Half Moon Spring Brochure 2016

What’s On Jan – Mar 2016

Celebrating the very best of theatre for young audiences Box office 020 7709 8900 | www.halfmoon.org.uk

Season diary DATE

TIME

PRODUCTION

AGE

PAGE

Sat 9 Jan

11am

Grannylocks / The Monstrous Duckling

3+

7

Sat 9 Jan

2pm

Zombie-rella / Blood-red Hood

6+

7

Sat 16 Jan

11am & 2pm

Big Wow Small Wonder

4 – 8

7

Fri 22 Jan

1.30pm

Lullaby Lane

3 – 7

8

Sat 23 Jan

11am & 2pm

Lullaby Lane

3 – 7

8

Mon 25 Jan

10.30am & 1.30pm

Lullaby Lane

3 – 7

8

Tue 26 Jan

10.30am & 1.30pm

Lullaby Lane

3 – 7

8

Wed 27 Jan

10.30am & 1.30pm

Lullaby Lane

3 – 7

8

Thu 28 Jan

10.30am, 1.30pm & 4.30pm

Lullaby Lane

3 – 7

8

Sat 30 Jan

11am & 2pm

Rumpelstiltskin

3 – 8

9

Sat 6 Feb

11am & 2pm

A Real Mermaid’s Tale

3+

9

Sat 13 Feb

11am & 2pm

Flyaway Katie

2 – 7

10

Sat 20 Feb

11am & 2pm

Shiny

6 mths – 4 10

Sat 27 Feb

10am, 12pm & 2pm

Handa’s Hen

2 – 5

11

Thu 3 Mar

10.30am & 1.30pm

Need a Little Help

3 – 7

11

Fri 4 Mar

10.30am & 1.30pm

Need a Little Help

3 – 7

11

Sat 5 Mar

10am, 12pm & 2.30pm

Need a Little Help

3 – 7

11

Thu 10 Mar

4.30pm & 7pm

Map of Me

13+

12

Sat 12 Mar

11am & 2pm

Tom Thumb

4 – 9

12

Sat 19 Mar

10.30am

Comets Youth Theatre Sharing

All

4

Sat 19 Mar

11.45am

Sunbeam Youth Theatre Sharing

All

4

Sat 19 Mar

1.15pm

Moonbeam Youth Theatre Sharing

All

4

Sat 19 Mar

3pm

The Girl and the Giraffe

3 – 6

13

Support us and make a difference As a registered charity, each year we need to raise more than half of our turnover to support our various activities and keep our prices affordable.

Support Half Moon today and help us to deliver our vital programme of work.

Every donation received will go directly towards helping children and young people.

2

Ways to make a difference

Online: Donate securely online via our website: www.halfmoon.org.uk. You can also make a donation when you book tickets By standing order: Pick up a form from our foyer, download from our website or call 020 7709 8900

In the foyer: Feed cash donations to Danny, our mechanical dragon Gift Aid: Use Gift Aid and make your donation to Half Moon worth more at no extra cost to you

Welcome A very warm welcome to Half Moon’s new season of theatre for young audiences – the perfect way to start 2016.

This season we have an exciting collection of work from 11 inspiring companies, which I know will delight your senses.

It’s going to be a thrilling 10 weeks and we can’t wait to tempt you back to our warm, welcoming building.

We’re very excited to reveal that we now have a Half Moon Theatre App, which allows you to browse our shows, join our mailing list, book online and find out more about our activities. It’s FREE to download from the Google Play or App Store – just search for Half Moon Theatre.

I look forward to welcoming you here.

Chris Elwell, Director

Stages of Half Moon We’re thrilled to have received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to explore the remarkable heritage of Half Moon Theatre. From its inception in 1972, the theatre played a key role in the development of the theatre sector, as well as in the involvement of the broader East End community in the arts. The Stages of Half Moon project will allow us to shed light on its rich history and provide public access to the theatre’s records for the first time.

Already two of the early artistic directors, Guy Sprung and Robert Walker, have agreed to get involved and record their memories, as have many of the other people who played a key role in the success of Half Moon Theatre, including Steven Berkoff, Simon Callow, Josie Lawrence and Frances de la Tour.

We’re now starting the process of looking for more people who were involved over the last 40 years. Can you help?

Have you got a memory you’d like to share? »» Were you involved in a Half Moon production? »» Did you see a show which had a lasting impact at Alie Street, Mile End Road or at our current home on White Horse Road? »» Were you a Youth Theatre member in the 70s, 80s or 90s? »» Did you take part in the campaign to save Half Moon Theatre on Mile End Road in the late 80s?

Whatever your stories, we want to hear from you.

Please get in touch by emailing history@halfmoon.org.uk #HalfMoonHistory 3

Get involved!

Why not join one of Half Moon’s Youth Theatres? It’s a brilliant way to explore drama, create performances and make lots of new friends at the same time. We have seven groups that run during term time.

Half Moon’s Youth Theatres School Years 1 – 3

Comets: Saturday 10am –11am Sunbeam: Saturday 11.15am –12.15pm Moonbeam: Saturday 12.45pm –1.45pm

School Years 4 – 6

Eclipse: Tuesday 4pm – 6pm Equinox: Wednesday 4pm – 6pm

School Years 7 – 12

Lunar: Tuesday 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Teenagers with disabilities (specialist group)

Solar: Wednesday 6.30pm – 8.30pm Spring term begins on Saturday 9 January, Tuesday 12 January and Wednesday 13 January. Contact us today to reserve your place.

For more information about our Youth Theatres visit www.halfmoon.org.uk/yt or contact us on 020 7709 8900.

4

Inclusive All of our Youth Theatres are open to young people with disabilities and our venue is fully accessible.

5 reasons to join »» Great value! Just £5 per session (£2.50 concession) »» Run by friendly and experienced tutors »» No auditions »» See shows at Half Moon and visit other London theatres »» Performances each term for friends and family

Arts Award We are able to support our Youth Theatre members to gain a Discover, Explore, Bronze and Silver Arts Award. The Arts Award is a nationally recognised qualification that has been developed by Arts Council England and Trinity Guildhall and aims to inspire young people to develop their arts and leadership talents.

Schools & teachers can also participate Last year, Half Moon worked with 23,500 young people in over 1,300 Creative Learning sessions across 88 centres. We work with nurseries, children’s centres, schools, colleges, and community and youth organisations on a range of engaging projects. This includes curriculum-focused workshops, after-school activities and initiatives to encourage young people to get into theatre, as well as professional development opportunities for teachers and other school staff.

Projects include

Careers in Theatre: A hands-on, project-

for children to explore their physicality and imaginations and to feel confident with dance and creative movement

DramaWorks: Bespoke experiential residencies

Early Years Dance and Drama: Sessions

Speech Bubbles: A year-long programme working with KS1 children to develop their communication skills through drama Dramatic Maths: An innovative project using drama and storytelling to engage children in KS2 maths Transitions: A programme using drama to support Year 6 students with their transition to secondary school

management style experience for 11 – 17 year olds of all aspects of professional theatre in non-mainstream settings for young people with additional needs or life limiting conditions

Gallery @ Half Moon: A chance for schools to experience the art in our gallery, meet the artist and use the pictures as stimulus for literacy and other curriculum work CPD for Teachers: A series of practical training sessions for primary and secondary school staff, in partnership with Tower Hamlets Arts and Music Education Service (THAMES)

For more information visit www.halfmoon.org.uk/learning and subscribe to our e-newsletter.

To discuss any of the projects or suggest other ways you would like to work with us at Half Moon, contact Beccy on 020 7709 8908 or email beccy@halfmoon.org.uk

5

Gallery @ Half Moon Havelock Walks East

By Havelock Walk artists, 5 Jan – 11 Apr

Havelock Walk is home to a diverse community of creative people, who live and work on a cobbled mews at the heart of Forest Hill, in South East London. They now cross the river and ‘Walk East’ to Half Moon for their latest exhibition.

Havelock Walks East brings together a spectacular assortment of painters, sculptors, photographers and designers for a wideranging and exciting exhibition. The eight artists have an immediate vibrancy that, regardless of the artistic medium, makes you think about contemporary scenes and situations.

Beneath the artwork, there are chalkboards for visitors of all ages to make their own responses to the art. For all our exhibitions, we provide a gallery trail for children and special events. School and community groups can visit free of charge by pre-booking and can use our gallery trail to support Arts Award Discover and Explore.

Contact Beccy on 020 7709 8908 or beccy@halfmoon.org.uk #HalfMoonGallery

Party packages Is it your child’s special day?

Did you know that you could celebrate here at Half Moon? Book tickets for your group to see the afternoon show on the Saturday of your choice and hire our Upper Studio space (max.

25 children) for a post-show 90 minute party for an additional £100.

For more information, or to book, please call 020 7709 8900 or email us: admin@halfmoon.org.uk 6

Sat 9 Jan 11am & 2pm Ages 3+ & 6+ 45 mins

Sat 16 Jan 11am & 2pm Ages 4 – 8 50 mins

HALF MOON PRESENTS

Fairytales Gone Bad a Joseph Coehlo production

A father returns home with a magical cloak.

A cloak that hides a story… the true stories behind the happily ever afters and they’re not as charming as you remember!

Join performance poet Joseph Coelho as he unravels the familiar, to create fresh contemporary classics.

Grannylocks / The Monstrous Duckling 11am, 3+ Did you know that the ugly duckling was never ugly? He was monstrous! Or that Goldilocks was really a tale about a mean, thieving granny?

Zombie-rella / Blood-red Hood 2pm, 6+ Discover the true tale of Cinderella, where she dies, becomes a zombie and falls in love with a vampire prince. And of course there‘s Little Red Riding Hood, the wolfhunter who never leaves her home without her shield, axe and blood stained cloak. #FairytalesGoneBad

HALF MOON PRESENTS

Big Wow Small Wonder a Justin Coe production

Justin is the smallest boy in the whole town. So small that he can swim with goldfish. So small his sister takes him to school in her lunchbox. So small the bullies want to catch him and keep him as a pet.

Justin wants to be like his giant Dad, but when he finds out his Dad is not the Big Wow, he sets off to find who – or what – the Big Wow really is! Can the Big Wow help Justin to be tall in time, before the bullies catch up with him? And is being big really all it’s bigged up to be?

Told with huge helpings of humour, poignant poetry, original music and plenty of audience participation, this is a tall story about the wonders of being small. #BigWowSmallWonder 7

Fri 22 – Thu 28 Jan Fri 1.30pm, Sat 11am & 2pm, Mon 25 – Wed 27 10.30am & 1.30pm, Thu 28 10.30am, 1.30pm & 4.30pm Ages 3 – 7 45 mins HALF MOON PRESENTS

Lullaby Lane Join Katie as she returns to her childhood home on Lullaby Lane in search of forgotten friends, much-loved toys and the special gift of music-making her dad gave her. As Katie’s childhood memories come to life, we meet her neighbours who lived behind the brightly coloured doors on her street. There’s Sami and her tasty cakes, gardener Jasmine with her delicious fruit and the madcap, magical inventor, Isaac.

Pulsating with the energy of a music festival, this charming show uses song to explore friendship, community and dancing feet! Singer-songwriter Fran Wyburn performs an irresistible, melodic score overflowing with delightful songs. Lullaby Lane provides a great introduction for children to experience an array of string instruments, including banjo, harp, ukulele and guitar.

Lullaby Lane is a unique theatrical experience, mixing the vibe of a music gig with the intimacy and magic of theatre.

Lullaby Lane is supported by the Royal Victoria Hall Foundation.

#LullabyLane

8

Sat 30 Jan 11am & 2pm Ages 3 – 8 45 mins

Sat 6 Feb 11am & 2pm Ages 3+ 50 mins RIPSTOP THEATRE PRESENTS

A Real Mermaid’s Tale All aboard for an exciting adventure on the high seas with pirates, monstrous sea creatures and mermaid treasure. Follow Amelia Buttersnap, intrepid explorer, adventurer and seeker out of all things unknown, as she embarks on a journey full of magic, puppetry and mutinous rats, to discover evidence of mermaids and mythical underwater creatures!

This playful character tells a story full of intrigue and fantasy using glove puppets, magic tricks, shadow puppetry and audience participation – Amelia needs your help, so hurry up and let’s set sail. #ARealMermaidsTale

RIPSTOP THEATRE AND NORWICH PUPPET THEATRE PRESENT

Rumpelstiltskin A fairytale favourite spun before your very eyes.

Auntie spins as hard as she can to make the wool for the King’s special jumper.

But the royals are out of cash, the girl who is helping is useless at spinning and the Prince just wants to be a shepherd.

Everyone gets their threads in a twist and then Rumpel… you-know-who steps in.

Who is he, where does he come from and can they guess his real name before he gets them all in a spin?

A woolly wonderland of a show with spinning, weaving, lively puppetry, music and storytelling. #Rumpelstiltskin 9

Sat 13 Feb 11am & 2pm Ages 2 – 7 40 mins

Sat 20 Feb 11am & 2pm Ages 6 months – 4 45 mins TURNED ON ITS HEAD PRESENTS

Shiny

Join us as we invite you into a long forgotten room, where two people find friendship, joy, and treasures that turn from ordinary to extraordinary. Audiences are invited to watch and play as all that glitters unfolds before their very eyes!

A dazzling show for young children and their grown-ups, created by dance artists Liz Clark and Oksana Tyminska, based on many years working creatively with children and families.

Early booking is advised as this show has limited capacity. #Shiny

LONG NOSE PUPPETS PRESENTS

Flyaway Katie

Katie is all alone and feeling grey. The birds in the picture on her wall look so colourful – if only Katie could be as bright as them, who knows what might happen?

Based on the popular children’s book by Polly Dunbar, with music by Tom Gray of Gomez, Flyaway Katie is an inspiring flight of fancy about the power of imagination.

Join Katie in a show bursting with colour, movement and surprises, with puppets of varying sizes acting out the story.

At the end of the performance children are invited to meet the puppets.

“Magical and beautiful” THE GUARDIAN

#FlyawayKatie 10

Sat 27 Feb 10am, 12pm & 2.30pm Ages 2 – 5 35 mins

Thu 3 – Sat 5 Mar

Thu 3 – Fri 4 10.30am & 1.30pm, Sat 10am, 12pm & 2.30pm Ages 3 – 7 40 mins

TANGLED FEET AND HALF MOON PRESENT

Need a Little Help

Joe and Ella are a great team – they make each other laugh, help each other out and tackle all the chores their busy lives throw at them. But one morning things begin to change when Joe gets all tangled up and Ella has to do things alone. What will Ella do now? Will she be able to continue as before, or will it all get too much? If only she had a little help…

Based on the experiences of young carers, this moving and uplifting show explores what it means to look after someone else when you are young. In an immersive space, the young audience will help the performers look after each other, stepping into the shoes of young carers. #NeedALittleHelp LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE PRESENTS

Handa’s Hen

When Handa and her friend Akeyo go looking for Grandma’s black hen Mondi, they find two fluttery butterflies round the hen house, three stripy mice under the grain store, four little lizards behind the pots… But where is Mondi?

Based on the book by Eileen Browne, this beautiful and engaging show features 55 stunning puppets. Join in with Handa and Akeyo as they sing and dance in search of Mondi, meeting a host of colourful animals and birds as they go.

Brought to you by the same company that created Handa’s Surprise, join Handa and Akeyo on another exciting adventure in their Kenyan home. #HandasHen 11

Thu 10 Mar 4.30pm & 7pm Ages 13+ 50 mins

Sat 12 Mar 11am & 2pm Ages 4 – 9 50 mins

HALF MOON PRESENTS

Map of Me

a Papertale production From baking African deserts to the snow angels of a UK winter, this emotional and heartfelt story of migration reveals one girl’s hopeful flight into a new life. Map of Me explores how a displaced child finds a sense of self and belonging, in a moving and uplifting show written from real-life experiences of young asylum seekers. It tells the story of a young girl fleeing war in her homeland as she seeks safety, identity and a place to call home.

Map of Me returns to Half Moon Theatre after an acclaimed run last year and features prize-winning poets and performers Azfa Awad and Rosemary Harris. The performance is immediately followed by a short talkback session. #MapOfMe

DNA PUPPETRY AND VISUAL THEATRE PRESENTS

Tom Thumb

Long ago when all the world was wood, the most fearsome foe was the one that breathed fire…

Tom Thumb was the first folk story ever printed in English. This epic tale about the smallest hero in the world is brought to life with imaginative puppetry, stirring music and fantastic design by the makers of Chicken Licken.

Celebrating nature, with sensory play and participation, children are encouraged to explore their local natural environments, with music to sing along to and steppingstones to follow Tom Thumb’s adventure after the show.

“When it comes to making children’s theatre, it’s clear DNA Puppetry and Visual Theatre are part of the upper crust” CHILDRENSTHEATREREVIEWS.COM #TomThumbDNA

12

Sat 19 March 3pm Ages 3 – 6 45 mins HALF MOON PRESENTS

The Girl and the Giraffe a Floods of Ink production

One day whilst Girl is playing in her garden, she spots something peculiar on the other side of the fence. Climbing up as high as she can to get a better view, she is surprised when she comes face to face with… Giraffe!

As their friendship grows, Girl discovers that Giraffe isn’t very well. She tries everything she can to make him feel better; putting on bandages, making a cup of tea, and even baking a truly magnificent cake, but she doesn’t get it quite right. Girl soon realises that Giraffe doesn’t need a plaster for a graze on his arm or a scratch on his knee.

Sometimes we need a different kind of plaster for the things you can’t always see.

Charming puppetry, an enchanting soundscape and beautiful storytelling combine in this sensitive show about love and friendship, told from a child’s perspective. #GirlAndGiraffe

Bookshop @ Half Moon We are delighted to offer a pop-up bookshop in partnership with the wellloved Brick Lane Bookshop (www.bricklanebookshop.org).

Come and browse a rotating selection of popular children’s books for all ages, from classic favourites to some of the hottest new titles. The bookshop also stocks contemporary greetings cards, so Half Moon is the perfect place to buy that special gift or new bedtime story.

Follow Brick Lane Bookshop on social media: eastsidebookshop @BrickLaneBooks 13

About Half Moon

we include, we inform, we inspire Half Moon is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting artists and young people at every stage of their creative development. Our activity includes a season of professional plays for young audiences, new writing and artform development, national touring productions and an extensive Creative Learning programme, including seven Youth Theatres.

We are a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receive regular funding from our home borough of Tower Hamlets.

Half Moon Presents As well as presenting shows for young audiences in our Limehouse home, Half Moon also tours work around the country under our producing arm Half Moon Presents, a portfolio of professional work for young audiences from a range of our associate artists and companies.

For current productions and tour dates, visit www.halfmoon.org.uk/halfmoonpresents Half Moon Presents is part of our Exchange for Change programme, which supports artists developing diverse work for young audiences by nurturing, mentoring and providing space to develop work.

14

Last year we:

We couldn’t do it without:

»» Engaged with over 46,000 people

Our major funders

»» Delivered over 1,300 Creative Learning sessions for over 23,500 young people »» Ran 6 weekly drama groups for children and young people »» Ran 430 artform development sessions with over 50 artists »» Worked with 68 schools and delivered professional development training to 83 teachers »» Hosted 258 work experience sessions and 653 volunteer hours »» Toured 11 shows into 71 venues around the UK with audiences of 22,500 people »» Hosted 29 theatre companies from around the UK

Host your event here

We are also extremely grateful for support from: Aberfeldy Big Local Action for Bow BBC Children in Need easyfundraising The Henry Smith Charity Heritage Lottery Fund Jack Petchey Foundation London Bridge Small Grants Fund Newcomen Collett Foundation Newman’s Own Foundation The Peter Minet Trust Royal Victoria Hall Foundation St. James’s Place Foundation St Olave’s Foundation Fund The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust Waitrose Also a big thanks to our many individual donors.

Do you need a space for a meeting, seminar or book launch? Or perhaps a studio theatre for rehearsing or filming? Half Moon has several fully accessible spaces available to hire. With very competitive rates and excellent transport links, we’re a great choice for hosting your event.

Technical assistance available. Please contact us with your requirements.

Theatre: Up to 100 people, sound and lighting rig Upper Studio: Up to 30 people Red Room: Up to 10 people Foyer: Up to 60 for a launch, 15 for meetings Workshop: For design and painting 15

Book tickets

By phone: 020 7709 8900

Get in touch Half Moon 43 White Horse Rd London E1 0ND

Online: www.halfmoon.org.uk

admin@halfmoon.org.uk

In person: Mon – Fri 10am – 6pm

Sat 10am – 4pm

Sign up to our e-news at www.halfmoon.org.uk

All tickets £6. No booking fees. Group discounts available. Free tickets for babies under 12 months, unless the show is specifically for their age range.

See our website for booking conditions.

Getting to us

Follow us halfmoontheatre @halfmoontheatre Download the Half Moon Theatre App

5 Bus 2

mainline and DLR station (2 stops from Bank and Tower

ite Wh se Hor

Gateway). Follow signs for Bekesbourne Street when

Ste

exiting station. 15 minutes’ walk from Stepney Green tube.

Lane

pne yG

reen

By bus: Buses stop 1 minute away on Commercial Road junction with White Horse Road. Numbers 115, 135

s on R d Ben John

& D3. Other buses stop by Stepney Green tube (25) and

elg

tr

White Horse R oad

Half Moon

5.30pm on weekdays. Meter parking is available at all

Commer cial Rd

Buses 15, 115, 135, D 3 Cable St

junction with Yorkshire Road and Commercial Road).

Visit www.tfl.gov.uk to check latest accessibility

Butche r Row

just 2 minutes’ walk away on Flamborough Street (at the

l Tunne rhithe Rothe

Access

BSL

Commercial Rd

Limehouse

y ighwa The H

details and to plan your journey.

Our blind and visually impaired audiences can pre-book touch tours prior to all performances.

Some shows have British Sign Language for Deaf and hearing impaired audiences. Half Moon is a fully accessible building. We have baby changing facilities and space for buggies.

339

ee t

By car: Street parking is free at weekends and from

By bike: There is a Santander Cycles docking station

rav eS

9, Buses 30

B

Ben Jonson Road (309, 339).

all times. We are not within the congestion zone.

Rd End Mile

Stepney Green

By train/tube: Just 2 minutes’ walk from Limehouse

other times. Street parking is free to disabled patrons at

halfmoontheatre halfmoontheatre

TOUCH TOUR

Half Moon Young People’s Theatre Ltd is a registered company in England & Wales (2479179).

Registered office: 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND. Registered Charity: 1010192.

This brochure is printed using the environmentally friendly waterless printing process and is Forest Stewardship Council certified (FSC).