Cinderella Education Pack

Welcome

Welcome to the Education Pack for The Millennium Forum Production of Cinderella

Welcome to the Education Pack for the Millennium Forum

Production of Cinderella. This pack is filled with activities and background information about Cinderella. Each activity is designed to link to various Key Stage learning units and can be adapted for a variety of ages and abilities. Don’t forget to share your wonderful work with us online by posting a picture or video and tag @Education at the Forum on Facebook or Instagram. Cinderella is a magical show for all the family - as well as being one of the most loved pantomimes of all time - and we are confident that the version staged by Millennium Forum Productions will not disappoint. Packed with great song and dance routines, hilarious comedy, dazzling scenes and magical special effects, this festive favourite is fun for all the family from 4-94! So, we hope you enjoy our production and have a wonderful time exploring the activities in your classroom.

How to use this Education Pack

This pack is filled with activities to use before and after your visit to Cinderel la at the Millennium Forum. It is designed to use across the Key Stages from Foundation to KS3. Each activity will have a symbol to indicate the type of activity.

Performance

Art & Design

Discussion

Creative Writing Research

The history of CINDERELLA

“Cinderella” or “The Little Glass Slipper”, is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression and triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. The story of Rhodopis, recounted by the Greek geographer Strabo sometime between around 7 BC and 23 AD, about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt, is considered as a possible source due to some similarities. The first ancient story that shares the critical elements of the canonical Cinderella story is usually considered to be the Ye Xian story. The first literary European version of the story was published in Italy by Giambattista Basile in his Pentamerone in 1634; the version that is now most widely known in the English-speaking world was published in French by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697. Another version was later published by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms’ Fairy Tales in 1812.

THE

upon a time there was a kind and beautiful girl, whose name was Cinderella. She lived with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters where she was treated as a servant and spent her days cleaning, tidying and waiting on them hand and foot. One day an invitation to a royal ball arrived. The Prince was looking for a bride and everyone in the kingdom was invited. Her stepmother immediately ordered new gowns to be made for herself and her daughters. Cinderella worked day and night to prepare the new dresses in time. On the day of the ball, as they were preparing to leave, Cinderella came down the stairs in a dress she had made for herself. Her stepmother and stepsisters were so angry to see her looking so beautiful they tore up the dress and left without her. Left alone, Cinderella began to cry when suddenly, her Fairy Godmother appeared. Her Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand and at once Cinderella’s rags turned into a beautiful new ball gown. When everything was ready, Cinderella waved goodbye to her fairy godmother who said, “The magic

will only last until midnight. You must reach home by then.” When she entered the ballroom, the guests were struck by her beauty and her stepmother and stepsisters did not know who she was. The prince asked Cinderella to dance and she was overjoyed. The Prince and Cinderella danced all evening until Cinderella noticed the clock approaching midnight and she remembered her godmother’s words. “I must go” she told the Prince as she fled from the ballroom. As she ran down the steps of the palace, one of her glass slippers fell off, but Cinderella did not stop to pick it up. She returned home just as the clock struck twelve. Her ball gown turning into rags once more. Her stepmother and stepsisters arrived home shortly afterwards and were full of talk of the beautiful girl who had danced all night with the prince. The prince had fallen in love with Cinderella the moment he saw her, but he did not even know her name. He picked up her glass slipper from the steps and declared “I will marry the girl whose foot fits this slipper.” The prince and his servants took the glass slipper to every house in the Kingdom, but it did not fit any of the women who tried it on. Cinderella’s stepsisters tried to squeeze their large feet into the dainty shoe but was afraid it might break. Cinderella’s stepmother would not let her try on the slipper, but the prince said “Wait! Let her try it!”. The slipper fit Cinderella’s foot perfectly and the Prince realised this was the beautiful girl he had danced with at the ball. The Prince had found the girl he was looking for. They were married and both lived happily ever after.

The history of Panto

Research & Discussion

How many Pantomime stories can you think of?

Can you think of any stories or fairy tales you know which would make good pantomimes?

Discuss in your Class what Pantomimes you have seen before.

In theatre, pantomime is traditionally a Christmas entertainment experience. The word pantomime comes from the Greek word ‘pantomimus’ which means a group who imitates, accompanied by sung narrative and instrumental music, often played on the flute. Pantomime is influenced by a 16th to 18th century Italian travelling street theatre called ‘Commedia dell’ Arte’, which means ‘the art of comedy’. It was essentially for the masses and concerned with ‘Buffoonery’. The characters would also be very exaggerated. The artists would improvise and tell comic stories that involved mistaken identities, devious characters, love interests and jokes, which can still be seen in modern day pantomimes. In England, pantomimes first appeared between opera performances, and were then developed into separate shows which were regarded as a low form of opera.

In the 1700’s, Harlequin was introduced by John Rich, an important director and theatre manager, under the name of ‘LUN’ for lunatic. These pantomimes were silent and consisted of only dancing and gesture. Rich’s theatre introduced stage magic to the performances with offstage craftsmen who operated trick scenery. Armed with a magic sword, Rich’s Harlequin treated his weapon as a wand, striking the scenery to transition from one scene to another. Since then pantomime has continued to develop into a distinctly British phenomenon which we still enjoy today.

Discussion

Timeline of making a Pantomime

Producing a Pantomime is a year long process, which involves lots of planning and preparation.

January This year’s pantomime story is selected. The Writer, Director and Designers are hired.

February The writer begins to write the script.

March Tickets go on sale to schools and groups, before going on sale to the public. Lead performers are cast.

April The first Pantomime advert goes in the brochure. The first draft of the script is submitted.

May A Production Meeting takes place, where the production team discuss the styles and themes of the show. The costume and set design begins.

June Casting Calls are issued for the main cast.

July Main cast auditions take place.

August Final casting is announced.

September The Writer, Director and Designers have a production meeting to discuss set and costume designs.

October Cast receive their contracts. Pantomime adverts begin to appear in local press, magazines and on buses.

November Rehearsals start. On day one the full cast meet for a read through of the script. Rehearsals take place over the full two week period until Opening Night.

December It’s Panto time! “Oh no it isn’t” “Oh yes, it is!”

This year the Pantomime is performed throughout 27 days of December/January and 13 of these days are school performances. 13 of these days have double performances. The theatre closes for 2 days over Christmas!

Meet the Characters

In a Panto, there are several character types that are traditionally included to have a well-rounded cast that will provide a combination of drama, comedy and sometimes romance.

The Heroine: Cinderella

Traditionally the heroine was innocent with very feminine qualities, and often sometimes becomes a Princess at the end of the story.

In recent years, Pantomimes have moved more with the times and the heroines have been updated to be individual, powerful female characters that can affect the story and save the day for themselves.

The Principal Boy: The Prince

In traditional pantomime, the principal boy was played by a female actor, although in recent years many pantomimes cast a young male actor.

The principal boy is brave, heroic and adventurous. They will often be drawn into a quest to rescue the heroine of the story, defeating the villain along the way.

Meet the Characters

The DameCinderella has 2 (Ugly Step sisters)

The role of the Dame has increased over the years. Where the Dame would originally have worn a hat and shawl throughout the performance, the actors may now have up to 15 costume changes!

Always played by a male member of the cast dressed in drag, the dame personifies female eccentricity. She is usually older than the other female characters.

The Comic: Buttons

Usually a quirky male character who introduces himself to the audience early in the first Act. Whenever he appears, he usually says “Hello” to the audience, expecting a resounding response. He often asks the audience for advice on the best course of action or the location of another character. He is usually not too bright, but is the most lovable character in the show.

The loveable character: The Baron

A rather confused, muddled character, who loves his daughter Cinderella, but is bullied and battered by his new wife and Step-daughters.

Behind the scenes

It’s not just the actors who make the show!

Before the show opens there are lots of things that need doing to make sure that the audience enjoy the performance. The script needs writing, the music needs composing, the set needs designing and the actors need directing. Find out below who is involved and what they need to be good at for their job.

Writer

Job: The Writer is the person who writes the script. What they must be good at: The writer needs to be creative and good at writing. They also need to be able to work well alone.

Director

Job: The Director is the person who brings all the different artistic elements together. They will choose the actors, advise on the set, run the rehearsals and help the actors decide what to do on the stage.

What they must be good at: The director needs to be good at having an overall vision for the performance and an overseeing eye for everything that is happening. They need to be very creative and a good team leader.

Set & Costume Designer

Job: The Designer is in charge of designing the set (what we put on stage to help create the world of the play) and the costumes. They produce a model of the set which they show to the director and the actors.

What they must be good at: The designer needs to be very artistic and creative and have a good imagination to decide what the final set will look like. They also must be good at drawing.

FunFactIn Pantomimetradition, entertheGoodFairywillalways fromStageRight(the leftastheaudiencelookatit) andtheVillainwillalways enterfromStageLeft.

Behind the scenes

Musical Director

Job: The Musical Director is responsible for teaching the actors the songs during the rehearsal process. They sometimes write and compose the music themselves, or they might choose appropriate atmospheric music that’s been written by someone else.

What they must be good at: The musical director needs to be very musical with a good knowledge of different songs and an ability to teach others.

Stage Manager

Job: The Stage Manager is in charge of everything that happens onstage. They will work with the designer to make sure that they have all the props and that everything looks exactly like the designs.

What they must be good at: A stage manager needs to be organised, good at communicating, and very resourceful.

Wardrobe Department

Job: The Wardrobe Department works with the designer to source and make all the costumes for the actors. Each day they have to wash and iron the costumes and do any last-minute repairs so that they look as good as new for every performance. What they must be good at: The wardrobe department must be very organised and good at sewing.

Lighting Designer & Sound Technician

Job:

The Lighting Designer works with the designer to create the atmosphere in the theatre. They will choose the colours, the brightness, and the angle of the lights which will then be programmed into a computer so that they are the same in each performance.

The Sound Technician is responsible for everything the audience hears. Exactly what that entails can vary considerably, depending on the type of show, the performers in the show and the performance venue. In practice there is no single job description that encompasses everything that the sound designer does, as they will adapt what they do to the demands of a specific production.

What they must be good at: The lighting designer needs to be artistic, and good with technical equipment. The Sound Designer has to be a master of many different disciplines and technologies, and to have exceptional teamwork and people skills.

Front of House

Job: The Front of House team is in charge of looking after the audience. They sell programmes before the performance and ice creams in the interval. They also help the audience find their seats.

What they must be good at: The front of house team must be very friendly and helpful.

Marketing

Job: The Marketing Department is in charge of bringing in all the audiences for all the performances of ‘Cinderella’. They look after the promotion of the show plus all the posters and fliers and everywhere the show is advertised.

What they must be good at: They must be good at planning ahead and making sure that everyone knows about the show so that they can come in and enjoy this festive treat!

Did you know:

Over 150 people have been involved in getting CINDERELLA onto the stage this year including all these roles:

Accountant, Actors, Actor’s Agents, Administrators, Box Office, Catering, Choreographer, Cleaners, Composer, Designer, Director, Front of House Team, Lighting Designer, Marketing, Musical Director, Musicians, Producer, Props makers, Set Makers, Sound Designer, Special FX Team, Special Guest Voiceover Artist, Stage Crew, Stage Management, Technicians, Ushers, Wardrobe, Writer

PRODUCER David Mc Laughlin

DIRECTOR Jonathan Burgess

MUSICAL DIRECTOR Alan Wright CHOREOGRAPHER Venessa Chapman COSTUME DESIGNER Helen Quigley LIGHTING DESIGN Rory Harkin

SOUND ENGINEER Aaron Kelly

STAGE MANAGER Codie Morrison PRODUCTION MANAGER Lorcan McLaughlin

CAST LIST IN CHARACTER

CINDERELLA Jasmine Gardiner BUTTONS Conal Gallen PRINCE CHARMING Dylan Reid UGLY SISTERS Keith Lynch & James Lecky FAIRY GODMOTHER Karen Hawthorne CHAMBERLAIN Warren Mc Cooke BARON HARDTOP Simon Quigg ENSEMBLE Aodhan Kehoe Leigh Chapman Caitlyn Mc Crea Phoebe Mc Cord Teja Sedovsek Emmett Stewart

Pre show Activity – Learn a Song

As part of our inclusive programme, we are going to be using Makaton to sign one of our Panto songs Jingle Bells.

Why not learn the song before you come along, that way you will be able to sing-along with the cast when you come and see the show!

Jingle Bells

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh O’er the fields we go, laughing all the way Bells on bob-tails ring, making spirits bright

What fun it is to laugh and sing a sleighing song tonight

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh

Preshow Activities

Write your own fairytale, think of all the characters you need Good & Evil.

Think of the 5 W’s –Who is there? What is happening? Where is it? When is it? Why is it happening?

Can you create your own storyboard for Cinderella or animate this by creating a flipbook.

Storyboard

Become a Panto Character

Prep – Cut out the Characters nametags and give to each student a character. Space should be clear to walk about.

Activity – Everyone move around the space, when the teacher call’s ‘Panto’ the students stop and turn to the person closest to them and improvise a short scene, thinking about how those characters would react and speak to one another. After 1 or 2 mins the teacher calls ‘Tik-Tok Cinderella’ they move around the space again until they hear ‘Panto’ this exercise is repeated as many times as you would like. Great for imagination, role play & confidence building.

Cinderella Buttons Fairy Godmother

Ugly Sister

Prince Charming

Evil Step Mother

Ugly Sisters

The Baron

Colouring Activities

Colouring Pages

Colouring Activities

Story Time Maze

I was invited to a Ball. I would...

Cinderella find her way back home before midnight.

Word Search

CAN YOU FIND THE MISSING WORDS?

Post Panto Visit Activities

Write a diary entry from your favourite Character. Choose a moment in the pantomime to write about.

Possible moments –

• The fairy godmother transforming Cinderella from rags to a beautiful dress

• Cinderella losing her glass slipper

• Prince Charming finding Cinderella.

Dear Diary...

Activity

BREAKING NEWS

Create a NEWS REPORT on what you think happened after the Panto finished.

- News Flash !! ‘Mysterious girl disappears from the royal ball and the prince is searching for his lost love’

- News Flash !! A glass slipper has been found in town after a Royal Ball !! Are you the owner??

What do you think happened after Cinderella and Prince Charming lived happily ever after? How does Cinderella feel about her new life?

What Drama techniques can you use?? Freeze Frame, Split screen, tableaus, Mime etc

FREEZE FRAME

Using the storyboard you created in Page 7 in groups create 3 Freeze Frames (still image like a picture) to tell the story. Think about using different levels and expressions to make your Freeze Frames exciting.

DISCUSSION

Take turns and show the class your Freeze Frame sequences. Discuss what themes are in each scene e.g Friendships, relationships, Heartache or Bullying Discuss how can you develop these into a short scene?

BE AN ACTOR

Acting for a Pantomime is all about playing up the characters as big as possible, making them larger than life and exaggerated.

KS1 Acting Exercises:

1) Role Play

Scene – Cinderella’s House after the Ball and the Prince knocks at your door.

Characters – Ugly sisters, stepmother, Cinderella & The Prince What do you think would happen in this scene – ‘Finding the Glass Slipper Princess’

KS2/3 Acting Exercises:

1) Role Play

Split the class into groups of 3 or 4 and assign characters who could reasonably exist on the edge of the story of the pantomime. Have the group create a short scene where they act as those characters having a conversation about an event of the play –

• Cinderella’s reactions and feelings about the fairy godmother transforming her from rags to a ball gown.

• The moment Prince Charming met Cinderella and realized the glass slipper fit her. Encourage the group to think outside the story and think how they would react in the situation.

2) Silent Cinderella

Cover the story with the group to ensure they understand the basic outline. Split the class into groups of 5 or 6 and have them act out a silent version of the pantomime. Make sure that they make it clear which character they are playing through their physicality and facial expression. This exercise will help the children to understand how exaggeration and gesture are used to create comedy and larger-than-life characters.

Imagine you are the Costume Designer for the Panto. You have to design a new costume for one of the characters. Who shall you choose????

What colours and material do you think they would wear to suit their character and personality?