35-45 minutes (depending on audience’s level of engagement) no … · 2015-05-12 · 35-45...

35-45 minutes (depending on audience’s level of engagement) no interval For little acorns aged 3-10 and their parent trees

Touring indoors and outdoors, to festivals, theatres and schools throughout 2015 & 2016

Tessa Bide T: 07983611194 E: [email protected] W: www.tessabide.com

Gather under the branches for the biggest day in the woodland calendar, Drop Day! Arnold the acorn is about to drop from his tree and begin his amazing adventure in search of somewhere to put down his roots. Join Arnold as his story flies in the wind, wiggles across the land and splashes into the sea... Who will he meet along the way and will he ever find the perfect spot to call home? Taking place in a special bell tent, Arnold's Big Adventure features beautiful shadow puppetry, wonderful original music to sing along to and plenty of thrilling surprises along the way... An intimate, interactive production perfect for a child's first theatre experience and with plenty for parents to enjoy too. Devised, performed and produced by children's theatre specialist Tessa Bide.

Suitable for children aged 3 - 10 years and their grown-ups.

Researched and developed during a residency at The Marine Theatre, January 2014. Developed during a residency at Bridport Arts Centre in May 2014.

“Arnold's Big Adventure was amazing! My two Daughters absolutely loved every minute and not long after the show had finished asked when can we see Arnold again?! Thank you and please come back to Darlington to see us again soon”

Audience member following a production at Darlington Civic Theatre, May 2015

“Tessa Bide understands children in a way that can’t be taught.”

Children’s Theatre Reviews

‘Bide exudes enthusiasm and within minutes it’s not just the little people who are transfixed by the storyline but all of the adults present too. The experience is simply magical, with wonderful audience participation that’s not only fun but educational too!... I for one am already looking forward to seeing her return with another perfect production.’

Nikki Cotter, Manchester’s Finest (on Tessa Bide’s The Tap Dancing Mermaid)

“Bide absolutely smashes the fourth wall – this is just everything a children’s theatre experience should be.”

Childplays (on Tessa Bide’s The Tap Dancing Mermaid)


Credits:

Original story by Tessa Bide Devised by Tessa Bide, Adam Fuller & Nathalie Codsi

Performers: Tessa Bide & Megan Vaughan-Thomas/Gwen Scott/Adam Fuller Director: Adam Fuller Music by Matt Huxley Designer: Marta Gemma Dramaturgical support: Gwen Scott and Laura Mugridge Costumes: Sarah Dicks Tent design & build: James Lewis at Tin Shed Scenery Tent canvas: Tsubi Du Artwork: Lydia Davies Produced by Tessa Bide Productions

About Tessa Bide

Bristol-based Tessa Bide started puppeteering and performing with renowned masters of children’s theatre and puppetry, Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company, in 2010. In 2012, Tessa embarked on her own theatre-making career. She is passionate about delivering high-quality theatrical experiences to children that inspire and excite but not patronise. She aims to excite the adults just as much as their children. Tessa’s first production, The Tap Dancing Mermaid, was a solo show for family audiences which received Arts Council England funding, sold-out audiences and brilliant reviews. Arnold’s Big Adventure is Tessa’s second self-devised and produced production and has also received Arts Council England funding. Additionally, the show won a competition ran by IdeasTap (a charitable organisation designed to support young creative people embark on their careers in the arts) to receive mentoring and support from Spark Arts during the creation of the show and showcase it at The Spark Festival 2014.

About Arnold’s Big Adventure

The idea for the production came from an Artist’s Retreat lead by The Campsite in 2013, where 15 artists were invited down to Cornwall to explore the possibilities that intimate theatrical experiences can create.

The story follows the journey of an acorn called Arnold on his ‘Drop Day’. The audience travels through six very different environments: Arnold’s woodland, the wind, a stream, the sea, an evil junk-monster’s lair and his new home. Each environment has it’s own unique atmosphere – created through different sensory elements.

There are key educational themes that the show explores:

• Environmental issues: o The main issue that the show explores is the issue of pollution in our rivers and seas.

Throughout Arnold’s journey, he comes up against barriers created by pollution that the audience has to help Arnold overcome.

o To respect nature and not be wasteful. Arnold’s story is told by two squirrels. One wants to eat all of the acorns but the other makes the point that they can’t eat all of the acorns because then none of them will grow into trees…which will give them more acorns. A metaphor for the world’s resources.

• PSHE: The show highlights that everyone has to leave their parent at some point in their life and, if they’re brave, they can become more independent and go on wonderful adventures.


• We explore the life cycle of trees, how to grow a seed and geography elements such as the journey of a stream, to a river, to the ocean.

The show is set in an adapted bell tent rigged with speakers and with a hard pond in the middle. Audience numbers are kept to a maximum of 40 – there is a choice of bench or cushions to sit on and disabled access for wheelchairs. The tent is suitable for indoor and outdoor performances but there will need to be light (either natural or artificial) and a power source. The show is a two-hander and the performers tech it themselves. Nearly all of the show happens inside the tent and it runs at 30 minutes long.

Marketing Tools

• Flyers and posters - A5 flyers, A3 and A4 posters. • Full marketing support pack for venues (containing copy, press releases & PR ideas, box office

information and biographical notes). • Promotional YouTube teaser film • Company website, Facebook page and twitter presence. • Colour images supplied as jpegs. • Post-show Q&A with the company on request. • Interviews with the company on request. Educational Resources

• Free, downloadable Teacher’s Resource Pack with activities linked to all areas of the curriculum including literacy, science, maths, art and design, music and dance and PSHE

• Half/full day workshops with the company on request. These can be themed to a topic the class is covering and can involve one, or a combination, of the following skills:

o Puppet making and manipulation

o Story-telling

o Physical theatre and dance

Outline technical requirements

Generally:

• The tent is 5m in diameter and we need another 2m around the outside of the tent for shadow puppetry and guy lines if outdoors

• We need access to an outdoor tap of drinking water and draining facilities • We need access to a 13A power point • We require a minimum 3 hour get in (indoors) or a 4.5 hour get-in (outdoors) and the

assistance of one helper to build and dismantle the tent. • The tent needs to be situated in the light – natural or artificial • For a full specification and plan please contact Tessa Bide

In a festival setting: • If the show is to be performed over consecutive days, we will require the tent to be in an

area controlled by security


“This is just everything a children’s theatre experience should be”

Childplays on The Tap Dancing Mermaid

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35-45 minutes (depending on audience’s level of engagement) no … · 2015-05-12 · 35-45...

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