Education Pack

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John Wright, the founder of Little Angel Theatre, was born in South Africa in 1906. He travelled to England in 1935 and worked as an assistant stage manager for the Ballet Rambert while studying at the Central School of Art and Design. During this time he saw a puppet performance by Podrecca’s Piccoli and became hooked. John made his very first puppet in 1938. In 1961 John and his troupe found a derelict temperance hall in Islington and transformed it into a theatre, designed for the presentation of marionette shows. It opened on Saturday 24th November 1961. This was to be the first purpose built puppet theatre the country had seen for many years and the only one with a permanent long string marionette bridge constructed backstage. The bridge was designed for puppeteers to stand on while they manipulate long stringed puppets who perform on the stage below leaving the audience unable to see the puppeteers. The original bridge is used to this day. The theatre has a traditional ‘proscenium arch’ and seats 100 audience members. One of John’s shows, first designed to play at The Royal Festival Hall, was Angelo! Originally performed in 1974, this is it’s second revival. We are excited to present this classic Little Angel Theatre show, which has been directed by John’s daughter Sarah and features the original puppets made by John’s wife Lyndie in 1974. The puppetry technique used in the show is inspired by Japanese Bunraku puppetry and the puppeteers dress from head to toe in black so that they are barely visible to the audience. John Wright died in 1991 but the work of the theatre continued apace with family, friends and supporters working tirelessly to continue in

his footsteps to make sure John’s legacy would delight generations to The History of Little Angel Theatre and Angelo and Theatre Angel Little of History The “Over the next 30 years, the Little Angel team created and performed over 30 full-scale shows” Angelo is based on the book written and illustrated by Quentin Blake.

Angelo and his family travel round the country playing music, singing songs and performing marvellous balancing tricks: Angelo can even dance on a rope! So when he meets Angelina, who is sad and lonely and trapped in her mean uncle’s house, Angelo knows just how to help…

Quentin Blake is one of Britain's best-loved and most successful illustrators and children’s authors.

He was born in Sidcup in Kent in 1932, but was evacuated to the West Country during the 2nd World War. Being evacuated was an experience he did not enjoy and he was a quiet boy. At the age of about five Quentin remembers a visitor saying “He draws a lot, but he won’t speak!” At secondary school he drew pictures for his school magazine. Someone he knew who worked at Punch magazine saw them and suggested he show them some of his drawings. At the age of sixteen he sold his first drawings to Punch. He was paid seven guineas for his work and was sent a cheque, but sixteen-year old Quentin did not know what to do with his newly acquired riches as he did not have a bank account! He continued to draw for Punch while he studied English at Cambridge University, then while studying teaching at the University of London he decided he wanted to draw pictures for children’s books, but did not know where to start. He asked his friend John Yeoman, to write a book so that he could draw the pictures! This turned out to be A Drink of Water and Other Stories, which was published in 1960 and was the first children’s book featuring Quentin’s illustrations. Quentin continued to illustrate for many well-known authors, most famously Roald Dahl, for the rest of his career and to the present day. In 1968 Quentin wrote his first book, Patrick. He wanted to draw in colour, so created a character that could make things change colour when he played his violin. This meant his pictures had to be printed in colour, which was pictures had to be printed in colour, which was pictures had to be printed in colour, which was less

common for children’s books at that time. About Quentin Blake Quentin About Angelo was first published in 1970. Quentin had the idea for the story because he really wanted to draw a boy on a tightrope! The character Angelo was born. Quentin has illustrated over 300 books and received a knighthood for 'services to illustration' in the New Year's Honours for 2013, so his official title is Sir Quentin Blake.

Visit www.quentinblake.com for lots more information The is in Town! as a circus as a performer Writea diary entryasAngelo and one of familyhis members describinglife on the road Debate Designa poster for Angelo Things to Do! cusesfrom China, thelike Chinese State circus produce popular acrobatic shows. includeday theCirque du Soleil, Circus Ozand the West African Circus Baobab. Cir- Thesekinds ofcircuses focus on acrobatic skills. Examples of these that you can see to- circusact andalternative thatdon formsof entertainment. Nowadaysit is very rare to seewild animalsused as partof a to losepopularity aspeople becamemore interested in animalrights andalternative takecollection a of whatevermoney the audience thought theydeserved. squareor a field on the ofedge town.a At theend of the show the performers would and possiblysome displayofhorsemanship. They would set up ina town or village musical accompaniment violin,ofa ortwo, with a juggler,arope dancer,few a acrobats Theearly travelling shows, like Angelo drawncarriages. would traveland liveinhorse alongthe way to perform.They stoppingoff in villages and towns began travelling around Europe, Groupsoffriends and families wantedto entertained!be closeddown, but people still WhenRome fell the circuses ments. featuring traineddisplays exotic acrobats animals,jugglers and and amuse- other for of the andbuilding exhibition horse chariot battles,horse races, shows, staged concept circus The of first performance beganin Rome.Ancient The circus was a Angelois setin Italy during the earlyvery days travellingof circus. Roll Up! Roll Up! -

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The real life Angelo?

“If you are interested in bringing a small, 500 seat, one ring, theatrical Italian family tented circus to your town, let us know. We can make it happen virtually anywhere!”

Zoppe’s Circus started in Italy but now based in America has been in business since 1842, and is still run by the Zope family to this day touring all over the USA.

The story begins in 1842 in Hungary and is surprisingly similar

to Angelo and Angelina’s tale of love. A young French street performer named Napoline Zoppe wandered into a plaza in Budapest looking for work. There his eyes glanced upon a beautiful equestrian (horse riding) ballerina named Ermenegilda, who captured the hearts and minds of the crowd with her grace and showmanship. More importantly, this talented beauty captured Napoline’s heart.

Since Napoline was a , like Angelina’s evil Uncle, Ermenegilda’s father saw him as beneath her and disapproved of their relationship. Just like Angelo and Angelina the two ran away from the man who wanted to keep them apart. They ended up in Venice, Italy, and founded Zoppes’ circus.

For the next 100 years the circus travelled Europe, surviving wars and political unrest. It was at this time that Alberto Zoppe, Napoline’s great-grandson, inherited the circus. Alberto was a skilled horse rider and had been touring Europe with the circus since his youth. He moved to America and had a family of his own. He ran Zoppe’s family circus until he died in 2009 aged 87. His son Giovanni now runs the

circus and keeps the family tradition alive. The Zoppe Family Circus Family Zoppe The

Find out more about the Zoppe family circus at: www.zoppe.net

Circus Tricks! Lesson shape. Throwupit so flies over toyour other hand and catch it. Repeat. It shouldmake a rainbow Further Extension: stomach, back,foot etc. Extension: handone behindyour back andcatch with justone hand. Throwing,by clapping then catching. How many times can you clapbefore you catch? Put Activity: Resources: Lesson 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Bean bag in 5 easy steps! Further Extension: ing. Throw the pincher scarf first. Then the scarf from the other hand, then thefirst scarf. Extension: the pincher scarfwithout releasing the other. Hold the third scarf in your otherhand. yourthumb andindex finger and hold the second scarfin thepincher. Practice just throwing Activity: Resources: Lesson Further Extension: twocatches in the Xshape. Extension: to thefloor. makethe shape of an X letting them drop andup across eachother one at a time to Activity: child Resources: Lesson aroundand catch! Try different combinations of these. Further Extension: Extension: catch.This makes the scarves go aroundin a circle. Throw, hand, catch. Activity: Resources:

Toss theToss frombag the other hand and prepareto catch Xan shape. theToss 1st beanbagfrom the hand with 2 bagsacross in Hold2 beanbagsinone hand andone inthe other. Continue aslong possible! as While catchingthe 1st bag, tossup the 3rd bag. 1st.the

2 1 4 3 — — — — Hold the scarf by the end, PULL it up into the air and let go. Grab it to catch. Extend Hold 2 scarves in one hand by holding one scarf in your fist. Make a pincher out of The X. Slowly throw the scarves The circle. Hold one scarf in each hand. Throw one up, hand the other across and Scarf Juggling (1 scarf) Scarf Juggling (3 scarves) Scarf Juggling (2 scarves) Scarf Juggling (2 scarves) The basic cascade. All throws are in the X shape and your hands take turns throw- Change directions of the circle mid way through! Body catches. Throw the scarf up and catch it on your head, elbows, shoulders, Slowly make two throws and One chiffon or silk scarf per child Three chiffon or silk scarf per child Two chiffon or silk scarf per Two chiffon or silk scarf per child

Keep Practicing! Throw, hand scarf under your leg and catch! Throw, hand across, spin Rainbow throws. Hold both hands at waist level with the scarf in one hand. Keep Practicing!

Learn to Juggle! Try Juggling in your PE lesson. Or at Home

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writing advertising blurb for your class circus! Extend your learning by designing posters and    gling you could also try: based on circus? As well as tightrope and jug- Why not create a whole series of PE lessons Class Circus!

’ stightrope childrenskills as inspiration appropriate music. Create dances with a circus theme using sequences like Benno and Beppo Work on more group or paired balanced movements and mime. nastics, tumbles and rolls and slapstick Creating a clown routine based on gym-

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- Write About It! sings beautifully. And it was funny when the cabbage fell on Beppo on fell cabbage the up when and 4 eclipsed funny her ages was show by for it stage And perfect imposed their and says: 6 Angelo family, beautifully. music, tightrope privations the sings the Angelo into Thompson, drawings, us titular of from marvelous the Rosa Blake draws by tricks with led Angelina half Quentin Italy, wonder, first conjuring night lonely on a The with Based fireside Medieval liberate in Uncle. to the by family dexterity. sinister efforts sad, circus their a manual of of of and story display the is bewitching London “ Write a Review Ideas for Writing How does itdoes end? How thewayalong visittheywhen a newtown, do meet?they Who happens?What a tory theWrite using character'ssameexploring a but newadventure havethey story AngeloThe of endsjoining familywith Angelina the and travelling withthem. Write a Story on! Angelina and it whenrescue will happen. Be carefulthough, theywhataboutTalk needto prepare do to for the feel you theaboutmeeting, plans for and rescue. a other oneafterthe you just met. have how Describe you AngeloImagine are Angelina.or Write a to letter Write a Letter love? doyou What you hate? showandDescribe performing.the aboutyouhow road.feel life on the doWhat startingday,with typical gettingup and travelling newtown,to a arriving, setting up you onemebersImagine of are the Angelo of Write a Diary Entry own your words. youwhat see can about find out QuentinBlake. life Write his in him about and theinformation inUse pack asstarting the a withalong point, onlineto research Write a Biography ourwhat hear audiencethinks. show. Youthe sendevencould to it us Little at Angel Theatre, we alwayslike to reviewisa Above of Angelo. ownWrite your whatreviewabout thoughtyou of Time Out**** Review 2005 As crouching Tiger fans will know, you can do wonderful things with wires: and if if and wires: with things wonderful do can you know, will fans Tiger crouching As

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The puppets and puppetry techniques used in Angelo are based on the traditional

Japanese form of puppetry known as Bunraku.

Bunraku is one of the oldest forms of Japanese per- forming arts, and has been performed for over 400 years.

Bunraku is traditionally performed with a narrator, (just like Angelo) a live musician, and large puppets, each about a meter and a half in height.

Bunraku puppets don’t have any strings and are worked by up to three puppeteers each, moving their arms, legs, heads and even in some cases their individual fingers and eye’s as well!

Unlike string puppets, the puppeteers can usually be seen by the audience. However, as in Angelo, the puppeteers often wear black, and sometimes cover their hands and faces as well so they can’t be seen at all.

In Japan Bunraku started out as a form of entertainment that was per- formed on the street to entertain crowds (just like Angelo and his family!) It became really popular when Takwmoto Gidayu, a well known storyteller, decided to re-write the Bunraku stories and they became a hit! By this time the puppet making skills had advanced and the new puppets had moveable eye’s, eyebrows, hands and fingers, which made them more lifelike.

Bunraku was most popular in Japan in the mid 18th century, but Bunraku puppetry can still be seen in Japan, and all around the world today.

Bunraku Puppetry Bunraku

Links and resources www.littleangeltheatre.com About Little Angel Theatre Education resource pack written by Sarah Schofield, Contact: Twitter! us onFollow https://twitter.com/LittleATheatre friendsLittle AngelTheatreMake with keepto toup with date the latest news www.facebook.com Contact MakingWorkshopsPuppet Angel Theatrevisual Little stories childrenfor the autistic on spectrum Also available: shows.our of filmsshort Two featuringAngel Little Theatre the about process on putting one of 2/9654.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/putting presentsee and theand puppets in action! TubeYouto Visit watch trailers, and behindfilmsclips the scenes of our shows past http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=little+angel+theatre&sm=3 [email protected] [email protected]

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