Unicorn Theatre Secondary Schools' Programme | 2016 - 17

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‘Essential and fearless’ The Guardian

ST

SECONDARY SCHOOLS’ PROGRAMME 2016-17

WELCOME ‘I struggle to see why I would take students anywhere other than the Unicorn as the productions are always so inventive and fit so well with examination requirements, without being limited by them.’

Drama teacher, 2015

Welcome to the Unicorn’s 2016-17 season. Not a theatre to shy away from tackling big themes, we hope to offer a new way of looking at the world for all ages.

Our version of The Iron Man recreates Ted Hughes’ classic story through animation, puppetry and paper-cut silhouettes, while our 5-star hit Baddies: the Musical and new show My Mother Medea encourage you to think about familiar stories from new perspectives.

We’re also excited to present The Hunting Lodge – a love story gone wrong for teenagers everywhere.

With tickets from £7.50, an accessible building where young people are valued, age specific and high quality productions, in-depth learning resources and a range of performance times, a trip to the Unicorn will be an unforgettable experience for you and your students.

Do come and visit us soon (and collect your free coffee).

Purni Morell Artistic Director, Unicorn Theatre

SEE IT FIRST FREE TEACHER EVENT: TUE 4 OCT, 5PM Join us for wine, cheese and a short talk about all our new shows and opportunities for schools, before watching the press night performance of Jason and the Argonauts at 7pm. Free, booking required.

FREE PRESS NIGHT TICKETS FOR TEACHERS: Come and watch one of our evening shows with colleagues or friends and stay for the press night party afterwards.

My Mother Medea – Thu 20 Oct, 7pm Baddies: the Musical – Wed 23 Nov, 7pm The Iron Man – Tue 31 Jan, 7pm The Hunting Lodge – Tue 7 Feb, 7pm Two free tickets per school, subject to availability. To book, email schools@unicorntheatre.com with the name and postcode of your school.

AT A GLANCE AUTUMN TERM

ADLER & GIBB For Years 10+ / Ages 14+

THE DUKE For Years 10+ / Ages 14+

MY MOTHER MEDEA For Years 9 – 13 / Ages 13+

CHRISTMAS

BADDIES: THE MUSICAL For Years 7 & 8 / Ages 11 – 13

SPRING TERM

UNTIL YOU HEAR THAT BELL For Years 7 – 13 / Ages 11+

THE IRON MAN For Year 7 / Ages 11 – 12

THE HUNTING LODGE For Years 7 – 13 / Ages 11+

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 10+ Tim Crouch and the Royal Court Theatre

ADLER & GIBB

SHOOT THE WOUNDED. SAVE YOURSELVES.

SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES

Written and directed by Tim Crouch Co-directed by Andy Smith and Karl James

First staged at the Royal Court in 2014, this new touring production of Adler & Gibb comes to the Unicorn direct from the Edinburgh Fringe.

In preparation for the film role of a lifetime, an actor goes to extreme lengths to dig up the truth. Her subject is the celebrated artist, Janet Adler, who rejected the art world in favour of a private life. Adler & Gibb tells the story of a raid – on a house, a life, an identity, a reality and a legacy.

From the real to unreal, from fake to true and from theatre to film, the play takes Tim Crouch’s (I, Malvolio; An Oak Tree; Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore) fascination with form and marries it to a compelling story of misappropriation and death.

AUGUST

Tue 30 7pm Wed 31 7pm

SEPTEMBER Thu 1 Fri 2

2pm 7pm

/ 7pm

HHHH ‘A memorable and rewarding show’ Independent

HHHH

‘Hilarious, harrowing and maddening interrogation of the value of art’ Time Out

Image: © 2013 Paul Koudounaris, from his book, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures & Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, Thames and Hudson Ltd.

Duration: 1 hr 30 mins (no interval)

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 10+ Produced by Hoipolloi, PBJ Management and Theatre Royal Plymouth, in association with Save the Children

THE

DUKE

A STORY ABOUT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES

Written and performed by Shôn Dale-Jones

SEPTEMBER Wed 7 1.30pm

I sit at my desk waiting for an email that will tell me what I need to do to get my film script onto the screen. I turn the radio on. I listen to a report about the refugee crisis. My mother calls. She tells me she’s broken The Duke.

My mother, my film script and the refugee crisis all need my attention.

A new one-man show by Shôn Dale-Jones, The Duke playfully mixes fantasy and reality, taking audiences on an imaginative and touching journey which gently challenges us to consider our priorities in a world full of crisis.

Shôn is Artistic Director of Hoipolloi, who combine original storytelling with an inventive spirit. He is also the award-winning writer/performer behind his comic creation, Hugh Hughes.

Duration: 1 hr

OCTOBER

Thu 6 Fri 14

NOVEMBER Thu 17

4.30pm 4.30pm

/ 7pm

8.30pm

No set ticket prices, pay what you can after the performance. All proceeds go to Save the Children’s Child Refugee Crisis Appeal.

MY MOTHER A Unicorn production

MEDEA OUR PARENTS LOST US THE MOMENT THEY HAD US.

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 9 - 13

By Holger Schober Translated by David Tushingham Directed by Justin Audibert New kids with strange names have arrived to sit at the front of the class. They’re supposed to be introducing themselves, but they’re sick of it. Always on the run, moving home before really knowing what home means. Away from familiar language, away from friends, away from everything that was important, Medea’s children tell their story how they experienced it, how they understood it.

My Mother Medea offers a completely new angle on an age old myth. Jason and Medea are presented as parents, parents who made mistakes, parents who ran away.

Resources will contain lesson plans that will open up the world of this new play, as well as Euripides’ original Medea.

SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES OCTOBER

Mon 17 11am Tue 18 11am Wed 19 11am Thu 20 2pm / 7pm

NOVEMBER Tue 8

Wed 9 Thu 10 Tue 15 Wed 16 Thu 17 Fri 18 Tue 22 Wed 23 Thu 24 Fri 25

11am / 2pm 10.30am / 1.30pm 2pm / 7pm 7pm 2pm 2pm / 7pm 11am 2pm / 7pm 11am / 2pm 10.30am / 1.30pm 10.30am

Duration: Approx 1 hr 30 mins (no interval) Contains strong language

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT FREE TEACHER CPD Thu 29 Sep 4.30 – 7pm

FREE TEACHER RESOURCES In-depth lesson plans and teaching ideas

IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS

Photo by Peter Schiazza

£120 p/class

HHHHH

‘The Unicorn has a big hit on its hands’ Evening Standard

HHHH

‘A subversive whip-smart musical’ The Sunday Times A Unicorn production

IS BACK!

HHHH

‘An unexpected riot’ The Guardian

HHHH

‘Original and intelligently fun’ The Stage

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 7 & 8 Book and Lyrics by Nancy Harris Music and Lyrics by Marc Teitler Story by Nancy Harris and Marc Teitler Directed by Purni Morell The Big Bad Wolf’s in trouble – he’s been ripped out of his story and thrown in jail for being too good at being bad.

But playing the villain’s the best part, everyone knows that...

Along with fellow offenders Rumpelstiltskin, The Ugly Sisters and Captain Hook, the Big Bad Wolf is determined to find out who’s decided to change the fairytale rulebook and why. How are you supposed to tell who the good guys are when there are no baddies around?

After a hugely successful sell-out run last Christmas, the baddest musical in town is back.

Duration: 2 hrs 10 mins (incl. interval)

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT FREE TEACHER CPD Wed 12 Oct 4.30 – 7pm

FREE TEACHER RESOURCES In-depth lesson plans and teaching ideas

IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS £120 p/class

SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES NOVEMBER Tue 15 1.30pm

Wed 16 1.30pm Thu 17 1.30pm Tue 22 1.30pm Wed 23 1.30pm / 7pm Thu 24 2pm Fri 25 11am Tue 29 11am Wed 30 11am

DECEMBER Thu 1

11am Fri 2 2pm / 7pm Tue 6 11am Wed 7 11am Thu 8 2pm / 7pm Fri 9 7pm Tue 13 10.30am Wed 14 11am Fri 16 7pm Tue 20 7pm

‘The entire experience (the unit of activities, the theatre and its staff, the production itself) was a joy’ Teacher 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES FILM FOR SCHOOLS Watch online for free

THE YEAR 7

PROJECT

This new project developed specifically for Year 7 around Baddies: the Musical focuses on providing meaningful opportunities for reflection, collaboration and creativity, as well promoting students’ SMSC development. See Enhance Your Visit page for more information.

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 7 – 13 Commissioned by and developed with Battersea Arts Centre

UNTIL YOU HEAR THAT BELL LIFE IN THREE-MINUTE ROUNDS.

SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES

Written and directed by Sean Mahoney Directed by Yael Shavit

JANUARY

Three minutes boxing. One minute break.

Three minutes boxing. Try to impress dad.

Three minutes boxing. Play Sega Dreamcast.

Three minutes boxing. Parents break up.

Three minutes boxing. Fail your GCSEs. Three minutes boxing. Sing in a car.

Three minutes boxing. Break.

Told through spoken word and within timed boxing rounds, Until You Hear That Bell is a story about amateur boxing and family. It’s about doing something for ten years, and slowly getting good at it.

Duration: 1 hr

Tue 10 7pm Wed 11 11am Thu 12 1.30pm Fri 13 7pm

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT POST-SHOW WORKSHOPS Available on Wed 11 Jan 12.15pm and Thu 12 Jan 2.45pm.

FOR SCHOOL YEAR 7 A Unicorn production

THE

IRON MAN TALLER THAN A HOUSE, THE IRON MAN STOOD AT THE TOP OF THE CLIFF, ON THE VERY BRINK, IN THE DARKNESS.

By Ted Hughes Created by Matthew Robins The Iron Man has been eating every single piece of metal in sight: tractors, old cars, fences, right down to the last rusty nail, destroying farms everywhere. The angry farmers try and trap him, but in the end it’s down to a young boy to try and tame the monster.

Using paper-cut silhouettes, puppetry and stop-motion animation Matthew Robins, co-creator of Something Very Far Away, brings to life the world of The Iron Man so vividly that you’ll feel you are there. His distinctive handmade and visual style of storytelling lets you watch this atmospheric tale being created live on stage.

Teacher resources will contain preand post-show activities that explore the form and content of the show and its relationship to Ted Hughes’ classic text.

SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES JANUARY

Tue 24 1.30pm Wed 25 1.30pm Thu 26 1.30pm Tue 31 1.30pm / 7pm

FEBRUARY Wed 1 1.30pm

MARCH

Thu 2 Fri 3 Tue 7 Wed 8 Thu 9 Fri 10 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri 24 Tue 28

10.30am / 1.30pm 10.30am 10.30am / 1.30pm 10.30am / 1.30pm 10.30am / 1.30pm 10.30am 10.30am / 1.30pm 10.30am / 1.30pm 1.30pm 10.30am 10.30am / 1.30pm

Wed 1 Thu 2

10.30am / 1.30pm 10.30am / 1.30pm

Duration: Approx 50 mins

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT Image by Matthew Robins

FREE TEACHER CPD Thu 24 Nov 4.30 – 7pm

FREE TEACHER RESOURCES In-depth lesson plans and teaching ideas

IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS £120 p/class

THE HUNTING LODGE A Unicorn production

THE PARTY ISN’T QUITE OVER YET.

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 7 - 13

By Ignace Cornelissen Translated and directed by Purni Morell He has to fall in love with me. All the papers think it’s about to happen.

Daisy knows, better than anyone, what it takes to get your man. Sometimes what you want falls into your lap. Sometimes you have to fight for it. Because you’re worth it, right?

Ignace Cornelissen, writer of A Winter’s Tale and Henry the Fifth, returns to the Unicorn with The Hunting Lodge, a love story gone wrong for teenagers everywhere. It’s kind of new and kind of old. You’ll recognise it, at least in part.

And you might recognise yourself, which is where the problem starts.

Resources will explore the expectations young people have of relationships in a culture obsessed with perfection and driven by success.

Duration: Approx 50 mins

SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES JANUARY

Tue 31 1pm

FEBRUARY Wed 1

MARCH

Thu 2 Tue 7 Wed 8 Thu 9 Fri 10 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri 24 Tue 28

10.30am / 1.30pm 1pm 1pm / 7pm 2pm 7pm 11am 2pm 2pm 7pm 2pm 11am 7pm 2pm / 7pm 11am 11am

Wed 1 Thu 2 Fri 3

7pm 2pm / 7pm 7pm

HHHH

‘It’s a clever and engaging show, and another triumph for the Unicorn’ The Guardian on Henry the Fifth

Photo by Richard Davenport

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT FREE TEACHER CPD Wed 11 Jan 4.30 – 7pm

FREE TEACHER RESOURCES With scheme of work

IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS £120 p/class

THE BLACK PLAYS ARCHIVE EVENT

The Black Plays Archive is an online catalogue hosted by the National Theatre, created in partnership with the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton and in association with Sustained Theatre and Arts Council England.

5 OCTOBER, 7PM

The Black Plays Archive is an exceptional resource cataloguing the range of theatre writing produced in the UK by African, Caribbean and Black British writers. This October, during Black History Month, we want to celebrate, open up and raise awareness of this important archive of work, particularly with young people studying theatre today.

Join us for a special event that will include workshops led by professional directors, readings of key plays from the archive and discussions on Black British play writing.

Aimed at GCSE, A-Level and University students, open to all.

For more information and to register your interest email schools@unicorntheatre.com

PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMMES EXPLORE

COLLABORATE

An in-depth programme for schools in the outer boroughs of London that works with the same students over three years (years 7, 8 & 9). EXPLORE unlocks the rich potential for learning that is offered through a trip to the theatre and aims to develop confident, interested and articulate theatre-goers.

A year-long partnership between the Unicorn and one secondary school.

Students see all productions over the year, take part in projects in school with professional theatre-makers and work with Unicorn staff to develop new learning materials.

‘Feedback from pupils and staff has been outstanding. One particular boy, who rarely leaves his local area, asked when we would be going to the theatre again. It is so rare that these pupils have the opportunity to be involved in projects that take them out of their comfort zone.’

‘It has been a career highlight for me to watch this project in action. It has challenged and excited them and developed their abilities to talk about, celebrate and, most importantly, make theatre.’

Gerry Canning, Rokeby School, 2016

Jenny Adamson, Cotelands PRU, 2015

We recruit new schools for our partnership programmes annually.

To find out more email schools@unicorntheatre.com

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT IN-SCHOOL DRAMA WORKSHOPS A practical and experiential introduction to the ideas, themes or characters in the show, led by our experienced practitioners in school. £120 per group.

Workshops available for: My Mother Medea, Baddies: the Musical, The Iron Man and The Hunting Lodge.

‘The students were totally engrossed… there were some amazing discussions, teamwork and learning throughout the workshop.’ Teacher

RESOURCE PACKS Created with our partner school, in-depth resources contain interviews with the creative teams, a context for the play and flexible drama based schemes of work that are designed to deepen students’ engagement.

You can download free resources from: unicorntheatre.com/secondary-schools

‘These resources offer a firm pathway for students to evaluate and understand the show.’ Teacher

POST-SHOW INSIGHTS Find out more about the show and the creative team in a post-show Q&A with members of the company. Insights are free, look for the on the show page or contact us to book.

‘The level of questioning and debate that came out of it was fantastic.’ Teacher

TEACHER CPD Twilight sessions offering inspiration and support for exploring productions back at school. Find out about the creative processes behind the show, work through practical drama activities that open up the play and link it to the KS3/4/5 Drama and English frameworks.

CPD sessions available for: My Mother Medea, Baddies: the Musical, The Iron Man and The Hunting Lodge. See show pages for dates.

BACKSTAGE

TOURS Explore what’s happening backstage and find out what really goes into making a play.

Can be booked pre- or postshow, or as a stand-alone event.

THE YEAR 7 PROJECT Our Year 7 Project uses a whole year-group visit to see Baddies: the Musical with an accompanying scheme of work to support students in their transition into the first year of secondary school. The project will provide a meaningful context for learning and will use drama approaches to:

• Develop students’ confidence, communication, self-esteem and emotional literacy;

• Build positive relationships between peers through group work and collaboration;

• Encourage imaginative engagement and students’ own creative responses.

The scheme can be adapted for use in Drama, English or PSHE curriculums and to promote SMSC development.

For more information contact schools@unicorntheatre.com

‘The Unicorn Theatre continues to programme bold, ambitious work for younger audiences.’ The Stage on My Father Odysseus, spring 2016

ABOUT YOUR VISIT Our theatre was built with young people in mind, and it is important to us that we offer a space in which they feel welcome and important.

We actively encourage our audiences to laugh, respond, clap and cheer during our shows – so please don’t feel that your students have to watch the show in silence.

In fact we encourage the opposite and want them to feel this is their space where they get to make some of the rules.

There are only three things we ask in the auditorium (of everyone): No photos • No phones • No food You can find answers to frequently asked questions and a risk assessment form on our website, but if you have any questions or specific requirements we are always happy to discuss them with you.

ACCESS ‘I was really impressed with how the theatre supported my pupils with ASD … Seeing how my pupils enjoyed themselves in the theatre was one of the highlights of my school year.’ Teacher, Garrett Park SEN School At the Unicorn we have offered a regular programme of accessible performances since we opened in 2005.

Relaxed Performances are open to everyone but focus on supporting those on the autism spectrum and those with learning disabilities, sensory or communication disorders.

We offer support material for each show and a dedicated access usher during your visit.

Baddies: the Musical Wed 30 Nov, 11am The Hunting Lodge Tue 21 Feb, 11am The Iron Man Tue 21 Feb, 10.30am Signed Performances for BSL users.

Baddies: the Musical Wed 14 Dec, 11am

Live Captioning assists those who have hearing impairments or would benefit from reading the dialogue along with the action.

The Hunting Lodge Thu 23 Feb, 7pm Please contact us if your school is interested in a captioned performance of Baddies: the Musical.

There is an infra-red Sennheiser system in both theatres for sound amplification.

There is wheelchair access throughout the building and a wheelchair accessible lift to all floors.

Pre-show Touch Tours for those with visual impairments or who would benefit from feeling the set, props and costumes before the show.

Baddies: the Musical Fri 2 Dec The Hunting Lodge Tue 28 Feb Audio Described If your students would benefit from an audio-described performance of Baddies: the Musical please contact us.

For more information or for specific requests regarding access visit the website, email access@unicorntheatre.com or call the Box Office.

HOW TO BOOK To book tickets call the Box Office on 020 7645 0560 or complete a booking form on the schools’ section of the website at unicorntheatre.com/secondary-schools To book workshops and CPD or to discuss any aspect of our Schools’ Programme, contact Schools’ Relationship Manager, Ella Macfadyen, on 020 7645 0544 or schools@unicorntheatre.com

TICKETS STANDARD TICKET PRICE £10 per student (1 teacher FREE per 10 tickets booked) £11 per student for Baddies: the Musical (1 teacher FREE per 10 tickets booked)

EARLY BIRD OFFER – 25% OFF From £7.50 per ticket if you book for 2 different shows before 31 Jul 2016.

MULTI-SHOW OFFER – 15% OFF From £8.50 per ticket if you book for 2 different shows from 1 Aug 2016.

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT • BOOK A PLACE ON THE ACCOMPANYING TEACHER CPD FREE • DOWNLOAD RESOURCES FREE • BOOK AN IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOP £120 per class • ADD A BACKSTAGE TOUR £1 per student (£3 if booking as a stand-alone event)

SUBSIDISED TICKETS Thanks to generous funding from The McGrath Trust, we are able to offer fully or partly subsidised tickets to schools who are unable to visit us for financial or other reasons.

HOW TO FIND US Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ London Bridge (5 – 10 minutes’ walk) Coach parking is available at Tooley St. The coach bays provide a safe, riverside meeting place for groups that is close to HMS Belfast.

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Please note: due to extensive work being carried out at London Bridge station and on Tooley Street, we recommend you check for travel updates at www.tfl.gov.uk before you depart.

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