A SOUTH HILL PARK PRODUCTION
BASED ON THE DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MOTION PICTURE
ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS BY GEORGE NORIEGA & JOEL SOMEILLAN BOOK BY KEVIN DEL AGUILA This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe). All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI Europe. www.mtishows.co.uk
PROGRAMME Fri 11 – Sun 20 Dec 2020
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Director’s Note What a year 2020 has been. I hope the next 70 minutes will be a chance for everyone to switch off the outside world, spend time with loved-ones and get lost in the magical world of Madagascar. The entire team feels privileged to be back in a theatre and working on a production to share with our audiences. It has been a year of great uncertainty for the arts, but here we are... in December 2020... in a theatre... the doors are open, an audience is waiting and a show is about to begin! Today, the Wilde Theatre will become Wilde by name and wild by nature as we transport you to the colourful and somewhat curious land of Madagascar. It has been an absolute joy to work on a theatrical presentation of such a popular film. Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria and of course King Julien himself are ready to take you on a hilarious, action-packed, musical adventure unlike any other; with foot-thumping songs, larger-than-life costumes and a set so gorgeous, you would think you had fallen through the cinema screen straight into the DreamWorks film. All productions have their challenges, but Madagascar 2020 has been unlike anything the team has ever experienced. All aspects of the show have been created and adapted to comply with the COVID-19 guidelines and our conversations have been focused on social distancing, COVID-secure procedures and keeping everyone safe. It has affected everything from costume design to choreography, from blocking to sound. The team has risen to the challenge tremendously, creating a show which feels natural and familiar while remaining completely safe. I would like to include a special note of thanks for our exceptionally talented and resilient cast. A team of actors who have offered their time voluntarily to stage this production. The second lockdown stripped them of half the scheduled rehearsal time and the show really only came together one week before opening night. Thank you for your commitment, good-humour and energy. This is a show about togetherness. As we start to see a more familiar world emerge from the shadow of 2020, Madagascar seems the perfect production to help bring us all back together again. Digital theatre is all well and good, but nothing can replace the palpable energy, excitement and immediacy of a live audience enjoying live theatre... together. We hope you enjoy watching Madagascar as much as we have enjoyed creating it. Now, get ready to
“move it, move it…” Mark Hooper Director
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Š Savannah Photographic
A look back at our 2018 Easter production
The Cast in alphabetical order
King Julian
Melman The Giraffe
Keir Buist
MTA Subway Announcer
Leo Burke
Kowalski / Lemur
Shani Cantor
Skipper / Lemur
Brad Clapson
Rico / Lemur
Marty The Zebra
Interviewee
Candy Hammernose
Understudy
Mike Ayiotis
Daisy Ewing Courtney Fleming Sam Gillett Helen Hall Joseph Hannay
Gloria The Hippo
Laura Hartley
Private / Lemur
Kerry Ingram
Interviewee
Sam Johnson
Interviewee
Annabelle Lalonde
Interviewee
Charlotte Lalonde
Maurice / Police Officer
Lioness / Old Lady / Lynn Lemur / Steak / Foosa
Interviewee
Justin Lalonde Savvy O’Connor Amy Pottinger
Lioness / Mason The Monkey / Lemur / Server
Poppy Ridell
Alex The Lion
Luke Robinson
Zoo Keeper / Animal Control / Lemur / Foosa Leader
Gemah Sanger
Lioness / Lars Lemur / Steak / Foosa
Lioness / Ship’s Captain / Lemur / Server / Foosa
Sophie Spencer Amber Weston
South Hill Park Trust Limited. A charitable company limited by guarantee
Photography and video of this performance are strictly prohibited.
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Creative and Production Team Director
Musical Director
Choreographer
Mark Hooper Tim Cumper Charlotte Steele
Set Designer
original Costume Designer
original hair & Make-Up Designer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designers
Darren Gould, Phil Hoegger
Sound Operators
Darren Gould, Phil Hoegger, Jamie Kedwards
Production Managers
Tony James, Matt Rogers
Production Assistant
Joseph Hannah
Head of Construction / Set Builder
Stage Manager / Set Builder
Costume Supervisor / Alterations
Props Maker / Head Scenic artist
Scenic Artist
Technicians
Follow spot operators
Chief Executive /Producer
Office Manager
Director of Operations
Marketing & PR
Box Office Manager
Original Production Photography
Camera Operator
Victoria Spearing Rebekah Shirley Jo Stringer Alan Valentine
Darren Gould Lyndon Baines Gill Albone Tabitha Baines Victoria Spearing Micheal Brenkley, Darren Gould, Tony James, Ellen Kilvington, Geoff Loveday Leo Burke, Joseph Hannah Craig Titley Faye Tims Steph Dewar Katie Greet Ferenc Hepp Alex Harvey-Brown David Tait
With thanks to Leo Burke for the loan of the segways, the Box Office team for all of their hard work on Madagascar and throughout the year, Jan Allen, the volunteers, front-of-house team and all of the amazing house managers.
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The Island of Madagascar Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, off the coast of southeast Africa.
The national dish is Romazava, which is a beef, pork and chicken stew usually served with rice.
Over 90% of Madagascar’s wildlife is unique and found nowhere else in the world: over 150 species of fish found in Malagasy waters are endemic to the area.
Because it is south of the equator, the seasons are reversed: when England is in winter, Madagascar is in summer and vice versa. Madagascar has two official languages: French and Malagasy. Around 26,000,000 people live in Madagascar.
Malagasy communities celebrate the arts by oratory: an ancient tradition of telling stories and folklore verbally. The Ibonia is an epic poem which has been handed down over the centuries in Madagascar by oratory means. Source: africa-facts.org
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costume design Costume Designer · Rebekah shirley Since graduating from Manchester University in 2007, Rebekah has made motion sensor animation suits for film, as well as wigs for The Lion King. She recently designed the costumes for Beauty and the Beast (2017–2018), Seussical the Musical, Cinderella (2016–2017) and James and the Giant Peach at South Hill Park. Rebekah also runs her own successful accessories company.
Where did you draw inspiration from for designing the characters of Madagascar? A lot of the inspiration came from the animated film. I really wanted to capture the feel and look of the costumes for the stage, whilst allowing for real life people to operate the costumes and move in them. I also did a lot of research into the animals that I was trying to replicate, as we felt it was necessary to not only capture the characters, but also the movements of the animals themselves.
How did you and the director work together on ‘the look’ of the show? Mark, the director, and I met early on to talk through what his vision was for the show. We also had to factor in who was cast, how their height and bodies impacted the costumes and how they were going to perform their role. For example, Marty the Zebra’s costume had to be flexible as Courtney (playing Marty) is a gymnast, so I knew I had to create a costume that allowed him to move freely and dance across the stage.
Which was your favourite character to design for and why? I loved designing Gloria and the penguins – Gloria is so sassy and larger than life, which I brought into the costume, and the penguins are so iconic.
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Hair and Make-up Design Hair and Make-up Designer · Jo Stringer Jo Stringer is a freelance make-up artist based in Berkshire with over eight years experience. She has worked for South Hill Park since 2011. Recent productions include: Beauty and the Beast (2017–2018), Oliver!, Sweeney Todd, Naughts & Crosses and many more.
What is your process for designing the hair and make-up? Firstly, I get a brief from the costume designer. I can’t start my design process without this, as often the make-up complements the costumes, which is the case for this particular show. Madagascar has costume as the main feature, with accents of make-up to enhance the animals’ characteristics. Other shows can have far more detailed hair and make-up, but this production is all about the big and beautiful.
How do you create a make-up look that reflects the character’s individual personality? My make-up design for Madagascar relies heavily on the research I’ve done for the show, and is inspired by the characters. It’s difficult, as we’re also working with different people’s hair, skin tones and facial features, so making them look like different animals takes a lot of imagination and experimentation.
Which was your favourite character to design for? Definitely Alex the Lion – he has a huge, fun wig to dress.
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Animals of Madagascar Madagascar is home to some unique and unusual species of wildlife. The species below are not found anywhere else in the world.
Comet Moth The comet moth or Madagascan moon moth is among the largest in the world with a wing span that extends to 20cm coming only second after the atlas moth of Asia. These nocturnal insects are bright yellow in colour. The eggs of the moth are collected for trade in the world markets.
Panther Chameleon
The Lemurs There are more than thirty species of lemurs in Madagascar. Ring-tailed lemurs (like King Julien) are distinct from other lemurs by their striped black-and-white tails and the amounts of time they spend on the rainforest floor. These herbivores have powerful scent glands which they use as both communication tools and weapons, marking their territory and battling other lemurs for dominance by trying to out-stink each other. A group of lemurs is called a troop, over which a female matriarch presides.
The Fossa The fossa inhabits the forests of Madagascar and is a close relative of the mongoose. It grows to a length of 6ft (1.8m) from the tail to the nose and weighs up to 26lbs (12kgs). The animal has a slender body and appears more like a cat. The fossa uses its long tail like a tightrope walking pole to move swiftly through trees. The fossa is among the endangered species and listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on their Red list of the threatened species because their habitat is diminishing. Today less than 10% of the original forest cover of Madagascar is in existence which is also the only home of the fossa.
The panther chameleon is native to Madagascar and has been introduced to other islands in the region. It is one of the most colourful chameleons with the widest colour variations of all the chameleons, they are also larger and the most sought after by reptile keepers and traders. Like other chameleons, the panther chameleon has a bony extension on the rear part of its head called the casque. It hunts and traps its pray using its extensile tongue that has specialised muscles that propels the tongue to snare by use of sticky mucus and vacuum created by the muscles at the tip of the tongue.
Tomato Frogs Tomato frogs are found mainly in the northwestern region of the island living in the forest areas. Due to deforestation, their habitat has been destroyed but seemingly they adapt well to the cultivated areas, and they are common in gardens and plantations. These frogs mate during the rainy season and on shallow and slow moving water. They are brightly coloured and ooze off some white sticky mucus when threatened, though they are not toxic, they are irritating to the mucous membrane.
Sources: worldwildlife.org, worldatlas.com, National Geographic, One Kind of Planet
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A SouTH HiLL PaRk proDUCtion The exuberance, colour, fun
By Lewis Carroll
MAiDenheAD ADvertiSer on MadagaScar eASter 2018
Writers Mark Hooper Dean Penn
and excitement of the original
Composer and Musical Director Tim Cumper
Utterly brilliant… MUDDy StilettoS on HigH ScHool MuSical eASter 2019
Director Rosie Hill Associate Director Mark Hooper Choreographer Charlotte Steele Set Designer Victoria Spearing Costume Designer Naomi Rachel Gibbs
Family tickets only £15 per person Up to 6 people, max 2 adults Wed–Fri A professionally produced community production
Wed 14 – Sun 18 apr 2021 Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park, Bracknell RG12 7Pa SaLeS@SouTHHiLLPaRk.oRG.uk · SouTHHiLLPaRk.oRG.uk @southhillpark
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