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Contents This Resource Pack is for Theatre by the Lake s Christmas 2015-16 production of The Snow Queen. It accompanies the Snow Queen A3 activity sheet.

2 Contents This Resource Pack is for Theatre by the Lake s Christmas production of The Snow Queen. It accompanies the Snow Queen A3 activity sheet. 3 Introduction, cast and creatives 4 The story 6 Staging each scene: act out a scene 7 Staging each scene: create the search for This Resource Pack was compiled by Tess Ellison, Production Assistant at Theatre by the Lake tess.ellison@theatrebythelake.com All rehearsal imagery is by Steven Barber

When the heartless Snow Queen steals away to help rebuild her broken treasure, only Gerda believes that he can be saved.

3 Introduction, cast and creatives What dangers would you face, what risks would you take to save your best friend? Gerda and are inseparable. But one day a shard of magical mirror falls into s eye, turning him cold and cruel. When the heartless Snow Queen steals away to help rebuild her broken treasure, only Gerda believes that he can be saved. Armed with just her wits and her beloved pair of red boots, she must make a perilous journey alone, travelling through each of the four seasons until she reaches the ice palace in the heart of the frozen north. With charming princes, gossiping flowers and blood-thirsty robbers to deal with, Gerda enlists the help of Bea, a talking reindeer, to show her the way. Can Gerda rescue in time to stop the Snow Queen s plan to plunge the world into eternal winter? Cast and Creatives Mr Overskou / Snowdrop / Bae / Troll Matt Addis / Frederick Huw Blainey Grandma / Mrs Dear (Queen of Spring) / Robber Woman Fiona Bruce /Bindweed / JJ / Laughing Robber Neal Craig Mrs Fyn / Lily / Robber Girl (Queen of Autumn) Hayley Doherty Gerda / Troll Jennifer English / Daffodil / Princess Fredrica (Queen of Summer) Lauren Silver The Snow Queen Liv Spencer Director Set and Costume Designer Lighting Designer Composer and Sound Designer Movement Director Associate Casting Director Design Assistant Production Manager Production Assistant Company Stage Manager Deputy Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Mary Papadima Martin s Andrew J Lindsay Dan Steele Bronya Deutsch Sophie Curtis Elizabeth Wright Matt Hall Tess Ellison Becky Saville Charlotte Briggs Libbie Khabaza

4 The story Story Snippets Note to teachers: children could be encouraged to sequence the story if these snippets were presented to them out of order. 1. Grandma tells the story of The Snow Queen. She lived in a palace made of ice and snow, and was very vain. She had a perfect mirror to reflect her cold beauty. As she looked into the mirror her vanity and pride grew and all the world was covered with ice. But, one day, the trolls that made the mirror dropped it. It fractured into a million tiny pieces some small enough to get into people s eyes or hearts and turn them proud and cold. 2. Best friends Gerda and are inseparable. Gerda s father also her school teacher is very strict and is disappointed in s progress at school. He tells s mother that must not speak to Gerda anymore because he is a bad influence. disobeys and goes to see Gerda. 3. suddenly feels the pain of something in his eye. He starts being mean to Gerda and his mother, Mrs Fyn, for no reason. While he is sledging, is captured by The Snow Queen. 4. has vanished without trace and the whole town searches for him. When his sledge is found on top of the frozen river, everyone thinks he has drowned but Gerda refuses to stop looking for him. She steps into the river to seek him and is whisked away. 5. The river transports Gerda to the land of Spring, where she meets three plants: Snowdrop, Daffodil and Bindweed. Mrs Dear tends the garden where they live. Gerda plays with the plants and is distracted for while but soon remembers. The plants tell her to ask the Roses underground whether he is still alive they tell her he is and she leaves the Spring garden to continue her search. 6. In The Ice Palace, The Snow Queen is forcing to mend her shattered mirror. The Snow Queen visits Spring, and freezes Mrs Dear.

5 The story 7. Gerda arrives in Summer. She meets a charming prince called Fredrick, his friend JJ and Fredrick s fiancé Fredrica. Gerda tells Fredrica about and Fredrica remembers she has heard tell of a sleigh travelling through the sky with a boy on it. If the boy is, Gerda must travel north to find him. As Gerda leaves The Snow Queen freezes Summer. 8. Gerda travels to Autumn where she is captured by a frightening Robber Woman and her daughter. Gerda is tied up near a reindeer called Bae, who is also captive. Bae and Gerda make friends and Bae tells Gerda more about The Snow Queen. 9. The Robber Girl persuades Gerda to enter a dancing competition with the Robber Woman. If Gerda wins, the Robber Girl will become the Queen of Autumn. Gerda does win, and in celebration Robber Girl sets Bae free. Bae and Gerda set off on the quest to the frozen north together, just as the new Queen of Autumn is frozen by The Snow Queen. 10. In the Ice Palace, is still mending the mirror and getting colder and colder. As Gerda and Bae reach the frozen north they see the frozen Queens of Spring (Mrs Dear), Summer (Princess Fredrica) and Autumn (Robber Girl), who beg Gerda to rescue them. 11. In The Ice Palace, The Snow Queen s mirror needs one final tiny piece to be complete. Gerda sees that is almost fully frozen and that he does not remember her, and she weeps over him. Her tears fall into s eyes and wash out a tiny speck of mirror which fell in so long ago. This is the final piece of the mirror. 12. Gerda holds out the speck of mirror and, as The Snow Queen comes to snatch it from her, Gerda grips The Snow Queen s hands. Gerda s warmth and love flow into The Snow Queen and she is destroyed. The Queens of the Seasons are rescued and unfreeze. 13. Gerda and return to their town. Grandma tells us how the seasons returned to their kingdoms and managed to share control of the year, just as it should be. She also tells us that Mrs Fynn was overjoyed to be reunited with her son and that Mr Overskou s heart opened forever as he welcomed Gerda back. Finally, Grandma tells us that Gerda and s adventures made them even closer and they fell in love.

6 Staging each scene Act out a scene In groups of four, read aloud this scene between Gerda,, and from the beginning of the play. Then try acting it out. The italicised lines are stage directions and should not be read aloud. and enter throwing snowballs. Gerda follows but does not join in. Got you. Got you back! Come on Gerda - Gerda Gerda No I can t - I have a new skirt. It s only snow. It s dirty. No it isn t. It s - ow! Got you! I love the snow Gerda - I really love it - I m in love with it - I love the taste of it - the feel of it the snowness of it - the - ow. Got you back! Enter in a world of his own dancing to a rhythm in his head. He almost bumps into Gerda. Gerda Gerda! What are you doing? Dancing - You call that dancing? I thought it was great - I loved it - really loved it - I m in love with your dancing. Oh yes - how about this then? dances madly and oddly - makes them all laugh, except Gerda who watches seriously. I love it, I love it. Your turn. Go on. He sets up a rhythm for her. Right.

7 Staging each scene dances even more oddly than and and applaud when she finishes. Haha that was top class - your turn Gerty. Gerda No I - Come on Gerda. Give us a laugh. Gerda No I can t - Gerda J+E Course you can. Come on. No, I don t want to. You d rather have a snowball in the face? Leave her alone. Oooooh. You in love? [Throws a snowball at.] No they re not. Are you? Do you want to see something incredible. I mean like - really amazing? swiftly makes a pile of snow. From his schoolbag he puts on it a ruler and other school items. Da. Da. What s that then? Ice palace. Oh? Obviously. That s not a palace - and it s not amazing - It s a blob. It s a palace. Blob. What do you think Gerda? Gerda Well I -? I love it - no really. Love it to bits.

8 Create the search for Staging each scene In groups or as a class, try this activity in a large space. Stage one: Everyone walks around the room together - not walking in a circle but looking for the gaps, being aware of where everyone else is in the room. The workshop leader or teacher claps once and the group stops exactly where they are. A second clap sets everyone walking again. Repeat this a couple of times and then set the group the challenge of stopping and starting in the same way but without any clap or outside instruction. It is important that there is no leader in the group. Everyone must "listen" very carefully to feel when the whole group will set off as one and stop as one. Stage two: The group again walks in the room, with the same awareness. This time the first clap makes everyone speed up a gear - walking briskly. A second clap brings the group to the edge of running, the third clap to jogging and a fourth to a full run. Continue the exercise working back down the "gears" until everyone has stopped. There should be a focus on being evenly spaced in the room. The workshop leader or teacher can control this movement with claps or with voiced instruction. All the time the group should be aware of where everyone is in the space - to avoid collisions but also to develop a very strong connection in the movement of the group so it moves as one. The next stage is for the group to find this same journey, up and down the "gears" but again without any clap or outside instruction. Stage three: Now add levels which extend and slow the movement - bringing it finally into slow motion. Imagine you are looking for something you have lost in the space. This is how the Snow Queen company developed the search for in the first section of the play.

Please initial and date as your child has completely mastered reading each column.

Please initial and date as your child has completely mastered reading each column. go the red don t help away three please look we big fast at see funny take run want its read me this but know here ride from she come in first let get will be how down for as all jump one blue make said