presents… - the lowry · contains information about the show and the characters in order that ......
TRANSCRIPT
by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
VISUAL GUIDE
This guide has been created as a support material for families attending the
relaxed/sensory friendly production of Room on the Broom. The guide
contains information about the show and the characters in order that
children can familiarise themselves with the show and aims to make their
theatre experience as enjoyable and memorable as possible.
Contents
1. About the show
2. Meet the Cast / Characters
3. Set, Lighting & Sound
4. About the theatre
About the Show
How long does the show last?
The show is 55 minutes long with no interval
What is the show about?
Room on the Broom is based on the much loved children’s book by Julia
Donaldson & Axel Scheffler and is adapted for the stage by acclaimed UK
theatre company Tall Stories, known the world over for their physical, musical
and story-telling style of theatre.
The story follows a haphazard witch and her trusty cat on their way to the
back of beyond to fight a dragon!
On route, Witch loses her hat in the wind and they must fly down to fetch it –
there they meet dog who wants to go to the moon. He asks Witch to take him
and after some negotiation with Cat they head back up into the sky.
Then Witch’s bow falls out and so again they must fly to the ground to collect
it – only to find that a large green bird has found it and thinks it’s her own. Bird
has been left behind by her friends who are migrating south for the winter and
now she doesn’t know how to get there. Witch agrees to take her with them
and drop her off on the way the dragon’s lair so they set off again.
Suddenly Witch drops her wand – and immediately they all fly down to find it.
It’s been picked up be a frog who is himself trying to get away from a Princess
who thinks he will turn into a Prince if she kisses him. Frog gives Witch back
the wand in return for letting him escape on the broom with them.
Back in the sky and heading towards the dragon’s lair – the broom just can’t
cope with them all and snaps in two!! Cat, Dog, Bird & Frog fall into a muddy
bog, whilst Witch, unaware
that her friends have vanished,
flies on to meet the dragon!
Dragon is hungry and when he
finds Witch decides she would
make a delicious feast. But just
as he is about to eat her, a
hideous Mud Monster
clambers out of the bog to
claim Witch for itself. Dragon
flees whilst Witch discovers
that the Mud Monster is in fact all of her friends covered in mud pretending to
be a monster.
Witch casts a spell to fix the broom and the new friends fly off into the night.
Meet the Cast/ Characters
Witch, Cat, Dog, Bird, Frog & Dragon
The show is made up of 4 actors. 1 female plays the Witch, another plays Cat
and there are 2 men – 1 plays Dog & Frog and the other plays Bird & Dragon.
The stage adaptation includes all the rhyming text of the book and is driven
along with music, songs, lots of fun and some audience participation. The
characters will speak directly to the audience, so feel free to sing-a-long and
answer back when prompted.
Dog, Frog & Bird are all puppets so the actor’s faces are visible and the
costumes are minimal to facilitate the very physical style of the performance.
Witch is played by an actress named AMY HARRIS.
This is Amy. Here is Amy as Witch.
Cat is played by an actress named EMMA CROWLEY-BENNETT
This is Emma. This is Emma as Cat
Dog & Frog are both puppets operated by an actor named DAVID GARRUD
This is David
This is David with Dog This is David with Frog
Bird is a puppet and is operated by an actor named CONNOR BLOOM.
CONNOR also plays Dragon
This is Connor
Set, Lighting & Sound
The Set
When you arrive in the auditorium you will see a large moon with trees
around it. Here is a picture of the set
Lighting
There are ‘sky’ states and ‘ground’ states in this show. Whilst in the sky, the
lighting is slightly darker and when on the ground much lighter.
Towards the end, when Witch casts a spell to make a new broom, the lights
will gently flicker and then the stage will go to pitch black momentarily. There
is no strobe lighting or flash photography in this production.
At the end of the show the stage will go black again to signify the end of the
performance. The lights will come up a couple of seconds later and there is a
finale to clap and sing-a-long to.
For this relaxed performance, we will be keeping some of the house lights on
so that the auditorium will not be in total darkness.
Sounds
The show contains recorded music & live singing.
The cast will make whooshing noises when the broom takes off. The
audience is encouraged to join in with this.
Dragon will roar before his entrance a couple of times and their will be sound
effects of stomping.
For this relaxed performance, we will be turning the overall level of the sound
down so that it is not too loud during the performance.
Songs from the show include:
1. A Witch and her Cat
2. First Dog in Space (Dog song)
3. They’ve only gorn and left me on me own… (Bird song)
4. Frog Stomp (Frog Song)
5. Witch & Chips (Dragon Song)
6. Iggety Ziggety
Recommended age
Room on the Broom is recommended for children aged 3+ and their families.
Announcements
There may be an announcement just before the show asking for mobile
devices to be switched off and advising that photography/filming of any kind
is not permitted.
If you need to use a specific electronic device such as an IPad to help with your
enjoyment of the show, please inform the ushers as you enter the theatre.
Extra Information If you need any extra information in the lead up to your visit, please contact Charlotte Lund from Tall Stories Theatre Company [email protected] 020 8348 0080
About the Theatre
Getting to The Lowry
By Car
The Lowry is a 10 minute drive from Manchester City Centre, 20 minutes from
Manchester Airport, and a quarter of a mile from the motorway network,
giving access from all over the North West and beyond.
From the M60 take junction 12 for the M602. The Quays is a quarter of a mile
from junction 3 of the M602. Follow the brown Lowry logo signs.
Parking
The primary disabled parking facility for The Lowry is The Lowry Outlet Mall car
park.
We recommend that Blue Badge holders enter The Lowry Outlet car park at
the
entrance near the mini-roundabout on the road leading from The Quays
(pictured above) as this will allow parking on the ground floor level.
The Lowry Outlet car park offers 4 hours free parking for disabled patrons on
production of their blue badge at either the Car Parking Office or at the
Information Desk. For more information please contact their team on 0161 848
1850.
The Lowry does offer two dedicated parking spaces on our service road (to the
side of the building, through the security barriers) for Blue Badge holders.
These are available on a first come first served basis, and cannot be booked in
advance.
By Metrolink
The Lowry is easily accessible via two Metrolink lines, the Eccles line (alight at
Harbour City), and the Media City UK line (alight at Media City UK). Travelling
from Manchester City Centre, the Metrolink takes approximately ten to fifteen
minutes.
By Train
If you are exiting the train at Oxford Road Station, walk up Oxford Road
towards St Peter's Square, where you can board the Metrolink (see above).
If you are leaving the train at Piccadilly or Victoria Station, there will be clearly
signposted Metrolink stations nearby.
By Bus
Buses that go along the Quays and past The Lowry:
50 - East Didsbury - The Lowry. Regular service running every fifteen minutes,
including Sundays.
69 - Eccles – Stretford. Regular service until 6pm, excluding Sundays and Bank
Holidays. 245 - Altrincham - Exchange Quay. Regular service running every
thirty minutes approximately (alight at Imperial War Museum).
Arriving and getting around The Lowry
The two main doors into the building have buttons to automatically open the
doors. These are on the top of low–level posts, both inside and outside.
Each main entrance has an internal textured mat which is level with the
surrounding floor.
Please note that our security staff may ask to search your bags when you
arrive – this is just a precaution and nothing to worry about.
Staff and Volunteers are on hand in the main foyer to help with building
information, access to the cloakroom facility and hire of wheelchairs (free of
charge to use). If you would like to hire a wheelchair please call our Welcome
Desk on 0161 876 2016.
The Welcome Desk faces the main entrance opposite the Box Office. The Box
Office is inside the main foyer as you go in through the double glass doors.
The foyer is a wide colourful space with high ceilings, large angled windows
and sloping blue floors. Throughout the building the floor surfaces are smooth
polished terrazzo, textured rubber, carpet, wood and tiled.
The foyer can be very busy and noisy before and after a performance but there
are lots of spaces around the building that you can go to such as the Tower
Coffee Shop, Circle Bar or Pier Eight Bar and Restaurant.
Collecting Tickets
If you haven’t already got your tickets, you will be able to collect them from
Box Office.
The Box Office counter is by the main doors to The Lowry – all you have to do
is tell them your name and postcode.
Ushers
The Ushers, who are always happy to help, will be wearing a red or purple
jumper or t-shirt with a badge like this.
‘Room on the Broom’ will be in the Quays theatre.
To find the Quays theatre, turn left after walking in the main doors, and follow
the corridor past the Pier Eight Bar & Restaurant.
During the show
If you need to leave the theatre at any point during the performance, feel free
to do so. Ushers will be on hand to help you to and from your seat and the
performance will be being relayed on a screen just outside the Quays theatre,
so if you prefer to sit and watch from there at any point, that’s fine.
Toilets
Accessible toilets are available on the stalls level of the Quays bar. If your seats
are not on this level, there is a lift avaailble.