10 Theatre companies that offer MFL workshops and performances
Monday, January 19th, 2009
This is a list of some theatre companies that offer workshops and performances for Key Stage 2 modern foreign languages (MFL). The descriptions are based upon information supplied by the companies themselves; please contact them directly for further details.
A Cuerpo
They are currently offering their first show, which is now touring, called ‘El viaje de Matilde’ (Matilde’s Journey).
It is a participatory 45 minute performance in Spanish for children aged 6 to 12.
‘El viaje de Matilde’ is an innovative theatre performance with a real size puppet called Matilde, an eight year old Spanish girl, as the main character.It is delivered by native speakers offering first rate language skills and it incorporates real footage from Spain to present a true cultural experience.
It has been funded by Arts Council and it was a Bursary winner from Creative Leicestershire in
2007. It therefore offers good quality and artistic value, as well as covering other cross curriculum areas such as culture, media, IT, drama, geography and puppetry.
They offer an Educational Pack and Drama / Spanish workshops tailored to the school’s needs.
A Cuerpo is based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
Tel: 01664464826 / 07877915502
Web: www.acuerpo.co.uk
Email: susanpaez@acuerpo.co.uk
Compagnie Tête-à-Tête
Dan Roro is based in Coventry, but, since it is central, he is able to travel all over England and Wales.
He is currently touring with a one-man-show called ‘Le Bistro de Dan Roro’. This show is adaptable to all ages and has therefore already been received in many primary schools. He also offers workshops/shows in partnership with other colleagues.
Web: www.compagnie-tete-a-tete.com
Email: bureau@compagnie-tete-a-tete.com
European Theatre Company
The European Theatre Company is a touring company which performs educational foreign language theatre in schools, colleges, theatres and art centres throughout the United Kingdom, “motivating audiences by bringing European theatre alive through fun, imaginative, lively and colourful productions that are visual, easy to understand and enjoy”. The company currently tours French, German and bilingual productions.
The European Theatre Company
39 Oxford Avenue
London
SW20 8LS
Tel: 0208 544 1994
Web: www.europeantheatre.co.uk/home.html
Email: admin@europeantheatre.co.uk
Freshwater Theatre Company
They offer ‘Leap into language’ – “a range of accessible drama activities to support MFL teaching; offering inspiring and magical storytelling performances for large groups of KS2 children. Traditional tales are told in an energetic, interactive format in French, Spanish or German”. They also offer ‘Let’s Communicate’, a “unique communication workshop for Y2, to prepare them for MFL”.
Ellen Chambers
Project Development Officer
Freshwater Theatre Company
Channelsea House,
Canning Road,
London,
E15 3ND.
Tel: 0844 800 2870
Web: www.freshwatertheatre.co.uk
Email: ellen@freshwatertheatre.co.uk
Frog and Rosbeef Theatre Company
Frog & Rosbeef works through drama, role play, literature and conversation.
Pupils are able to
* watch and enjoy a play in French
* experience and respond to a story in French
* through practice, develop the confidence and the desire to use a foreign language
Frog & Rosbeef French Theatre Company
20 Tudor Road
Newton Abbot
Devon
TQ12 1HT
Tel: 01626 369600
Web: www.frogandrosbeef.org.uk
Email: info@frogandrosbeef.org.uk
Interacting
Interacting is based in Madrid and has only recently started to offer their services to UK schools. Although they have been offering theatre based events and training to schools and teachers in Spain for over 20 years. This academic year they are beginning a project “bringing the Spanish language and culture to Northern Ireland”.
Ed Cousins
Interacting S.L.
c/ Unión 8, 1º
28013 MADRID
Tel: +34 91 5400783
Web: www.interacting.info
Email: hello@interacting.info
Magimundo Productions
Magimundo Productions promote pupils’ active participation in a finished piece of theatre. Words, actions and music support pupils’ learning of dialogue and songs to form a dynamic 30-minute piece. Although pupils can prepare for this in one day of fun workshops, supplementary interactive whiteboard tasks and audio CDs of the story to be enacted are available for use in the classroom prior to the Magimundo day. Magimundo can adapt their material and schedule to suit the needs of each school.
Tel: 01947 880955
Web: n/a
Email: magda@live-english.demon.co.uk
Pekko’s Puppets
Steve Novey provides a wide range of puppet shows (and workshops) covering all age ranges between three and twelve. The repertoire is varied:- folk tales, fairy tales, adaptations of short stories, legends, original stories, humorous verse. He specifically does fairy tales in French.
Steve Novey
92 Stanley Avenue
Greenford
Middlesex
UB6 8NP
Tel: 0208 575 2311
Email: enquiries@pekkopuppets.co.uk
Théâtre sans Frontière
TSF has performed at the Primary Languages Show - “their show was great fun with rich possibilities for language learning, given a little preparation (which they supply)”. They are based in Northumberland but said they would be able to travel south if they could get a large enough cluster of bookings.They have productions in several languages.Théâtre Sans Frontières
Queen’s Hall Arts Centre,
Beaumont Street,
Hexham,
Northumberland,
NE46 3LS.Tel: 01434 652484
Web: http://www.tsf.org.uk/index.php
Email: admin@tsf.org.uk