Spring Visitors Season ADULTS

January – April 2011

Little Angel Theatre

50 Celebrating

Years

Spring Season 2011 Puppetry For Adults

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

Throughout 2011 we are celebrating our fiftieth anniversary and we are delighted to kick-start the year with an exciting and eclectic programme for adult audiences. Alongside a variety of newcomers, we welcome back a few firm favourites including Matthew Robins with a new collection of shadow stories, plus our very own Puppet Grinder Cabaret. Also, look out for details of our Puppets on Film festival presented in conjunction with Reel Islington. Alongside the shows there are a multitude of classes and courses on offer for both seasoned pros and curious beginners.

Come along and join our anniversary celebrations!

Peter Glanville, Artistic Director

Productions

By Wattle & Daub Figure Theatre

Oh! Smith: The King of Terror

By New Model Theatre

The Confetti Maker

By Frank Wurzinger

Saturday 5 February, 8pm £10/£8 concession Frank Wurzinger’s new solo show is a day in the life of a full-time confetti factory worker. Full of optimism, he pursues his profession: making confetti – cutting, perforating, shredding – all day, every day – but he has ambitions, dreams and fears far beyond the factory life – romance … love … family …

“Wurzinger created a truly unique performance that had me laughing and smiling throughout.” Remote Goat

Triptych

The Confetti Maker is a highly visual piece, which combines slapstick, puppetry, absurd storytelling, improvisation, and of course, lots of small bits of paper, which are expertly woven into a hilarious, yet poignant show.

Sunday 6 Feb, 7.30pm £10/£8 concession The life and performances of the 19th century actor of the monstrous, Richard John Smith, known as O. Smith; player of bandits, demons, vampires and other villains. With New Model Theatre, Robert Poulter has taken the traditional medium of toy theatre as a starting point and written and designed original productions which use movement, light and sound to create a new theatrical experience in miniature.

Written, created and performed by Robert Poulter, researched by Jennie Bisset and starring that celebrated actor Peter Baldwin as O. Smith. Followed by a Q&A with the company.

Thursday 3 March, 8pm £10/£8 concession Three stories about love, loss and letting go. A small, lonely figure is lured by the elusive and dangerous promise of flight; a witch within the heart of a tree demands a Faustian bargain for safe passage through her forest; and the oldest man in the world stumbles into a Paris jazz club just in time to share one last dance.

Created in collaboration with T S Eliot award-winning poet Philip Gross and with an original recorded score featuring a 4-piece jazz combo, Triptych fuses innovative storytelling with a distinctive combination of visual theatre, puppetry and masks. Magical, lively and somewhat dark.

Matthew Robins – Noah’s Ark

Puppet Grinder Cabaret

A new collection of episodes from Flyboy and Sad Lucy, and other stories

By Little Angel Theatre and Puppet Grinder

Matthew and his band will perform further episodes from The Death of Flyboy, his ongoing series of romantic science-fiction shadow operas, as well as other new stories, including more tales from Sad Lucy: a fish opera, plus some familiar pieces from his collection of home-made folk-lore. Expect more stories about the sea, death, monsters and animals.

“Kids be damned, this be high quality, adults-only puppetry... You’ll love it.”

Time Out Online 2009

Friday 4/Saturday 5 March, 8pm £12/£10 concession Following on from his collaboration with Katie Mitchell at the National Theatre (Beauty and the Beast) as well as his recent run at the Barbican, Noah’s Ark is the new collection of songs and stories from west-country artist and musician Matthew Robins.

“Bewitching Papercuts” The Independent “As borderless as its creator’s imagination, the universe of Matthew Robins’s shadow plays is simultaneously homely, sinister and one of the most engaging live experiences you’ll encounter this year” Time Out

Thursday 17/Friday 18/ Saturday 19 March, 8pm £12.50/£10 concession Puppet Grinder Cabaret returns to the Little Angel after a break following smashhit romps at the Edinburgh, Manipulate, Bath and Suspense Festivals in 2009.

A riotous spectacle of raunchy live puppetry and masterful animation, with a feast of unique acts to suit all tastes.

“Puppets! Sick, twisted and depraved puppets! Rocks begin a grown-up doesn’t it?” Time Out Critics’ Choice 2009

Life Still

By Folded Feather

Tuesday 22 March, 8pm £10/£8 concession An absurd piece of abstract science fiction set during the aftermath of an unknown catastrophic event. The refuse of a defunct world is all that remains. Life lingers, breathing through previously functional objects. With a darkly seductive aesthetic, superb object manipulation and an innovative live soundscape Life Still presents an abject universe, both highly comic and deeply disturbing.

After a highly successful Paris premier in October 2010, this will be the first theatre performance of Life Still in the UK, before it travels to the prestigious Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes, Charleville-Mézières, France in September 2011.

Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Youth Theatre Showcase

By Pants on Fire

Wednesday 23 March, 7pm & 9.15pm £10 adults/£8 concession Following sell-out shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2010, Pants on Fire’s latest actor-musician extravaganza comes to London. Ovid’s epic tales are relocated to 1940s wartime Britain by blending gas masks, gramophones, puppetry and live original music and song.

Sunday 6 March, 5.30pm/ Monday 7 March, 7pm £3 (by phone or in person) After two terms of creating puppets and rehearsing, Little Angel YT presents their performance of Gargantua by Carl Grose… Mr and Mrs Mungus have just had a baby. Unfortunately, it isn’t the bouncing blue-eyed boy they were hoping for…

Winner of the Whatsonstage.com Editor’s Prize and The Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award.

This show will also be performed at Soho Theatre at the end of March as part of the NT Connections project.

**** “A glorious retelling of Ovid’s tales.....A breakthrough show” The Guardian ***** “Constantly surprising and inventive....I challenge anyone not to be enchanted by this show” Whatsonstage.com

Puppets on Film Festival

“This take on Ovid is one to restore your faith in devised productions” The Stage

Presented by Little Angel Theatre and Reel Islington

Friday 25 to Sunday 27 March, various times and prices (check website) This brand new festival showcases puppetry presented through the medium of film. Highlights include premiere screenings, an evening of shorts, European classics plus a performance and workshop by The Paper Cinema.

Tickets will go on sale at the end of January. Join the Little Angel mailing list via our website for a reminder.

Above: Image from Rock Charmer

by The Paper Cinema

COMING NEXT: The Tempest Little Angel Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company present The Tempest by William Shakespeare, from 9 April 2011

On a magical island a powerful magician summons the elements to seek revenge against his brother – supernatural spirits lead young lovers and shipwrecked sailors on a chaotic journey around an island brought to spectacular and confusing life.

Main booking opens Monday 24 January 2011, suitable for everyone age 7 and over

CLASSES & COURSES ADULT PUPPET CLUBS

Little Angel Theatre runs termly evening clubs for adults – for beginners, puppet makers and puppet performers. If you’ve experience in using puppets or you’d just like to have a go, these courses could be for you. Each 10 week course begins by seeing a show and taking a backstage tour. For more details about courses and how to sign up, see our website. Courses start from 25 January.

CLUBS FOR UNDER 16s

Little Angel runs a range of exciting and high quality creative puppetmaking and performing clubs for age 2–16, as well as regular Fun Days. See our website or call the box office for more information.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT For professional puppeteers, performers and puppet makers

Rod Puppetry Masterclass with Ronnie Le Drew

Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 February 1.30pm–6pm daily Cost £50 Spend a weekend discovering the fascinating potential of traditional rod puppet movement. Participants must attend both days. Ronnie has worked with Little Angel since the 1960s when he joined the company under its founder director John Wright. Film and Television roles include Zippy from Rainbow, Sooty and Sweep, Muffin the Mule, Meerkat, Brains from Thunderbirds, and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and Muppet Movies. www.ronnieledrew.com

Table Top Puppet Construction Course with Peter O’Rourke

Monday 28 February – Friday 4 March 10am–6pm daily Cost £250 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. Students 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.

Chinese Hand Puppetry Taster with Mark Whitaker

Saturday 12 March, 6–9.30pm Cost £25 Inspired by the stories and movement of the Beijing Opera, the Chinese hand puppetry is quite distinct from that of the western glove puppet. This taster course will provide a short practical introduction to Chinese hand puppet techniques focusing on movement, isolation and the martial acrobatics or “Wu Gong” of the Chinese opera. Mark Whitaker has been working as a puppeteer and mask performer for the last 19 years with companies including Little Angel, Playboard Puppets, Norwich Puppet Theatre, Horse & Bamboo and Aardman Animations.

Marionette Carving Course with John Roberts

Monday 14 March – Friday 18 March 10am–6pm daily Cost £250 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 construction techniques with the aim of producing a fully functioning puppet to take away with you at the end of the week.

To book for all workshops call 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?

Then join our Company of Angels 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.

BOOKING iNFORMATION How to Book

The box office phone line is open 10am–6pm week days and 10am–4pm at weekends. Book tickets on 020 7226 1787. You can also book online at www.littleangeltheatre.com. 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.

DIARY JANUARY T 25

Beginners class starts

W 26

Performers and Makers classes start

February

MARCH T3

Triptych 8pm

F4

Matthew Robins – Noah’s Ark 8pm

S5

Matthew Robins – Noah’s Ark 8pm

S6

Youth Theatre show 5.30pm

M7

Youth Theatre show 7pm

S5

The Confetti Maker 8pm

S 12

Chinese hand puppetry taster

S6

Oh! Smith 7.30pm plus Q&A

M 14

Carving workshop starts

S 19

Rod workshop starts

T 17

Puppet Grinder Cabaret 8pm

M 28

Table top workshop starts

F 18

Puppet Grinder Cabaret 8pm

S 19

Puppet Grinder Cabaret 8pm

T 22

Life Still 8pm

W 23

Ovids Metamorphoses 7pm & 9.15pm

F 25

Puppets on Film Festival

S 26

Puppets on Film Festival

S27

Puppets on Film Festival

GETTING TO LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE

HO LLO

WAY ROA D

HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON

Tube: Angel (Northern Line) or Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line)

T

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

STREE

Train: Essex Road or Highbury and Islington

D TE AGM RR A AC R E

ISLINGTON GREEN

ESS EX

The Little Angel Theatre

RO AD

CROSS STREET

UPPER

Bus: Essex Road 38, 56, 73, 341 / Upper Street 4, 19, 30, 43

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.

For further information about Little Angel Theatre go to www.littleangeltheatre.com.

The Little Angel Theatre is supported by Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The 1970 Trust, The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts, The Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, The 29 May 1961 Charitable Trust, The Bridge House Trust, The Goldsmiths’ Company, Old Possum’s Practical Trust, The Golsoncott Foundation, Help a London Child, The Richard Reeves Foundation, The Mercers Company, The Cripplegate Foundation, The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust, The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Worshipful Company of Curriers, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Arts Council England, The Foyle Foundation, Foundation for Sport and the Arts, The Monument Trust, The Idlewild Trust The Little Angel would like to thank all members of our ‘Company of Angels’ scheme 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 / www.littleangeltheatre.com