| the_elves_and_the_shoemaker.doc |
Programme notes for The Elves and the Shoemaker. MAC 8th December 5pm, 4thJan,10.30 am
The story takes place in a shop called Sole Mates, full of the most wonderful hand made shoes, made with care and love. This is no ordinary shoe shop, this is a magical place, home to the shoemaker Stan and his wife Bet.
STAN WELLINGTON, the shoe maker, is played by SEAN KEARNS. Stan is tall, with a broad chest. His face is square; he has short brown hair, balding on top, and has round glasses. He wears a blue shirt with sleeves rolled up, a brown bow tie, a red and yellow patterned sleeveless pullover, with brown trousers and shiny brown shoes. Nearer Christmas, this changes to a sweater with a pattern of Santas and Christmas trees. He puts on brown apron when making shoes.
BET WELLINGTON, his wife, is played by CLARE BARRETT. She is short and plump, with chin length straight blond hair and a round face with plump cheeks. She wears a brown pleated knee length skirt, and an open necked flowered blouse beneath a mustard coloured buttoned cardigan. She wears a different colour of cardigan each day. Her shoes are beige, with a chunky heel and she wears thick cream tights.
MISS PERKINS, the shoemaker’s landlady, is played by EMER MC DAID. She is young and slim, with a pale oval face, red lipstick and matching red outfit of a red long sleeved jacket with a stand –up collar, with a lighter red trim on the chest and round the sides and wide belt. She wears red skirt, flared at the knees, and black strapped high heels. Her hat is red, with a tall red feather, worn tilted to one side. She has a large sparkling ring on her right hand. She also wears a red cape. Later she wears a red long sleeved blouse, straight skirt with pleats at the waist, and a little red hat.
When the elves appear, little red circles of light dot the shop and cupboards.
DEWDROP, an elf, is played by JOLENE O’HARA. Young and athletic, Dewdrop wears a yellow and brown woolly hat, with a band of cream, and a tassel on top. Her dress is made of scraps of brown and orange leather, and her tights are brown. Her long laced boots are cream.
She also plays THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVES IN A SHOE, leaning on a stick, with grey hair, and long multi coloured coat over a dark dress and round her shoulders an orange net shawl.
MARIGOLD, a second elf, played by FIONA CARTY, wears a tight fitting cap made of tiny multi coloured circles, a similar sleeveless top, a wide gold band round her waist, a skirt of layers of coloured net, and laced brown leather boots.
She also plays CINDERELLA, first dressed in a ragged costume of a brown blouse with short puff sleeves, small round segments of many colours around her waist, and blue and orange banded skirt.
Later, she re-appears in a dazzling dress with a silver bodice, and long, flared blue skirt. Her hair is worn long, with a silver tiara, and her shoes are silver.
The third elf, CATNIP, played by AISLING GROVES-MC KEOWN, wears a cap of blue and gold, a sleeveless top of blue and orange leather, with a wide blue collar, and a skirt of pieces of blue brown and green leather, with laced brown boots.
She also plays PUSS IN BOOTS, wearing an orange all-in-one suit, with a long furry tail, and orange and brown fur around her head and shoulders, arms, bottom and ankles. She has a gold chain around her neck. PUSS has a black brimmed hat, and gold boots.
CUSTOMERS, in winter coats, scarves and hats, are acted by six students from Bangor South Eastern Regional College.
THE SET
Before the story begins, a screen obscures the shoemaker’s shop. On the screen it says SOLE MATES, which is the shop’s name, and there are two blue left and right soles of feet. A circle covered in gauze is centre of the screen, through which a wall of bricks can be glimpsed.
When the story begins, the screen rises and we can see the shop, with walls of shelves and cupboards each side of the wooden plank floor, and across the back wall, the shop window and to the right a wide double door, with a bell, curved at the top, and framed in white, on which is the shop name and a sign saying “Open”. There is a door to the left, between shelves, and another at the right. The shelf unit on the right is used by the elves to climb up and down from the second floor. There is a built in safe in the cupboards on the wall at the right.
At the left, is a curved staircase to the bedroom, and the second floor.
There are open shelves on which a pottery tea pot is displayed, to one side of the stairs Varieties of shoes are displayed on all the shelves, and shop window, on small square stands.
Through the glass door we can see a large moon in a starry sky.
A work bench with tools and shoes is at the front left, a trolley with shoe boxes behind it, and a long table with shoes is at the rear, in front of the shop window.
The wooden counter with cash register and money box is parallel to the wall of cupboards at the left.
*************
Three magic machines are wheeled on stage. The first is rectangular, on a table, with a feather duster protruding at the left, and a large handle at the right, decorated with little rd lights.
The second is a yellow six foot tall rectangle, open in the centre, with a wheel which turns at each side. When someone is inside, a flap pulls down at the front, and only the head and shoes can be seen.
The third is a rectangular box with a lemon painted on the front, in which a person lies down, and then the sides can be pushed in.
The show is a Cahoots production and is directed by PAUL BOSCO MC ENEANEY, composer is GARTH MCCONAGHIE, choreographer-JENNIFR ROONEY, set and costume-DIANA ENNIS, and lighting –DAVID SEATON.
*********
AUDIO DESCRIPTION is by SARA DUNCAN, of SIGHTLINES.
These programme notes will be read ten minutes before the show begins, which is a good time to test your head set.
The story takes place in a shop called Sole Mates, full of the most wonderful hand made shoes, made with care and love. This is no ordinary shoe shop, this is a magical place, home to the shoemaker Stan and his wife Bet.
STAN WELLINGTON, the shoe maker, is played by SEAN KEARNS. Stan is tall, with a broad chest. His face is square; he has short brown hair, balding on top, and has round glasses. He wears a blue shirt with sleeves rolled up, a brown bow tie, a red and yellow patterned sleeveless pullover, with brown trousers and shiny brown shoes. Nearer Christmas, this changes to a sweater with a pattern of Santas and Christmas trees. He puts on brown apron when making shoes.
BET WELLINGTON, his wife, is played by CLARE BARRETT. She is short and plump, with chin length straight blond hair and a round face with plump cheeks. She wears a brown pleated knee length skirt, and an open necked flowered blouse beneath a mustard coloured buttoned cardigan. She wears a different colour of cardigan each day. Her shoes are beige, with a chunky heel and she wears thick cream tights.
MISS PERKINS, the shoemaker’s landlady, is played by EMER MC DAID. She is young and slim, with a pale oval face, red lipstick and matching red outfit of a red long sleeved jacket with a stand –up collar, with a lighter red trim on the chest and round the sides and wide belt. She wears red skirt, flared at the knees, and black strapped high heels. Her hat is red, with a tall red feather, worn tilted to one side. She has a large sparkling ring on her right hand. She also wears a red cape. Later she wears a red long sleeved blouse, straight skirt with pleats at the waist, and a little red hat.
When the elves appear, little red circles of light dot the shop and cupboards.
DEWDROP, an elf, is played by JOLENE O’HARA. Young and athletic, Dewdrop wears a yellow and brown woolly hat, with a band of cream, and a tassel on top. Her dress is made of scraps of brown and orange leather, and her tights are brown. Her long laced boots are cream.
She also plays THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVES IN A SHOE, leaning on a stick, with grey hair, and long multi coloured coat over a dark dress and round her shoulders an orange net shawl.
MARIGOLD, a second elf, played by FIONA CARTY, wears a tight fitting cap made of tiny multi coloured circles, a similar sleeveless top, a wide gold band round her waist, a skirt of layers of coloured net, and laced brown leather boots.
She also plays CINDERELLA, first dressed in a ragged costume of a brown blouse with short puff sleeves, small round segments of many colours around her waist, and blue and orange banded skirt.
Later, she re-appears in a dazzling dress with a silver bodice, and long, flared blue skirt. Her hair is worn long, with a silver tiara, and her shoes are silver.
The third elf, CATNIP, played by AISLING GROVES-MC KEOWN, wears a cap of blue and gold, a sleeveless top of blue and orange leather, with a wide blue collar, and a skirt of pieces of blue brown and green leather, with laced brown boots.
She also plays PUSS IN BOOTS, wearing an orange all-in-one suit, with a long furry tail, and orange and brown fur around her head and shoulders, arms, bottom and ankles. She has a gold chain around her neck. PUSS has a black brimmed hat, and gold boots.
CUSTOMERS, in winter coats, scarves and hats, are acted by six students from Bangor South Eastern Regional College.
THE SET
Before the story begins, a screen obscures the shoemaker’s shop. On the screen it says SOLE MATES, which is the shop’s name, and there are two blue left and right soles of feet. A circle covered in gauze is centre of the screen, through which a wall of bricks can be glimpsed.
When the story begins, the screen rises and we can see the shop, with walls of shelves and cupboards each side of the wooden plank floor, and across the back wall, the shop window and to the right a wide double door, with a bell, curved at the top, and framed in white, on which is the shop name and a sign saying “Open”. There is a door to the left, between shelves, and another at the right. The shelf unit on the right is used by the elves to climb up and down from the second floor. There is a built in safe in the cupboards on the wall at the right.
At the left, is a curved staircase to the bedroom, and the second floor.
There are open shelves on which a pottery tea pot is displayed, to one side of the stairs Varieties of shoes are displayed on all the shelves, and shop window, on small square stands.
Through the glass door we can see a large moon in a starry sky.
A work bench with tools and shoes is at the front left, a trolley with shoe boxes behind it, and a long table with shoes is at the rear, in front of the shop window.
The wooden counter with cash register and money box is parallel to the wall of cupboards at the left.
*************
Three magic machines are wheeled on stage. The first is rectangular, on a table, with a feather duster protruding at the left, and a large handle at the right, decorated with little rd lights.
The second is a yellow six foot tall rectangle, open in the centre, with a wheel which turns at each side. When someone is inside, a flap pulls down at the front, and only the head and shoes can be seen.
The third is a rectangular box with a lemon painted on the front, in which a person lies down, and then the sides can be pushed in.
The show is a Cahoots production and is directed by PAUL BOSCO MC ENEANEY, composer is GARTH MCCONAGHIE, choreographer-JENNIFR ROONEY, set and costume-DIANA ENNIS, and lighting –DAVID SEATON.
*********
AUDIO DESCRIPTION is by SARA DUNCAN, of SIGHTLINES.
These programme notes will be read ten minutes before the show begins, which is a good time to test your head set.
