World Premiere: Mermalade

Manhattan Children’s Theatre presents

MERMALADE

World premiere

Based on the children’s book by Clare Cockburn-Martin
Illustrated by Anna Welsh
Directed and adapted for the stage by Laura Stevens

MERMALADE_Manhattan Children's Theatre_image1

A Little Mermaid she is not.

A fast paced, interactive comedy. A universal quest. A play for all ages

Left with a cryptic note, a pearl, and three annoying oysters for company, MERMALADE is determined to make sense of it all. She’s brave enough to approach the biggest forces in the universe. She’s strong enough to confront those that get in her way. But is she wise enough to find her answer? 

Add three life size Oysters as narrators, cameos from the Moon, Sun, Stars, Thor (God of Thunder), a beach setting, a splattering of pop music and one strong-willed 11-year-old girl that never quits and what do you get?

Unlike traditional fairy tales, MERMALADE’s story holds no moral decree. In the Socratic Spirit, the show offers more questions than answers with WHY? being at the top of the list.

Why does everyone tell me what to do and feel?

Why is a pearl so special?

Why do I have to keep asking “WHY?”

Mermalade_Manhattan Children's Theatre_image_credit Ben Linnell (1)

“If you’re tired of Once upon a time same old, same old, you should visit Manhattan Children’s Theatre for The Last of the Dragons.” – New York Times

“The idea of a damsel in distress being rescued by a handsome man has been around for so long, we hardly notice it’s there. Which is exactly why it’s so damaging as a stereotype. So hurrah for Manhattan Children’s Theatre for joining a burgeoning list of storytellers re-dressing the balance.”

wow24/7 **** review of The Last of the Dragons 

“This is a tale of bravery, intelligence and unexpected NEW traditions. Beautifully set for the stage and directed by Laura Stevens (…) with an all-Edinburgh cast, this show will delight young and old.”

Families Edinburgh on The Last of the Dragons

Manhattan Children’s Theatre offers complimentary tickets for local youth groups for the preview dates of MERMALADE (3-4 August). Also, on non-performance days the show will be visiting local Edinburgh schools.

Laura Stevens, who recently moved to Edinburgh from her native New York, co-founded Manhattan Children’s Theatre in 2002 and directed over 30 plays since, including theatrical productions for very young audiences (Little Tales, based on folk tales from around the world). Between 2002 and 2011, MCT welcomed over 250,000 audience members through its doors. Laura’s production of The Last of the Dragons debuted at Fringe in 2015 to rave reviews and toured to Biggar in Scotland and Warsaw in Poland to sold-out audiences.

Now Scotland-based, the mission of Manhattan Children’s Theatre is one of providing affordable, high quality theatre entertainment to audiences in Scotland, children in particular.

Mermalade

www.mermalade.org

Twitter / Facebook

 

Severing Time at North Edinburgh Arts

Friday 24 June 7.30pm

North Edinburgh Arts

ned theatre

North Edinburgh Arts Theatre Project & Festival and King’s Theatres Edinburgh Learning and Participation

INVITATION

You are invited to the Sharing of Work – Severing Time – on Friday 24th June 7.30pm

This performance includes Theatre, Dance and Video work by the Adults and Children of the North Edinburgh Arts Theatre project.

Severing Time investigates the influence and resistance we have towards the pressure of advertising, media and social networks, and considers the challenges, disruptions and distortions to our well-being and sense of self that virtual encounters can create. The ‘self’ we manufacture for internet-based encounters can be reductive, dehumanising and commodifying. It can also be a reflection to find and reclaim ourselves.

Background and Development of the project

North Edinburgh Arts Theatre project is an established and well-recognised Theatre project for adults, and has a track record for exciting and innovative productions and events. The project was developed in 2011 after research into the requirements of local people. The main finding of this research was that people wanted to make theatre again, after a history of using theatre and other art forms to create work which highlights their community and its needs and aspirations.

The project supports the participants’ aspirations and hard work for well-being and full creative lives, making strong contributions to their own communities as well as participating in the North Edinburgh Arts Theatre project.

In November 2011 North Edinburgh Arts Theatre project developed Yes We CanCan – a Cabaret of Resistance, which was the cementing of the project. Since then, the project has participated in a number of performances including Theatre Uncut in 2012 & 2013 and it regularly offers Sharing-of-Work and Work-in-Progress events. The 1d Tenement Opera in January 2015 through the support of the People’s Health Trust was an exciting and important development for North Edinburgh, and since then, the film Remembering Today, which was made in October 2015, has been acclaimed and celebrated.

Now North Edinburgh Arts’ Theatre project is delighted to be joined by Festival and King’s Theatres Edinburgh Learning and Participation Coordinator for the next stage in the Project’s development. The Learning and Participation Coordinator is leading Drama Workshops for the children of participants, and welcomes wider participation from other children interested in drama and theatre.

If you are interested in the Theatre project please email Sandra  admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk

Made in Scotland arts showcase unveiled

FREE-PIC-Made-In-Scotland-2016-Edinburgh-Festival-Fringe-Launch-MED-RES-04-460x250

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, has announced the companies and artists selected for the 8th year of Made in Scotland – a curated showcase of music, theatre and dance performed during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s biggest arts festival. Continue reading Made in Scotland arts showcase unveiled

Let’s Glow!

College creative festival gets underway

glow1

Edinburgh College’s annual Glow student creative festival launched on Friday, beginning two months of end-of-year shows covering the college’s creative curriculum, including music, theatre, dance, photography, art and design, sculpture, make-up artistry and computing. Continue reading Let’s Glow!

Encore! St Serf’s Players triumph at One Act Festival

Winners-St-Serfs-Photo-Walter-Hampson

Local community theatre group St Serf’s Players have won the Edinburgh round of the SCDA’s 2016 One Act Festival with their production of Erica & Me by Alan Robinson, directed by Philip Wilson. Continue reading Encore! St Serf’s Players triumph at One Act Festival