School workshops for Match at Cheltenham Everyman

Photo Chris Collier

This week we visited 2 schools to deliver workshops on our production of Match. 

The purpose of these workshops is to familiarise the children of the original story of The Little Match Girl and what is different about our production. What were our favourite bits? Who is The Little Match Girl? What do we love about our Grannies?! 

It also allows us to introduce ourselves to the children before they come to see the show. This works wonders as it really gives the children a sense of ownership over the show. It's wonderful to see the little glimmer in their eyes when the children realise you are letting them in on a secret! And you can never underestimate that they are one step ahead of you!!!

Eloise

Christmas run at The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

This week has been the most days we have performed in a row. It's been a challenging week keeping up our energy but I feel that with every show we find something new to play with. This week there have been a lot of school groups and we notice the difference in the audience immensely. The school audiences can be more challenging and yet sometimes more rewarding. 

The obvious challenge for us is adult to child ratio. The show needs to be very controlled as school audiences get very excited very quickly and can lose their focus in an instant. The children also follow and copy each other if one child shouts out the others feel that this is OK to do so, we have had a few times when they get carried away but between us we know now how to pull them right back in. 

We've also found the last match strike challenging, this is normally my favourite part of the show, however with school groups they are so excited from the first two match strikes with all the fun and games they tend to take a while to settle and we've found they shout when we light the sparkler for the last time 'drop it!.' Their enthusiasm for the show can go a little astray. Today we had two school groups in and they were so different, the first show the children were very rowdy, they had a great time but for us as performers it was hard work. 

The second school group were much younger and were timid and I feel that younger children really appreciate the more gentle aspects of the show whereas a six year old likes to punch balloons a lot more! It's great having lots of different audiences because it really tests you as a performer, it keeps you on your toes and everyday is a new challenge and a delight.

Jade

The life and times of granny's boots

This is my first experience of prop  making for long running tour, and although I was expecting some wear and tear, I didn't expect to have the recurring title of 'official reviver of the red sparkly boots'. 

Granny's red sparkly boots are one of the stars of our show. The original pair in the 2013 Wardrobe Theatre version were in fact a pair that had belonged to my granny, my mum and then me. They had certainly walked a few miles before their glamorous makeover. 

Photo Chris Collier

My original method to glitter up the boots was a bit of a maverick approach. I used red spray paint to cover the boots, and whilst it was still wet, it acted as a glue: I poured the glitter over the drying boots and hey presto, they were done!

Through the year I have been hunting for red elastic of the laces. To no avail. However, I eventually found some sequinned elastic, which although it wouldn't go through the lace holes, the boot also mercifully had metal loops to feed it round instead.

I finished off the boots with a coat of spray varnish, in the hope that this would prolong the glitter's attachment.

taking centre stage at the Wardrobe in 2013

Over the course of the year and the first leg of the tour they have suffered a bit: the soles have come away from the leather and poor Jade and Eloise have had to do a few on-tour quick fixes.

Therefore, as we arrive in Cheltenham at the Everyman Theatre we lay these originals to rest. They have served us ever so well, but it is time for retirement.  

I have bought a new pair; it is rather hard to get a good pair of walking boots within budget, I just hope these ones cut it for the remainder of the tour. Glittering them up hasn't been straightforward: the black faux leather didn't take to the red spray paint very well, so my spray paint glue method - although the glitter clung on happily - the boot stayed black underneath. 

I had to resort to a rather odd, backwards approach after leaving them to dry over night: I mixed some red poster paint with PVA (proper primary school training), filled in the gaps and poured some glitter over.

They're looking OK at the moment and the impact is always multiplied under the stage lights. They are currently drying overnight before our tech tomorrow, fingers crossed the Granny's boots live another day!

Match UK Tour Announcement. 2014 leg of the tour

photo Chris Collier

Dot and Ethel is delighted to announce its first national tour during Autumn/Winter 2014 - 2015, generously supported by the Arts Council England Grants for the Arts.

Bristol’s freshest Theatre Company will tour Match (inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl), following a hugely successful run in Bristol last year.

Our tour runs from October 2014 to February 2015. We are announcing the 2014 dates today. The 2015 leg includes venues such as The egg, Bath, Bikeshed Theatre Exeter to name but a few.

MATCH dates:

2014 leg of the tour

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff                               27-29 October

Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury 31 October

Canada Southwark Culture Space, London 1 November

The Albany, Deptford                                    9 November

Corn Hall, Diss                                               15 November

The Lowry, Salford                                        30 November

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham                   5-24 December

“I am thrilled that Dot & Ethel will be visiting the Albany with Match, as part of our magical Families programme that takes place each Sunday, it promises to be a delightful and charming adventure for all the family”

Gavin Barlow CEO & Artistic Director, The Albany

“We’re thrilled that Match is playing at the Everyman Theatre over Christmas.  We have a reputation for providing high quality children’s shows at this special time of year, and have no doubt that Match will enhance that reputation.”

Paul Milton, Artistic Director, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

When a little girl leaves her home one day in search of her own adventure and pursuit of her Granny, she opens the door to voyages, challenges, visions and an unexpected new beginning. 

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s much loved classic, The Little Match Girl, Match is the enchanting story of a young child’s hopes and dreams; simple pleasures and losses.

Join us for a heart-warming, magical and life affirming tale for all the family. 

Experience beautifully inventive storytelling, puppetry, song and live music in this spellbinding production. Incredibly uplifting and raw, playful and tender, it is pure delight for younger audiences.

Suitable for ages 2 – 6 and their friends and families.

Running time: 50 minutes, no interval

Cast:

Jade Berks

Jade graduated from Bath Spa University with a Drama degree in 2012.

She went on to play Evelyn in The Shape of Things and Adela in The

House of Bernada Alba working with the Engage program at Theatre Royal

Bath. Since then she has enjoyed exploring all aspects of theatre from

writing to acting. Jade is delighted to be apart of Match on her first

national tour.

Eloise Secker

TRAINING: Ba Hons Actor Musicianship (Rose Bruford)

Recent credits include:

THEATRE: Enduring Song (Southwark Playhouse) The Events (Young Vic) Splosh! (Salisbury Playhouse & UK Tour), Eva (Hightide), Secrets of the Sea (Latitude Festival)

P1XX1E (Rich Mix), Ovid's Metamorphoses (Ed fringe and World Tour) 

RADIO: Murder by Proxy (BBC Radio 4), Gift (BBC Radio 4), Chain Gang (BBC Radio 7) 

CONCERT: Snap Shot Songs (Soloist, Barbican), Sondheim's 80th Prom (Royal Albert Hall)

Production

Director Heidi Vaughan

Designer Harriet de Winton

Movement Director Anna Croxson

Composer Seamus Carey

Puppetry Director Corina Ollett

Devised by the company

Press Reviews

of The Little Match Girl (now MATCH) December 2013

“An all-encompassing sensory experience for little ones (…) a truly original, heart-warming family show.”

Bristol Post

“Simply and cleverly told, that even the youngest of the audience were left spellbound by the magic.”

www.littlegreenshedblog.co.uk  17/12/13

http://www.littlegreenshedblog.co.uk/search?q=little+match+girl

“The sweetness, the vibrancy and the adventure of Dot and Ethel’s production will sweep you away.”

wsmumstreet.wordpress.com 11/12/13

wsmumstreet.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/dotandethel/

“This was a treat for young theatre-goers and an example of the power of imagination and memory.”

Bristol Culture

http://www.bristol-culture.com/2013/12/14/review-the-little-match-girl-wardrobe-theatre/

Match UK Tour 2014 - 2015 Booking Information

27,28  (2 shows a day 11am and 2pm) 29 October (11am, 2pm, 5pm)

Cardiff

Sherman Theatre.

029 2064 6900

www.shermancymru.co.uk

31 October (1 show 1am)

Salisbury  

Salisbury Playhouse

01722 320117

www.salisburyplayhouse.com

1 November  

London

Canada Southwark (2 shows 1pm, 3pm)

020 7525 2931S

9 November

The Albany, London (2 shows 1pm, 3pm)

020 8692 4446

www.thealbany.org.uk

15 November 

Norfolk

Corn Hall, Diss (1 show 2pm)

01379 652241

www.disscornhall.co.uk

30 November  

Salford

The Lowry,  (2 shows 1pm and 3pm)

0843 208 6000

www.thelowry.com

5 – 24 December  

5th- 11:30am

6th- 10 am, 11:30 am

7th- 2pm, 4pm

10th- 10 am, 11:30 am

11th- 10 am

12th - 10 am, 11;30 am

16th- 10 am, 11;30 am

17th- 10 am, 11:30 am

18th- 10 am

19th- 10 am,11:30 am

20th- 11:30 am

22nd- 10 am, 11:30 am, 1:45pm

23rd- 10am,11:30 am, 1:45pm

24th- 10 am, 11:30 am, 1:45pm

Cheltenham

Cheltenham Everyman

01242 572573

www.everymantheatre.org.uk

Social Media/Youtube and Website

Match Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nrnj1JkY5U

Twitter: @DotandEthel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dotandethel

Supporters:

Grant support from Arts Council England: Grants for the Arts.

www.artscouncil.org.uk/