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‘Essential and fearless’
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The Guardian
PRIMARY SCHOOLS’ PROGRAMME 2016-17
WELCOME ‘Really fabulous, high quality children’s theatre, which skilfully and usefully links to aspects of the Primary curriculum!’ Deputy Head, 2016
Welcome to the Unicorn Theatre’s 2016-17 season. We offer exciting, age-specific productions with performance times during the school day, a child-friendly and accessible building (5-10 mins’ walk from London Bridge), and learning resources full of ideas for integrating a theatre visit into your curriculum planning. And if you book before 31 July, you can also save money with our Early Bird discount (tickets from £7.50). Never ones to shy away from tackling big themes, we’re presenting some classic stories this year: a new animated version of Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man, the epic Greek myth Jason and the Argonauts and one of my childhood favourites The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark. Our 5-star hit Baddies: the Musical is back and will make you look at traditional fairytales from a new perspective, and The Velveteen Rabbit also returns, and links perfectly with curriculum work. 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 (includes tickets to Jason and the Argonauts press performance at 7pm) Join us for wine, cheese and a short talk about all our new productions and Schools’ Programme, before watching the show. 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. Baddies: the Musical – Wed 23 Nov, 7pm The Iron Man – Tue 31 Jan, 7pm Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore – Wed 15 Mar, 7pm The Velveteen Rabbit – Fri 24 Mar, 7pm Double Double Act – Tue 27 Jun, 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
THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK Nursery – Year 1
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS Years 3 – 6
CHRISTMAS
BADDIES: THE MUSICAL Years 3 – 8
BOING! Nursery – Year 2
SPRING TERM
THE IRON MAN Years 4 – 7
JERAMEE, HARTLEBY AND OOOGLEMORE Nursery – Year 2
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT Years 1 – 4
SUMMER TERM
DOUBLE DOUBLE ACT Years 3 – 6
AUTUMN TERM
FOR NURSERY – YEAR 1 A Unicorn production
DARK IS EXCITING. DARK IS KIND. DARK IS NECESSARY...
SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES
By Jill Tomlinson Directed by Lee Lyford
Wed 14 11am Thu 15 11am Tue 20 11am Wed 21 11am Thu 22 1.30pm Thu 29 11am Fri 30 11am
OCTOBER
Thu 6 Fri 7 Tue 25 Wed 26 Thu 27 Fri 28
Plop is a Baby Barn Owl, fat, fluffy with a beautiful heart-shaped ruff and knackety knees. He’s still learning to fly, very curious and almost always hungry. And he’s afraid of the dark, which is not very helpful for a night-bird. So his exasperated mother sends him on several missions to find out more about night time. A charming and atmospheric adaptation of Jill Tomlinson’s much-loved book about discovering the beauty of the night. Teacher resources will explore feelings around light and dark, nocturnal and day-time creatures, facing your fears and finding the confidence to be yourself. Duration: Approx 50 mins
SEPTEMBER Tue 13 11am
11am 11am 1.30pm 10.30am 10.30am 10.30am / 1.30pm
NOVEMBER Tue 1
10.30am Wed 2 10.30am / 1.30pm Thu 3 10.30am Fri 4 10.30am / 1.30pm
ENHANCE YOUR VISIT FREE TEACHER CPD DAY Wed 14 Sep 10am-4pm (includes ticket to show)
FREE TEACHER RESOURCES Drama and literacy classroom activities
AUTUMN TERM
FOR SCHOOL YEARS 3 - 6 A Unicorn production
JOIN JASON ON HIS QUEST FOR THE GOLDEN FLEECE.
SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES
By Valentina Ceschi and Thomas Eccleshare
Wed 28 1.30pm Fri 30 10.30am
Banished as a baby, Jason is back and ready to claim his rightful throne. In order to prove himself he is sent on an epic quest to find the Golden Fleece. He assembles a crew of mighty Argonauts and they set sail aboard the Argo for the ultimate adventure.
OCTOBER
Tue 4 1.30pm Thu 6 10.30am / 1.30pm Fri 7 10.30am Tue 11 10.30am / 1.30pm Wed 12 10.30am Thu 13 10.30am / 1.30pm Tue 18 10.30am / 1.30pm Wed 19 10.30am Thu 20 10.30am / 1.30pm
Join us for this exhilarating retelling of the classic Greek myth, as our hero’s destiny is placed in the hands of the gods. Teacher resources will open up the world of the Greek myths, exploring the role of the Gods on Mount Olympus and how they shape the lives of humans. Activities will provide meaningful opportunities for writing in role.
SEPTEMBER Tue 27 1.30pm
Duration: Approx 60 mins
ENHANCE YOUR VISIT Photo by Peter Schiazza
FREE TEACHER CPD DAY Tue 20 Sep 10am – 4pm
FREE TEACHER RESOURCES In-depth lesson plans and teaching ideas
IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS £120 p/class
HHHHH
‘The Unicorn has a big hit on its hands.’ Evening Standard
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‘A subversive whip-smart musical.’ Sunday Times A Unicorn production
IS BACK!
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‘An unexpected riot.’ The Guardian
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‘Original and intelligently funny.’ The Stage
CHRISTMAS
FOR SCHOOL YEARS 3 - 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)
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
ENHANCE YOUR VISIT FREE TEACHER CPD DAY Fri 14 Oct 10am – 4pm
FREE TEACHER RESOURCES In-depth lesson plans and teaching ideas
IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS £120 p/class
BEHIND THE SCENES FILM FOR SCHOOLS Watch online for free
Teacher feedback ‘Fabulous production, really engaged children and also tied in brilliantly with work we have done in school around taking a different look at fairytales.’ ‘The entire experience (the unit of activities, the theatre and its staff, the production itself) was a joy.’
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‘Utterly dazzling. Rumbustious, exhilarating dance theatre.’ The Guardian
! G N I O B WHO CAN
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CHRISTMAS
FOR NURSERY - YEAR 2 Directed by Sally Cookson
SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES
This piece of dance-theatre captures the delirious excitement of two boys waiting for Father Christmas to arrive on the most magical night of the year.
NOVEMBER Wed 30 10.30am / 1.30pm
There are beds to be jumped on, pillows to be fought with, seas to be sailed… On this most extraordinary night, let your imagination soar up to the stars. Following in their tradition of bringing enchanting shows for small children to venues up and down the country, Travelling Light have created this show to get your feet tingling and your head spinning with a whirl of colourful images and playful sounds.
DECEMBER Thu 1
10.30am / 2pm Fri 2 10.30am / 1.30pm Wed 7 10.30am / 1.30pm Thu 8 10.30am / 1.30pm Fri 9 10am / 1.30pm Wed 14 10.30am / 2pm Thu 15 10.30am / 1.30pm Fri 16 10am / 1.30pm
Duration: 50 mins
‘A high-octane series of toe-tapping adventures.’ The Stage
SLEEP S A M T CHRIS EVE?
A Unicorn production
TALLER THAN A HOUSE, THE IRON MAN STOOD AT THE TOP OF THE CLIFF, ON THE VERY BRINK, IN THE DARKNESS.
SPRING TERM
FOR SCHOOL YEARS 4 - 7 By Ted Hughes Created by Matthew Robins
SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES
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 pre- and post-show activities that explore the form and content of the show and its relationship to Ted Hughes’ classic text.
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
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‘This show may be small, but it is big in every way.’ The Guardian on Something Very Far Away
ENHANCE YOUR VISIT Image by Matthew Robins
FREE TEACHER CPD DAY Thu 17 Nov 10am – 4pm
FREE TEACHER RESOURCES In-depth lesson plans and teaching ideas
IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS £120 p/class
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‘Utterly gripping…’ The Guardian
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‘A beautiful adaptation.’ WhatsOnStage
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‘The children sat entranced.’ The Stage
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT A Unicorn production
REAL ISN’T HOW YOU ARE MADE. IT’S A THING THAT HAPPENS TO YOU.
SPRING TERM
FOR SCHOOL YEARS 1 - 4 SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES
By Margery Williams Directed by Purni Morell There was once a Velveteen Rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy as a Rabbit should be; and for at least two hours the Boy loved him. Join us as one of our biggest hits returns after a Broadway transfer. The Velveteen Rabbit is a heart warming story about a very shy toy Rabbit who longs for nothing more than to become real. He spends his days waiting patiently on the nursery floor, watching the Boy play with other toys and dreaming of being picked up and loved. And then, one day, he is rediscovered and all his hopes start to come true… Teacher resources explore the difficulties and rewards of friendship, traditional toys, rabbits and their habitats and the power of imaginative play. Duration: 1 hr 30 mins (incl. interval)
MARCH
Fri 17 11am Tue 21 1pm Wed 22 11am Thu 23 11am Fri 24 7pm Tue 28 10.30am / 2pm Wed 29 11am Thu 30 10.30am / 2pm
ENHANCE YOUR VISIT FREE TEACHER CPD DAY Fri 27 Jan 10am – 4pm
FREE TEACHER RESOURCES Classroom activities to prepare your class
SHORT COURSE FOR TEACHERS Using Drama in the classroom See Enhance Your Visit page for more info
Teacher feedback ‘Our children were captivated by The Velveteen Rabbit... it was fantastic... So moving and touching and brilliant on so many levels.’ ‘The best CPD session I’ve ever been in. Everything was extremely useful and we will use ALL the ideas. I’m usually the last person to use Drama in my school as I don’t feel confident, but after this I definitely will. It was fantastic.’
‘Makes a strong case for the importance and delight of imaginative play.’
Photo by Robert Altman
New York Times
‘This is a show with both a brain and a heart...’ The Guardian
SPRING TERM
FOR NURSERY - YEAR 2 A Unicorn production
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT’S HOW YOU SAY IT.
SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES
By Gary Owen Directed by Tim Crouch
Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore are spending a day at the seaside. They have a towel, an inflatable ball, a picnic and three very different personalities. Revelling in delightful innocence and glorious stupidity, Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore, returning after a successful run in Spring 2016, is a surprising and surreal encounter with three people who have a lot to say but only three words with which to say it. A perfect first theatre experience for young children, especially those with EAL and for teachers exploring sibling relationships or the topic of the seaside. Duration: 50 mins
Tue 14 1.30pm Wed 15 1.30pm / 7pm Thu 16 1.30pm Fri 17 10.30am Tue 21 10.30am / 1.30pm Wed 22 10.30am Thu 23 10.30am / 1.30pm Fri 24 10.30am Tue 28 11am Wed 29 10.30am / 1.30pm Thu 30 11am / 1.30pm
HHHH ‘A stupidly lovely show... that offers a child’s eye view of the world and all its mysteries.’ The Guardian
Time Out The Stage Culture Whisper
Photo by Richard Davenport
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MARCH
SUMMER TERM
FOR SCHOOL YEARS 3 - 6 A Unicorn production in association with Made In China
DOUBLE DOUBLE ACT THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE FOUR OF US.
SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES
By Christopher Brett Bailey, Tim Cowbury and Jessica Latowicki Directed by Dominique Collet
Two children are performing their famous comedy routine. But they keep being interrupted by a pair of pesky grownups who are trying to perform their own act. The man looks like the boy. The woman looks like the girl. This can only end one way: CHAOS! Packed with word-play, comedy and slapstick, Double Double Act is a playfully subversive look at growing up, being serious, kidding around and playing the fool. As our double acts mirror and out-joke each other, who will have the last laugh?
JULY
Tue 20 11am Wed 21 11am Thu 22 11am Tue 27 1.30pm / 7pm Wed 28 1.30pm Thu 29 11am Fri 30 11am Tue 4 10.30am Wed 5 10.30am / 1.30pm Thu 6 1.30pm Fri 7 7pm
ENHANCE YOUR VISIT
And why is there so much green slime everywhere?
FREE TEACHER CPD DAY
Teacher resources will provide a range of activities to develop spoken language, with an emphasis on self expression and confidence building.
FREE TEACHER RESOURCES
Duration: Approx 60 mins
Photo by Richard Davenport
JUNE
Tue 14 Mar 10am-4pm With classroom activities
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. Pre-show workshops available for: Jason and the Argonauts, Baddies: the Musical and The Iron Man.
‘The children were totally engrossed… there were some amazing discussions, teamwork and learning throughout the workshop.’ Literacy Coordinator
RESOURCE PACKS Created with our partner school, resource packs are full of useful information about the show and interviews with the creative teams. They also contain flexible lesson plans that will deepen your pupils’ engagement with the theatre experience, before and after your visit. Download resources from unicorntheatre.com/primary-schools
‘They have allowed us to develop a whole term’s worth of learning and given the children a very secure base to work from.’ 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 Inspiration and support for exploring productions back at school as a stimulus for work across the curriculum. Sessions combine an active, creative exploration of the play with practical training in the use of drama, particularly to support literacy. We are running CPD days for The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, Jason and the Argonauts, Baddies: the Musical, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Iron Man and Double Double Act. See show pages for dates.
‘Both the CPD day and resource pack were invaluable: they enabled us to share expertise and increase our level of confidence in using drama.’ Year 6 teacher
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.
SHORT COURSE FOR TEACHERS DISCOVER WHAT THEATRE CAN BRING TO YOUR CLASSROOM A practical drama course based around the show The Velveteen Rabbit: • Increase your confidence in using drama in the classroom • Use drama to develop literacy, particularly with reluctant writers • Explore the learning potential offered by a theatre visit and how to develop children’s responses Dates: Thursdays 5-6.30pm (2, 9, 16 & 23 Mar 2017) Cost: £80, includes tickets to The Velveteen Rabbit press night Teachers do not have to commit to bringing pupils to see the show in order to participate.
‘One of the best quality courses I have ever been on. I don’t come from a theatrical background but I found the activities amazing – accessing parts of my brain that aren’t normally used. It’s really helped to improve my confidence; I can’t wait to see the profound effect I know it will have on the children.’ Teacher
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMMES EXPLORE
COLLABORATE
An in-depth programme for schools in the outer boroughs of London that works with the same pupils over three years (school years 4, 5 and 6). 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 primary school. Pupils see all productions over the year, take part in projects in school and work with Unicorn staff to develop new learning materials. COLLABORATE is a unique opportunity to place a whole school focus on theatre and creative learning.
‘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
‘Through COLLABORATE, the Unicorn has felt like an extension of the school. With twelve amazing performances, termly year group workshops, whole staff training and a fantastic artist residency, it has been a truly memorable collaboration.’ Craig Tallon, Woodcroft Primary School, 2016
We recruit new schools for our partnership programmes annually. To find out more email schools@unicorntheatre.com
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 pupils 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 adults and children): 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. The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark Thu 29 Sep, 11am Fri 28 Oct, 1.30pm Wed 2 Nov, 10.30am Jason and the Argonauts Wed 12 Oct, 10.30am Baddies: the Musical Wed 30 Nov, 11am Boing! Thu 8 Dec, 10.30am The Iron Man Tue 21 Feb, 10.30am The Velveteen Rabbit Wed 29 Mar, 11am Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore Wed 29 Mar, 10.30am Double Double Act Fri 30 Jun, 11am Signed Performances for BSL users. Baddies: the Musical Wed 14 Dec, 11am
Pre-show touch tours for those with visual impairments or who would benefit from feeling the set, props and costumes before the show. Jason and the Argonauts Thu 13 Oct, 10.30am Baddies: the Musical Fri 2 Dec, 2pm The Velveteen Rabbit Wed 22 Mar, 11am If your pupils would benefit from an audio-described performance of Baddies: the Musical please contact us. Live Captioning assists those who have hearing impairments or would benefit from reading the dialogue along with the action. Jason and the Argonauts Thu 13 Oct, 10.30am Please contact us if your school is interested in a captioned performance of Baddies: the Musical or The Velveteen Rabbit. 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.
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 download a booking form on the schools’ section of the website at unicorntheatre.com. 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 pupil (1 teacher FREE per 10 tickets booked) £11 per pupil for Baddies: the Musical
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 DAY FREE • DOWNLOAD RESOURCES FREE • BOOK AN IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOP £120 per class • ADD A BACKSTAGE TOUR £1 per pupil (£3 per pupil 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, depending on leg length)
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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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