LITTLE MATCH GIRL.qxp:Layout 2
20/11/13
13:20
Page 1
FAMILY | THEATRE
LIGHTING UP LITTLE FACES Samantha Coleman discovers the magical theatrical delights waiting for young children and families at the Wardrobe Theatre this Christmas, courtesy of new theatre company Dot & Ethel
C
hristmas is a magical time for any child, but throw in a heartwarming fairytale brought to life on the stage and you’ll have their imaginations truly captured. Which is what new theatre group, Dot & Ethel is aiming to do in its new production of The Little Match Girl at the Wardrobe Theatre this Christmas. Dot & Ethel is a fresh new theatre company made up of two of Bristol’s talented theatre makers, director Heidi Vaughan and designer Harriet de Winton, who aim to to create imaginative experiences for audiences, making work that celebrates creativity and tells stories in a generous way; rich in theatrical techniques and with dollops of fun. “Dot & Ethel was born from a real desire to create work that was driven by audiences rather than ego. To make theatre which is imaginative, affordable, open and responsive,” says Heidi. Heidi and Harriet met working on Bath’s egg theatre summer school a couple of years ago. As Harriet says: “To work with 60 teenagers and keep a smile on your face is a pretty good sign of a great working relationship so I knew we would continue to work well together having faced the ultimate challenge. Our approach to storytelling seemed to work so well and comfortably; it felt like we had been doing it for years. “The name, Dot & Ethel, conjures up an image of a pair of friends sat together telling stories, a perfect backdrop to our creations. Every meeting we have ends up being longer than we planned because we’ve always got so much to chat about!” Heidi trained at Bristol University where she was awarded the John Lavender Prize for outstanding contribution in the field of theatre and film. Over the last 15 years she has worked as a director, senior manager, head of department and workshop leader in venues including the egg in Bath; Nuffield Theatre in Southampton; Oxford School of Drama; Bristol Old Vic; The Sherman in Cardiff; The Point in Eastleigh and the Oxford Playhouse. Her recent commissions include A Hundred Years for 100 Stories with the Travelling Light Theatre Company, A Starry Night with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and The House of Bernarda Alba at the egg. Harriet trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and on graduating, began designing for the nationally acclaimed Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, which she has done for the last five years, continuing into the 2014 season.
❝
She has designed for numerous venues including the Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, The egg, The Wardrobe Theatre, Salisbury Playhouse, Newbury Corn Exchange and national tours across the UK and Europe with new companies making fresh and different work including for the RSC. Alongside theatre design Harriet has added many creative strings to her bow; she is founder and creative editor of Cloth Magazine, illustrator and stylist for numerous publications, event and installation designer and super blogger, all from her studio in Stokes Croft. The pair have collaborated on many projects but this is their very first production as Dot & Ethel. For The Little Match Girl they have teamed up with puppeteers and music makers (including music man Seamas Carey who does a lot of work with the renowned Kneehigh Theatre) to create a magical festive treat for children aged three and over and their families, adapted from Hans Christian Anderson’s enchanting story of a young child’s hopes and dreams; simple pleasures and losses – yet, it has much more to offer than your average fairytale. Heidi says: “It is incredibly uplifting and raw, playful and tender and will be pure delight for Bristol’s younger audience when brought to life by the creative storytellers. The show itself has a real sense of event around it, we love the liveliness of theatre and the fact that the dynamic of our audience allows every show to be different and exciting. It is an open piece, very much bringing the audience with us on our journey.” While keeping true to the tones and images of the original story, Dot & Ethel have chosen to modernise the tale. The match girl (played by three different performers) is eager to find what she is missing as she heads out into the cold in search of her Granny. The hostility of the seasonal shoppers, in search for their next bargain, leaves her lost, alone and frightened until she has a brilliant idea of striking a match. With each strike she is taken out of
It is incredibly uplifting and raw, playful and tender and will be pure delight for Bristol’s younger audience when brought to life by the creative storytellers
78 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
|
DECEMBER 2013
❞