The Snow Queen Free Sheet Online Sharing

Above Bounds Theatre Presents The Snow Queen

By Lottie Finklaire

A new story inspired by the classic tale

An icy storm is brewing across Dartmoor. In the houses down below, two friends Gerda and Kay are growing up, but growing apart As the snow falls and their argument builds, is there more to this icy flurry than first meets the eye?

Above Bounds Theatre presents The Snow Queen by Lottie Finklaire, a work-in-progress performance of a brand new adaptation inspired by the original tale, the content of which was created with (and for) young people

Supported using public funding through the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Supported by Papatango Theatre Company.

About Above Bounds About Above Bounds

Above Bounds are a collective of artists based in Plymouth, Devon, led by Producer Helen Bovey, dedicated to creating high-quality professional theatre and theatrical experiences for children and young people Above Bounds believe that theatre is for everyone and seek to break down the barriers which can limit access to the arts including cost, location and language We make professional theatre for a variety of ages, taking it to both theatrical spaces such as theatres and arts centres, and nontheatrical spaces including community centres, libraries, art galleries, museums and more!

We tour our work across the UK, and also run the Above & Beyond Children's Theatre Festival- taking place across 3 days, in 3 different library spaces in Plymouth

How was the show made? How was the show made?

We've worked with young people to make this performance, which is performed by professional actors and has been made with a professional creative and production team The journey began in 2020, when we worked with young people and their families online with Ocean Studios to retell the traditional story of The Snow Queen Thanks to support from Papatango Theatre Company, we then worked with professional Writer Lottie Finklaire who worked with us online with our Up & Above Drama club and to create a brand new script In 2021, we handed the script over to a director and 3 professional actors, who then performed this back to the young people on Zoom Having watched the read through, we decided that the play should be staged!

Since September 2022, we ' ve been working with Doorstep Arts Saturday Drama to stage the piece, blocking the movement for the actors, composing the music and designing the puppets and set! Daisy (our composer) also joined us at these sessions to generate the style and feel of the music for the show We've now compiled all of this creative material into these workin-progress performances ready to show you this Winter Thank you to Doorstep Arts for the wonderful collaboration and Real Ideas Organisation for the use of Devonport Guildhall for rehearsals This project has been supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

The Themes within The Themes within The Snow Queen The Snow Queen

When creating this new adaptation, we worked with a variety of young people to make a piece of theatre that they felt passionate about The themes that the young people particularly wanted to explore in this retelling of The Snow Queen were:

Friendship

The Environment

Looking after the Planet

“Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world” John Evelyn Kay and Gerda are best friends but it's not always easy staying friends when you're growing up What have they taught you about what it means to be a friend?

Dartmoor is one of the most stunning areas of natural beauty in Britain It is 954 square kilometres - roughly the same size as 20,000 football pitches! You can go for walks, visit the wild ponies, tell Dartmoor ghost stories and swim in the rivers What is your favourite thing about Dartmoor?

We all have a part to play in looking after our planet On the next page is a space for you to write or draw some ideas about what we can do to help. This can be as simple as taking home your rubbish when you go for a picnic! Throughout the show the Snow Queen points out some of the things that are hurting our planet How many can you remember?

Lead Artists

Lottie Finklaire - Writer

Lottie is a writer and filmmaker focused on telling stories exploring the mysteries and joys of life. She often writes pieces aimed at children and families. Originally trained as an actress and theatremaker at East 15 Drama School, she wrote, produced, and performed in her debut play 'A+E' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival shortly after graduating in 2015. Since then, Lottie has gone on to work with international producers, companies, and artists worldwide, including in Los Angeles, London, Dubai, and India. Her previous clients, collaborators, and supporters include Anonymous Content, Arts Council England, BBC Radio, Humaning App, The Pleasance Theatre, The New Diorama, and China Plate Theatre.

Helen Bovey - Director

Helen Bovey is an established Devon-based Theatre-Maker and Producer who graduated from East 15 Acting School in 2013 before relocating back to Devon to create her own work. Helen is founder and Artistic Director of Above Bounds, her specialism as a theatre-maker is in making work with and for children and young people. Notable projects include A-Tissue! ATissue!, a show co-created with a group of 2-4 year olds and their families in Southway Library, Plymouth, Above & Beyond Children's Theatre Festival, a children's festival taking place in libraries across Plymouth and The Elves & The Shoemaker, a show for 4-7 year olds which toured across the UK between 2018-2019. She also directed Silly Squirrel which won Best of Children & Families at FUSE international 2022. As well as running Above Bounds, Helen works as the Executive Producer for Beyond Face CIC, and is the former Producer (Talent Development) for the Exeter Northcott.

Victoria Horan

-

Movement Director

Victoria is a movement director, performer, puppeteer and one of Above Bound’s lead artists. She has performed in many Above Bound’s shows; you may most recently recognise her from Silly Squirrel, which has toured nationally both in 2021 and 2022 and won Best of Children & Families at FUSE international 2022.

Victoria is also known for being a choreographer and movement director. Her past work in movement direction includes Despite That (Beyond Face CIC, 2022), Splodge (Victoria Horan & Sonia Thakerdesai, 2022) and Elves and the Shoemaker (Above Bounds, 2019).

Carly Barnes - The Snow Queen/Nana Rose

Carly is a Plymouth based trained actor, she graduated with a degree in Psychology before training at Drama Studio London. Carly performed as part of a Triptych by Laura Horton last year at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and has acted with local theatre company Rabblerouse. She played the lead role in Theatre Hub’s Dominion and works regularly with local writer John Mcgee. She has many screen credits including playing the lead role of Peaches in local feature films. Carly is excited to be back in the rehearsal room creating and exploring with the team at Above Bounds and can’t wait to hear the reactions of our young audience members.

Ryan

Burle - Kay

Ryan is a Plymouth based Actor who relocated here 5 years ago. Over the past 5 years he has had a varied career from regionally touring in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to playing Dame Kitty Rickets in an adult friendly adaptation of the Pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk. He studied at Plymouth Marjon University where he received his Bachelors in Acting. Ryan is excited to be working with Above Bounds for the first time and has enjoyed the creative journey. Ryan also has a love for writing Poetry, some of his work has been published in anthologies and Indie Magazines. He sometimes performs in poetry slam competitions as a hobby. Ryan would like to thank his friend Sophie and Diesel the dog for their ongoing love and support.

Sofia Zervudachi- Gerda

Sofia is an actor and theatre maker trained at East 15 Acting School and National Youth Theatre. She loves stories and storytelling and spends lots of her time under a duvet narrating audiobooks. Since graduating she has helped devise and perform in multiple plays across London touching upon topics from mental health to gender. Since moving down to the edge of dartmoor, Sofia has had the joy of being a part of the Future Artists programme with Exeter Northcott Theatre and working with Running Dog Theatre CIC. She is also currently developing a new solo show, Misplaced, with her theatre company BATTLEAXE.

Photos taken by South West Theatre Photography, Emily Appleton

Photos taken by South West Theatre Photography, Emily Appleton

Creative Team

Hazel McIntosh - Designer/Maker

(Set and Costume)

Hazel is a Bristol based performance designer and theatre maker. Hazel has previously worked as a Design Assistant for Coventry Moves, the opening show of Coventry City of Culture 2021. Her credits include Set Designer for Pride and Prejudice (The Mount Without) and Costume Designer and Video Content Designer for eco-comedy Loam (Bristol Old Vic). Set and Costume Designer for Lysistrata (Bristol Old Vic) Devised with the YoungSixSix Company.

Daisy Higman - Composer/Sound Designer

Daisy is a disabled theatre-maker, writer, voice teacher and musician living in the South West. She is a graduate of Graeae’s Write to Play programme and a previous member of Theatre Royal Plymouth’s Eggbox Writer’s Development scheme. Her first play, Grapho, premiered at the Theatre Royal’s Lab space in 2019 for Dip the Nib Theatre. In 2020 she was selected to write for Graeae’s Crip’s Without Constraints project, directed by Jenny Sealey. Daisy also composes for theatre, and has previously written for the Narwhal Ensemble (Whey Down Southand2021: A Cornish Space Odyssey), Above Bounds Theatre Collective (A Tissue! A Tissue!), Kick The Dirt Theatre (Bulls***), CEDA(Total Immersion), Far Flung(The Soul Bird, Tidal Surge)and for Emma Latham’sLady of the English. For Above Bounds, Daisy has most recently worked on their With Flying Colours project at Beechwood Primary Academy.

Matt Dean - Designer/Maker (Puppets)

Matt has spent 22 years as a designer and maker, primarily in the theatre industry, puppet design and manufacture, prop and set design/manufacture, costume design and manufacture and mask design and manufacture (specialising in Commedia dell’Arte and Greek theatre masks for international clients such as theatre companies, drama schools and universities) Matt also co-runs UnTamed Theatre which tours professional productions Nationally This will be the 7th time working on a version of ‘The Snow Queen’ and a story of which he has much fondness

Production Team

Sam Gilroy - Assistant Producer

A Dance-Theatre Artist and Producer based in the South West, Sam is passionate about developing exciting and interactive conversations, classes, workshops, and performances. Sam makes uplifting work with, by and for local communities, inspired by personal stories from people across all ages to grow connections, representation, and a sense of belonging. She collaborates with professional artists and community members aged 8-78+ to create compelling and dynamic storytelling.

Sarah McCourt - Assistant Producer

Sarah is a Devon-based actor, director, theatre-maker and producer. Trained at Manchester Metropolitan and Rose Bruford, they wrote, produced and performed their debut play, Monstrous Love at Camden People’s Theatre and set up Restless Theatre CIC whilst completing a PhD at Exeter University. Since completing Exeter Northcott Future’s Producer’s programme in 2021 Sarah’s producing work has included evaluation for Theatre Royal Plymouth and Exeter Northcott, Advisory Artist for Exeter Fringe Festival and Project Producer for Scratchworks Theatre Company’s ‘Hags: A Magical Extravaganza’.

Elliott Grant -Production Assistant

Elliott is a Southwest based theatremaker and writer with a firstclass degree in Drama with Creative Writing from the University of the West of England. He has previously worked with companies including Burn the Curtain, Beaford Arts, Multistory, Theatre Workhouse, Fringe Theatrefest, Selladoor, RED entertainment, Arnolfini and The Bristol Improv Theatre in various on and offstage roles, as well as producing and performing his own work at various national fringe festivals with i.e. theatre.

Nix Rosewarne - Project Consultant

Emily Bruce - Project Administrator

Zoe Bloss- Videographer

Phoebe Gill - University of Plymouth Directing Student/Cartoon Illustrator

With Thanks

Thanks to our online script read through team in 2021

Director- Jennifer Fletcher The Snow Queen/Nana Rose- Amy Burton-Smith Gerda- Jodie Paget Kay- Robel Yoseph

Big thanks to the team at Doorstep Arts for collaborating with us, and Lead Practitioners Sonia Thakurdesai and Amy Mellows for a wonderful term with Saturday Drama, Real Ideas Organisation, The Plough Arts Centre and the team at St Anne's for hosting our rehearsals A big thanks to all of the young people we have worked with throughout this project from 20202022- we couldn't have made this show without you!

Supported by Papatango Theatre Company