffice? After all, are we not talking about a theatrical environment where dance is symbolic? :D

[mac.calder]

A good bit of bonding agent would be able to attatch a fake handle to a potato... and that way if someone does fall over onto the potato, you end up with a hash brown instead of a dead kid... although the handle is still an injury risk, but an acceptable one.

[Jram]

What about substituting french fries? That way you wouldn't need a knife as they have been pre-cut (sorry, less than helpful!)

 

Edit: Oh, genius! Quit the thread and saw the topic bout retractable knives - buy a couple, snap the blades off, and glue (or otherwise attach) the plastic handles to the tatties. Cost maybe a quid each too, so not an expensive solution but a safer one.

[crewgurl]

Definitely wouldn't do it myself. sounds like a disaster waiting to happen! and gotta agree that a play with people dancing with potatoes sounds scary in itself!! what show is this?!? :blink: but anyway, being more helpful I'd go with dowel aswell. seems like the only reasonable way and if this teacher has any sense he won't want to go with the knives anyway.

[gaspipe58]

First time I've looked in 'Props & Wardrobe'. What fun you're having!

 

Penny, your drama teacher sounds like ours! To be honest the more I think about it the worse it gets. It sounds as if the drama teacher is obsessed with reality(knife + potato) and the idea of pointy thing - head/eye/throat/chest impact is just something that couldn't possibly happen on his show. Everyone here agrees it can and might well happen. The safest bet must be to glue potatos to handles as mac.calder suggests. Even using dowel worrys me. Think of dowel - eye/throat impact. Blunt object/soft tissue union can be very destructive.

 

Even if the kids were expendable (which, obviously, they are not) think of the audience.

 

Good school show audience

;) :) :unsure: :) :)

 

Never cause them to go

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o

 

and then I run out of smilies