Match in Herefordshire, Fownhope New Memorial Hall

On the 17th January, we headed to Fownhope New Memorial Hall for a 3pm performance of Match. That morning we had a sprinkling of snow which made the drive to Herefordshire quite beautiful (despite the smell of service station food filing the van, such is the touring life!)

When we arrived at The New Memorial Hall, we were welcomed like old friends and before we knew it, tea was in our hand and a basket of treats being shared around.

Fownhope New Memorial Hall is part of Arts Alive - Arts Alive organises about 1000 events a year including music, drama, dance, film, puppetry and storytelling. Arts Alive is dedicated to providing local people in rural areas with the opportunity to choose and promote professional arts events in their local venue and we here at Dot & Ethel are big fans!! Long may the work of Arts Alive continue - hopefully we'll see you all again soon there! 

Match at Corn Hall, Diss

Diss Corn Hall, what a venue!

It was a real treat to perform MATCH at Diss Corn Hall. This was essentially my ‘home’ gig as I’m a Norfolk lass and my home is only about 15 miles away. I had actually performed at the Corn Hall earlier in the year with The Keepers Daughter, who base themselves at the Corn Hall. The Keepers Daughter do fantastic work in providing local young people an opportunity to engage in creative arts in Norfolk and Suffolk and we were fortunate enough to have some of the young people they work with as ushers for our show. They were all so wonderful and incredibly helpful in helping us get the show in, helping us during the show incase any children wander towards the bubble machine and also, just really engaging with the show. This help and response from the staff at the theatres we tour to makes all the difference to the show and we were so grateful to Angela and all the staff for being so wonderful. 

The constant stream of tea and biscuits certainly gets us through! 

Eloise

Match at The Ace Centre, Nelson and the King George's Hall, Blackburn

The ACE centre in Nelson was such a wonderful space. It felt very much the hub of the community and we had such a welcoming experience performing there. The audience were on the younger side of our advised age range (2-6 years old) and sometimes a bit more vocal than we were used to, however this did not mean the children were not engaged. They really enjoyed the show and one parent said to us that it was the first performance that her child had ever sat through. The children were very interested in the set and we played with various items for quite a while after the performance. 

A younger audience can sometimes be a bit more physical and vocal which sometimes feels hard when performing but we trust that they are with us and I know this helps me as a performer to carry on telling out story even when it seems the children's attention is elsewhere. It was a smaller audience in Nelson and the following day at King George's Hall was quite a contrast. The audience was around 50 members, the children were quite hesitant and shy when coming in to the space. I did my best to make them and their parents feel welcome, gently chatting to the parents and informing them about certain aspects of the show. I try not to approach any child singularly as this tends to be too much. If I busy myself with a prop or fiddle with a part of my costume they generally become interested and I invite them in to talking to me this way. The show was very high energy on this occasion and I think that it was because the audience were very quiet in the first half of the show, the normal giggles weren't happening so we seemed to heighten our performance and suddenly they were with us! As the show reached the match strikes the children were exploring the space and becoming very vocal. We had a few health and safety warnings from one child when lighting the matches 'You can't light sparklers inside, you have to go out! It's dangerous.' We gave him a cheeky grin to let him know it was OK and we were safe. Eloise also went and spoke to him after the show to make sure he was satisfied, she told him how the set was flame proof and these sparklers were specifically made to be used inside. After every show we always get a few teary parents chatting to us about the original story of the little match girl.





I think one of my favourite aspects of the show is the memories that the little girl has of her grandma because everyone has memories. Whether they be of loved

ones who have passed, or fond times, a lot of this show is about looking back at really great times and I think that is quite special.





Next week we are in Manchester and I'm very much looking forward to settling in to our run in Cheltenham at Christmas time!



Jade

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/