Little Angel's Adult Visitors Season

March – May 2012

Little Angel Theatre Spring Season 2012 Puppetry for Adults

Book tickets on 020 7226 1787 / www.littleangeltheatre.com

Productions Folded Feather’s Twisted Variety

By Folded Feather

Thursday 8/Friday 9 March, 8pm £12/£10 concession London Cabaret Award nominees and hosts of the hugely successful 3K Kaberet underground night, Folded Feather present a night of breathtaking circus, bawdy music and twisted puppetry.

Biting the Dust

By Grist to the Mill

Saturday 24 March, 7.30pm £12/£10 concession A body is laid out on a candle-lit table.

Time stands still. Very slowly a glowing china cup floats its tea-and-sympathy ritual. A last cup of tea. Finality. The End… Biting the Dust is a tender and beautifully dark examination of death and rebirth, using objects and evocative puppetry.

“Outstanding” Time Out “Magical” The Times “Very weird, but in a good way” Lyn Gardner, The Guardian

Matthew Robins at Little Angel Theatre Friday 16 March, 8pm & Saturday 17 March, 3pm/8pm £12/£10 concession Matthew Robins and his band perform a new collection of stories, songs, short films and live animations. Creating an on-stage world of lonely mutant boys, insect-operas, biscuit-dinosaurs and knitted monsters. Featuring adventures of regular characters Flyboy, Mothboy and Walter Knitty, Matthew will also be telling the story of Scissor Leg Paul, all-new Alien-Soap-Opera and Salady Brighteyes: super-dog-on-wheels.

“The whole thing feels like watching a silent movie in which every aspect has been created by a wayward child genius.” The Guardian

The Lonely One

By Dotted Line Theatre

Thursday 29/Friday 30 March, 8pm £12/£10 concession Hot summer night. Past moonlit trees and locked houses. In the ravine a million fireflies flit and dance. In the middle of a thousand warm shadows Lavinia Nebbs stands listening, there are little bits of sudden snow all over her flesh – “Every time I take a step, there’s an echo.

Someone’s following me.”

A tale of fear, deliciously dark with a touch of humour, brought to life through shadow play and light manipulation.

Adapted and directed by Rachel Warr.

Based on an excerpt from the novel Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury.

Clockwise from top: Folded Feather’s Twisted Variety, Grist to the Mill’s Biting the Dust, Dotted Line Theatre’s The Lonely One and Matthew Robins.

The Great Puppet Horn

Return to SUSPENSE: another chance to see these hits from last year’s London Puppetry Festival…

By Pangolin’s Teatime

Wednesday 25 April, 8pm £12/£10 concession More cutting comedy from The Great Puppet Horn. Everyone’s favourite satirical shadow puppet show returns to the Little Angel with a brand new selection of cardboard characters providing up-to-the-minute commentary on everything from global finance to Take That.

“Scathingly funny... this giggle-fest gets my five stars” The Sunday Times

The Intangible Cities of Margharita Monticiano

By Nutmeg

Wednesday 18 April, 8pm £12/£10 concession A sly confection of shadows and projected images – reflections of La Serenissima, the seductive, rapacious city of Venice – personified

by Margharita Monticiano, an ageing beauty who sees the world from her own voracious viewpoint.

Spirit

By Susan Beattie

Thursday 19/Friday 20 April, 8pm £12/£10 concession Spirit takes the audience on a captivating journey of ordinary people’s otherworldly experiences, combining personal stories with music and puppetry in an exploration of the extraordinary in everyday life.

With inspired use of shadow, light, movement and manipulation the narratives are humorous, inspiring and in some cases deeply moving.

Jew(ish)

By Eye Spy Arts

Sunday 22 April, 8pm £12/£10 concession Jew(ish) travels from shtetl to city, from past to present, and from the personal to the political – weaving an imagined heritage with real oral histories. A thought provoking piece centered on an individual’s search for his cultural identity, told through puppetry, object animation a lot of chutzpah!

Headcase

By Touched Theatre

Thursday 26/Friday 27 April, 8pm £12/£10 concession Cassie’s locked herself in with only a goldfish for company, but someone else is battering at the door. Who is she hiding from, what exactly is under the bed and will she make it out of this room alive? Headcase is an original dance puppetry project reflecting some of the experiences of mental health diagnosis.

Using object animation, puppetry, miniature theatre and an object-led score mixed live, Headcase is an empathetic, funky and surreal journey into the landscape of our states of mind.

The Adventures of Thunder and Coal

Puppetry Provocations

By Nonesuch Theatre

Puppet Centre in association with Little Angel Theatre presents a new series of small discussion groups.

Thursday 3/Friday 4 May 8pm & Saturday 5 May, 3pm/8pm The story of the mice living in the London Underground and the larger creatures fumbling darkly above them. A fullblown musical from Nonesuch, the new company led by the composer-writer behind hit musical The Mouse Queen.

Developed as part of the HATCH festival.

Praise for The Mouse Queen: “A marvellous musical” New York Times “A joy” The Times “Perfect and witty in every way” Emma Thompson

Left: Touched Theatre’s Headcase.

Below: Nonesuch Theatre’s The Adventures of Thunder and Coal.

Facing Page: Little Angel Theatre, image by Mike Twigg.

First provocation

Tuesday 6 March, 7pm The puppeteer – gifted artist or lowly techie? Among the practitioners of the performing arts where does the puppeteer stand? Penny Francis MBE leads the first in the series

Second provocation

Tuesday 1 May, 7pm Is there a future for puppetry? What is it?

Leader to be announced (see website) Tickets: £10/£5 students (max 20 places). Ticket includes refreshment.

COURSES At Little Angel we run 3 evening courses for adults which run for 10 weeks during a term:

Puppetry Beginners Course

Designed for absolute beginners, this is for those who have always wanted to have a go at puppetry but never had the opportunity to do so.

Tuesday evenings, 7.30–9.30 pm

Puppetry Performers Course

Designed for people who have attended the Beginners Course or who have a desire to explore performing with puppets. Each term experienced leaders and practitioners give you the opportunity to develop performing skills through puppetry. The term ends with a showing on the Little Angel stage.

Wednesday evenings, 7.30–9.30 pm

Puppet Makers Course

Designed for people who have attended Beginners Club or who have a strong desire to explore puppet making in more detail. This course gives the opportunity for you to learn how to make a puppet. Each term features a different style of puppetry making and course leaders skilled in the terms chosen style of puppetry.

Wednesday evenings, 7.30–9.30 pm Prices: £165 per term / £115 concessions (includes show visit).

Next term begins in April.

See www.littleangeltheatre.com for full details.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT For professional puppeteers, performers and puppet makers

An Introduction to Puppetry Performance

Sunday 4 March/Saturday 28 April, 10am – 5pm Cost £55 / £35 concession This one day crash course for total beginners assists you in discovering the essential skills needed to bring puppets and objects alive with movement and emotion. The sessions will include learning about puppet life, breath and focus. An entertaining and comprehensive introduction to the art of the puppeteer, led by Oliver Smart, director of Folded Feather and Little Angel Theatre educationalist.

Stage Lighting for Puppetry Theatre

Sunday 11 March, 10am – 5pm Cost £30 / £20 concession Explore the fascinating relationship between lighting and puppetry in this one day workshop with Little Angel Theatre’s resident Lighting Designer, David Duffy. Practical exercises will include hands-on access to theatre lighting equipment, and a detailed look at puppetry movement in different lighting states. This course is ideal for performers and directors from new and emerging puppetry companies, and those wishing to explore the visual relationship between puppet and puppeteer.

Short String Marionette Masterclass with Ronnie Le Drew

Saturday 3/Sunday 4 March, 10am – 5pm Cost £95 The course will develop short string marionette manipulation skills particularly focusing on developing character work. Participants must attend both days. Ronnie has performed in most of the Little Angel’s productions over the last 40 years. Film and Television roles includes Zippy from Rainbow, Muffin the Mule, Meerkat commercial, Brains from Thunderbirds, plus Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and Muppet Movies. www.ronnieledrew.com

Marionette Carving Workshop with John Roberts Monday 12 – Friday 16 March, 10am – 6pm daily Cost £280 John Roberts is one of the most experienced course leaders in Europe having run carving courses since 1980 in the UK and internationally.

The workshop will cover design of a marionette, working with wood and tools, and a unique combination of Chinese and European techniques with the aim of producing a fully functioning puppet to take away with you at the end of the week.

Table Top Puppet Construction Workshop with Peter O’Rourke Monday 16 – Friday 20 April, 10am – 6pm daily Cost £280 Concentrating on the technical aspects of making table top puppets, the emphasis will be on principles of construction to enable the maker to build good movement into puppets through an analysis and understanding of pivot points and jointing. Participants will work from a prototype specifically devised to demonstrate ways of designing good movement. Peter O’Rourke regularly works with Little Angel, most recently designing, making and directing Alice in Wonderland.

To book for all workshops call our box office on 020 7226 1787

LITTLE ANGELS

Little Angel Theatre presents a range of exciting performances and puppetry activities for children and teenagers from age 2 – 16 throughout the year. We also work closely with schools and nurseries.

If you’d like to find out about our programme of work for younger audiences please pick up one of our children’s brochures or see www.littleangeltheatre.com.

YOUR SUPPORT

As a charity Little Angel Theatre relies on the generosity of our supporters to make sure we keep our doors open and our puppets in work! Without our friends and supporters we simply couldn’t put on our productions or run the vast range of educational, participative and professional development activities that we do. There are various ways you can help: – make a donation, either regularly each month or as a one off gift – join our Company of Angels (details below) – come to one of our gala performances – leave a bequest – join our Corporate Membership scheme or sponsor a production

BECOME AN ANGEL!

Want to be part of everything that goes on at Little Angel Theatre?

Join our Company of Angels from just £60 per year to get exclusive benefits for you and your family, such as free tickets, priority booking and invitations to special events, as well as supporting the theatre’s work in a sustainable way. To find out how to join see www.littleangeltheatre.com or call the box office and ask for an application form.

DIARY MARCH S3

MARIONETTE MASTERCLASS STARTS

M 16

table top workshop starts

S4

INTRODUCTION TO PUPPETRY WORKSHOP

W 18

the intangible cities… 8pm

T6

PUPPETRY PROVOCATION 7pm

T 19

SPIRIT 8PM

T8

folded Feather’s Twisted Variety 8pm

F 20

SPIRIT 8PM

F9

folded Feather’s Twisted Variety 8pm

S 22

JEW(ISH) 8pm

S 11

Puppetry lighting workshop

W 25

THE GREAT PUPPET HORN 8pm

M 12

carving workshop starts

T 26

HEADCASE 8pm

F 16

matthew robins 8pm

F 27

HEADCASE 8pm

S 17

matthew robins 3pm & 8pm

S 28

INTRODUCTION TO PUPPETRY WORKSHOP

S 24

biting the dust 7.30pm

T 29

the lonely one 8pm

F 30

the lonely one 8pm

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BOOKING iNFORMATION How to Book

Book tickets via our website or by calling the box office on 020 7226 1787. The box office phone line is open 10am – 6pm week days and 10am – 4pm at weekends. We always recommend advance booking as we cannot guarantee availability on the door.

A £1.50 credit/debit card booking fee will be added to each purchase.

Once purchased tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Age Policy

The productions featured in this brochure are suitable for adult audiences and we recommend that they are not suitable for under 12s.

If in doubt please ask the box office for more information.

APRIL

www.littleangeltheatre.com

MAY T1

PUPPETRY PROVOCATION 7pm

T3

THUNDER AND COAL 8pm

F4

THUNDER AND COAL 8pm

S5

THUNDER AND COAL 3pm & 8pm

GETTING TO LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE

HO LLO

WAY ROA D

HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON

Tube: Angel (Northern Line) or Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line) Bus: Essex Road 38, 56, 73, 341 / Upper Street 4, 19, 30, 43

STREE T

Little Angel Theatre 14 Dagmar Passage Off Cross Street London N1 2DN T. 020 7226 1787 www.littleangeltheatre.com

ISLINGTON GREEN

RO AD

D TE AGM RR A AC R E

ESS EX

The Little Angel Theatre

UPPER

Train: Essex Road or Highbury and Islington

CROSS STREET

ANGEL PENTONVILLE ROAD

CITY ROAD

TICKET INFORMATION

A £1.50 credit/debit card booking fee will be added to each purchase.

Once purchased tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

The Little Angel Theatre is supported by The 1970 Trust, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, Arts Council England, Ampelos Trust, Anthony and Rachel Williams, Charitable Trust, B G S Cayzer Trust, Cripplegate Foundation, Chairman’s Charitable Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Golsconcott Foundation, Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, Help a Capital Child, Idlewild Trust, Mercers Company, Monument Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, The Worshipful Company of Curriers Little Angel Theatre would like to thank all members of our ‘Company of Angels’ scheme and our Annual Fund supporters for their generous and sustained support.

‘Wonderful work that celebrates the possibilities of theatre’ The Guardian

Vat Registration No: 233867152 Registered Charity No: 232488 Company No: 668339

Book tickets on 020 7226 1787 or at www.littleangeltheatre.com