Many of the companies that took part are on tour
regularly so if there is something you missed why
not visit their web site to see what's coming up!
Below is a short round-up of
the 2004 programme.
Age:
3+
Travelling
Light Theatre Company (England)
CLOUDLAND
3+
The
light-as-a-bubble children live in the
clouds where they play with rainbows
and storms. Albert is thrilled when
he falls off a mountain into their land
and joins in their games. But how will
he get home again?
Live action, dance, puppetry and music
create a funny and enchanting show for
the very young in this version of John
Burningham’s best-selling story.
Travelling Light is one of Britain’s
best-known children’s theatre
companies, renowned for its lively,
physical style.
Winners of the Samuel Beckett Award,
Dublin International Theatre Festival
1999 for Into the West. Nominated
for a Barclays/TMA Award for Tir Na
N’Og in 1998.
Polka
Theatre (England)
THE
SELFISH GIANT
3+
The
selfish giant has a beautiful garden,
but won’t let anyone enjoy it.
When he builds a high wall to keep the
children away, he shuts out spring,
summer and autumn too. But one day a
small boy finds his way into the garden,
melting the giant’s heart and
all the snow with it.
Annie Wood, the creator of last year’s
Happy Prince, goes straight to the
emotional heart of Oscar Wilde’s
fairy tale with the help of puppets,
music and plenty of audience participation
in this delightful show.
Age:
4+
Theater
Terra (Netherlands)
FROG
4+
Little
Max doesn’t want to move house.
He’s afraid of the unknown. Will
his friends, Duck, Pig, Hare and Rat
be able to calm him? Or will he refuse
to budge?
This stylish musical has a great
set of songs and is based on the much-loved
Frog picture books by Max Velthuijs.
Like the books, the show tackles big
themes, such as love, sorrow and friendship,
in a clear and entertaining style.
Winners of The Hans Snoek Prize,
Netherlands’ most prestigious
children’s theatre award for
their show Swan’s Down.
Shona
Reppe Puppets (Scotland)
SPEND
A PENNY
4+
In
a city of wooden boxes live the knitted
people. If you open one of the tiny
doors you can see into their strange
knitted world. This is the story of
two of these people, Herring and Purl,
whose lives are unknowingly knitted
together even though they have never
met.
Spend a Penny is a touching story
about spending and sharing in a world
where a penny can buy almost anything
– except friends.
One of the most captivating performers
on the children’s stage. Her
huge sparkling eyes create an instant
rapport with her audience. She’s
almost other-worldly, like a sprite
creating magic . . . a beautiful fairy
puppet-making queen.
The List
Winner of the Total Theatre Award
2002 & the Victor Award 2003 for
best showcase in Montreal for Cinderella
Age:6+
Cas
Public (Canada)
IF
YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS
6-12
year olds
Yves
is afraid of thunder. Pierre is afraid
of being different. And Sonya is afraid
of dropping her ice-lolly. Sometimes
silly, sometimes startling, If you Go
Down to the Woods is a mesmerising dance
performance that looks at all the things
we’re afraid of. And who doesn’t
like being frightened . . . just a little?
Montreal’s Cas Public has been
one of the most adventurous and entertaining
companies on the international contemporary
dance scene for 20 years. Hélène
Blackburn’s first show for young
audiences is a fantastic introduction
to dance.
Winner of the prestigious 2001 Prix
de l’Office franco-quebecois
pour le jeunesse – Rideau (Creators
category)
Gruppe
38 (Denmark)
A
SONATINA
6+
From
the back of a pick-up truck, a band
of travelling players stop to tell the
story of Little Red Riding Hood. But
this one’s different. The little
girl is played by an egg, her grandmother
is a potato and the big bad wolf is
a potato masher. And nothing can happen
until the live chicken produces the
egg!
This larger-than-life company from
Denmark was last seen here with a
magical Hansel and Gretel in 2001.
A Sonatina is just as gripping, original
and imaginative.
A Sonatina was nominated for Denmark’s
prestigious Reumert of the Year Award
in 2001.
Supported by the Danish Council
Theater
Handgemenge (Germany)
LORDS
OF THE RAILWAY
6+
Uwe
and Dirk are model railway enthusiasts
and hopeless perfectionists. As they
potter around their miniature world,
one of them tells a story about a little
boy who loses his toy dog on the train.
Slowly the story takes over as the train
heads for Warsaw and the boy’s
father goes in hot pursuit.
With the help of a real miniature
train set, Germany’s Theater
Handgemenge presents a virtuoso piece
of fast-paced story-telling theatre.
Brilliantly performed, it is dramatic,
quirky and great fun.
Age:
7+
Puppen-Theater
der Stadt Halle (Germany)
BEAUTY
AND THE BEAST
7+
AA
salesman on his way home from a business
trip comes across a castle where he
steals a rose for his youngest daughter.
Caught by the owner, a disgusting monster,
the salesman offers to give him his
daughter in return for his life. But
first impressions prove wrong.
A familiar tale is given new life
in this fresh and inventive production
that makes brilliant use of masks,
allowing the actors to transform from
character to character. At turns moving,
scary and funny.
Winners of the 2003 Children’s
Music Theatre Festival Traumspiele
Award and the 2002 International Puppetry
Festival Synergura Award, Germany
Age:
8+
Gruppe
38 (Denmark)
THE
BALLAD OF MARIAN AND ROB
8+
Marian
is fed up with her boring and conventional
life. She wants to be like Rob. For
Rob is an outlaw who lives alone in
the forest. He steals from the rich
and gives to the poor and he never washes
his hair. But Marian’s father
is a policeman. And he says it’s
forbidden for boys to live in the forest.
This high-energy version of the Robin
Hood story is about the great love of
two children and the incredible stupidity
of grown ups. Clever and inventive,
it’s produced by one of Denmark’s
favourite children’s theatre companies.
Supported by the Danish Council
Het
Laagland (Netherlands)
KING
A
8+
A
play about courage and heroism that
gives a modern twist to the legend of
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round
Table. A troupe of energetic young actors
play at being knights. As they fight,
sing and dance, they awaken the ideals
of Arthur and his friends.
King A is stunningly performed by Holland’s
Het Laagland, a children’s theatre
company renowned for its visual panache
and dynamic storytelling.
Director Inèz Derksen won
the Top award for the most promising
graduate of the Theatre School Amsterdam
Age:9+
Visible
Fictions Theatre Company (Scotland)
EMILY'S
HOUSE
9+
A
new play by Isabel Wright - directed
by Kate Brailsford
Ben’s dad and Gillian’s
mum have just got married and bought
a new house together. But the children
hate each other. Also sharing the
house is another unhappy and mischievous
child, Emily – a havoc-causing
ghost. Can Ben and Gillian unite before
it’s too late?
Emily’s House has been created
through Visible Fictions New Writing
Project, a unique process where young
people help create and inspire new
plays. Combining a compelling story
and a dynamic production, Emily's
House explores how young people experience
and deal with change.A dynamic and
thought provoking play which speaks
to all. Evening News on Monster 2003
Age:
10+
Catherine
Wheels Theatre Company (Scotland)
CYRANO
10+
An adaptation by Jo Roets, translated
by Audrey Van Tuyckom
Cyrano has it all. He’s sensitive,
strong, an unrivalled swordsman and
a brilliant poet. He’d be the
ideal man if it wasn’t for his
very long nose.
Christian can hardly string a sentence
together, but he’s handsome
beyond words.
What unites these men? The love of
one woman – Roxanne.
With Christian’s looks and
Cyrano’s way with words they
conspire to make the perfect man and
woo Roxanne. But what has Roxanne
really fallen for? Christian’s
looks or Cyrano’s mind?
Cyrano, produced by award-winning
Catherine Wheels Theatre Company,
is a swash-buckling comedy about tragedy,
love, loss and a nose . .
Age:
12+
Theatr
Iolo (Wales)
BISON
& SONS
12+
In
a forgotten back street, three brothers
sit around in their dirty kitchen, abandoned
while their father pleads with the bank
manager to save the family business.
They bicker, taunt, bully, fight and
try to comfort each other, fantasising
that they are heroes fighting for their
father’s chair.
This award-winning play is about
sibling rivalry and the power of love.
It is performed by Theatr Iolo, one
of the leading theatre companies in
Wales dedicated to producing powerful
drama for young people.
In 2004, the Bank of Scotland
ran a drawing competition for all nurseries and
schools who had booked to see a show at the Bank
of Scotland Children’s International Theatre
Festival.
Here are the winners.
Sebastian
Young Smith (Aged 3)
Wester Coates Nursery School
