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GRANDPA’S RAILWAY
Marketing and Press Support Pack
M6 Theatre Company presents
GRANDPA’S RAILWAY
A playful journey of discovery with Grandpa and his working model railway
Written by: Mary Cooper
Directed by: Olwen May
Grandpa’s Railway – Pilot Tour Feedback
“‘I really enjoyed coming to see a show
that we can all appreciate together and
that doesn’t feel like it’s just for the kids”
Audience member,
Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival
“A really nostalgic trip”
Audience member, M6 Studio
“I don’t think much can compete with a
real train set!”
Audience member,
Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival
“Moving and uplifting”
Audience member, M6 Studio
“A great show with brilliant props telling a
very emotional but uplifting story. My son
was mesmerised by the working train”
Audience member, M6 Studio
“I thought it was really funny and I liked
the songs”
KS1 pupil, St John Fisher RC Primary
School, Rochdale
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Dear Venue Marketer,
This marketing pack has been designed to make the marketing of GRANDPA’S RAILWAY as easy as
possible, whether selling schools’ shows, selling to the general public or dealing with the press.
We hope you find it helpful but if you need any further information, please contact Maria Major on
01706 355898 or email [email protected]. Thanks.
CONTENTS
Creative Team
Page 4
Tour Schedule
Page 5/6
Communicate
Page 7
Box Office Information Sheet
Page 8
Brochure Copy
Page 9
Press Release
Page 10
Sample Direct Mail for Schools
Page 11
Sample Direct Mail for Families
Page 12
Cast and Creative Team Biographies
Page 13/14
Q and A with the Producers
Page 15
About M6 Theatre Company
Page 16
Contact Details
Page 17
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M6 Theatre Company present
GRANDPA’S RAILWAY
Written by: Mary Cooper
Directed by: Olwen May
Set and costumes designed by Pip Nash
Composer/Sound Designer: Tayo Akinbode
Lighting Designer: Joss Matzen
Performers: Belinda Lazenby and Thomas Frere
Model railway and props devised and made by Joss Matzen
Model railway electric engineering: John Matzen
Additional scenery and costumes: John Ashworth, Sharon McWilliams and Anita Smith
Voiceovers: Alicia Brown, George Denton, Morgan Forrest, Rhianne York, Tayo Akinbode, Caroline
Kennedy and Olwen May
Publicity image: Steph Hollinshead
Photography: Lewis Wileman
Locos supplied by Bachman Europe PLC
Special thanks to: Kevin Peat at Millennium Models, Morley, Greg Spears at Gaugemaster, Millie
Kershaw and Sophia Palmer
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Tour Schedule Spring 2014
Tue 28 Jan – Sun 9 Feb
28, 29, 30 Jan 11am & 2pm
1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 Feb 11.30am
1,4,5,6,8 Feb 2pm
Unicorn Theatre, London
Box Office: 020 764560
www.unicorntheatre.com
Wed 12 Feb 1.30pm & 4pm
The Brindley, Runcorn
Box Office: 0151 907 8360
www.thebrindley.org.uk
Sat 15 Feb 3pm
Gala Theatre, Durham
Box Office: 0191 332 4041
www.galadurham.co.uk
Sun 16 Feb 2pm
Town Hall Theatre, Hartlepool
Box Office: 01429 890000
www.whatshappeninghartlepool.com
Mon 17 Feb 11am & 2pm
Arts Centre Washington
Box Office: 0191 219 3455
www.artscentrewashington.co.uk
Tue 18 Feb 2pm & 4pm
Civic at Central Hall, Darlington
Box Office: 01325 486555
www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk
Wed 19 Feb 3pm
Thu 20 – Sat 22 Feb 11.30am & 3pm
the egg, Theatre Royal Bath
Box Office: 01225 448844
www.theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg
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Sat 1 Mar 11am & 2pm
North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford
Box Office: 01865 319450
www.thenorthwall.com
Sun 2 Mar 1pm & 3.30pm
Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham
Box Office: 0115 846 7777
www.lakesidearts.org.uk
Sat 8 Mar 1pm & 3pm
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
Box Office: 024 7652 4524
www.warwickartscentre.co.uk
Sun 9 Mar 1pm & 3pm
The Lowry, Salford Quays
Box Office: 0843 208 6010
www.thelowry.com/family
Fri 21 Mar 6.30pm
Borough Theatre, Abergavenny
Box Office: 01873 850805
www.boroughtheatreabergavenny.co.uk
Sat 22 Mar 2pm & 4pm
The Riverfront, Newport
Box Office: 01633 656757
www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront
Sun 23 Mar 1pm & 3pm
Create Theatre Mansfield
Box Office: 01623 413363
www.createtheatre.co.uk
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Communicate
Find us on FACEBOOK
Let your audience know that they can become a follower of M6 Theatre Company on Facebook to
keep up to date with the tour, see behind the scenes and be notified of reviews and competitions.
Find us on TWITTER
Ask your audience to follow M6Theatre on Twitter for more behind the scenes information.
Watch M6 Theatre videos on YOUTUBE
Visit www.youtube.com/M6TheatreCompany to watch promotional videos of our work.
Sign up to our NEWSLETTER
If your audience sign up to our newsletter, they will be updated quarterly about what’s going on at M6
Theatre Company.
Sign up at www.m6theatre.co.uk/contact-us/mailing-list/
COMPETITION
To encourage audiences to watch our trailer, we will be holding a facebook competition. Further
details to follow.
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Box Office Information Sheet
M6 Theatre Company presents
GRANDPA’S RAILWAY
For adventurers aged 5 + and their families
Running Time
50 minutes
Synopsis
Colin and Nita are packing a lifetime’s belongings ready for a move closer to their grandchild. The sorting and
packing is going very well in most of the house but in Grandpa’s attic, the railway signals are on RED! Grandpa’s
much loved railway layout won’t fit in the new house but Grandpa hasn’t contemplated life without it. Grandpa
wants to stay on the same well-travelled track and Nita wants a fantastic new journey.
How many performers are in the play?
Two.
Key selling points
 In a world of many adaptations, Grandpa’s Railway is an brand new, original story
 The performance is brought alive with music and song
 The set centres around an amazing working model railway
 Grandpa’s Railway is a REAL play for little people and the friends they take with them – as high quality
and rich as the best theatre for adult audiences
Are there any songs or music?
Original music and some song will be performed by the actors. Words are also set to music.
Are there any loud bangs or strobe lighting effects?
No. The production has been created specifically with young children in mind.
Are there any masks?
No.
Will there be a programme available?
Every child will receive a free programme which includes train themed activities.
Is the show suitable for older or young siblings?
The pilot tour was shared with children aged 4-8 years all of whom thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s nothing
obviously challenging or scary to upset younger siblings.
What is M6 Theatre Company?
Based in Rochdale, M6 Theatre Company is one of Britain’s longest established and leading touring theatre
companies specialising in creating original theatre work for young audiences. Productions tour regionally,
nationally and internationally.
Need more information?
Contact Maria Major on 01706 355898 | [email protected] | www.m6theatre.co.uk
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Brochure Copy
M6 Theatre Company presents
GRANDPA’S RAILWAY
Written by Mary Cooper
Directed by Olwen May
Under 100 words:
Imagine a railway that fits in one room
But can travel a lifetime in one afternoon
A toot of the whistle, a hiss of the steam
All aboard for a journey of memories and dreams!
From the team behind the highly acclaimed Sunflowers and Sheds and Mavis Sparkle, comes M6's
brand new original production for children and families.
Featuring a working model railway, live music and two very playful characters, Grandpa’s Railway is a
journey of discovery that explores the past, illuminates the present and lays new tracks for the future.
For adventurers aged 5+
One line:
A playful journey of discovery with Grandpa and his working model railway
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Press Release
Grandpa’s Railway
All aboard as internationally renowned M6 Theatre Company bring their playful new production,
Grandpa’s Railway, to NAME OF VENUE on DATE.
From the company behind the critically acclaimed One Little Word and Mavis Sparkle, comes this brand
new original production for children and families.
Featuring a real working model railway, live music and two exciting new characters, Grandpa’s Railway
takes its audiences on a journey of discovery as Grandma and Grandpa navigate a big change and
rediscover a shared dream.
Producers of the show, Dot Wood and Gilly Baskeyfield expand:
“In our new show, Grandpa discovers that although change can be scary, it can also take us on
exciting new journeys. In a world of many adaptations, Grandpa’s Railway brings to the stage a
brand new story which is a real play for little people. M6 strives to create theatre that is as high
quality and rich as the best theatre for adult audiences.”
The creative team behind this vibrant new show includes writer Mary Cooper (BBC Radio Four, Z-arts),
Director Olwen May (RSC, Library Theatre) and composer Tayo Akinbode (RSC, National Theatre).
M6 Theatre Company, founded in 1977 and based in Rochdale, is acknowledged as one of Britain’s
leading touring theatre companies specialising in creating and delivering high quality theatre for young
audiences. M6’s highly acclaimed productions tour nationally and internationally to theatre venues
and festivals, and locally to schools and community settings.
Grandpa’s Railway is suitable for children aged 5+ and their families.
Tickets cost £xx and are available from the NAME OF VENUE box office on xxxx or visit WEBSITE
ADDRESS.
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Sample Direct Mail for Schools
M6 Theatre Company presents
GRANDPA’S RAILWAY
5 + years
A playful journey of discovery with Grandpa and his working model railway
Dear ______________________
All aboard as internationally renowned M6 Theatre Company bring their playful new production of
change and understanding to NAME OF VENUE on DATE.
From the company behind the critically acclaimed One Little Word and Mavis Sparkle, Grandpa’s
Railway is an original production that transports children into a world of love, empathy and
compassion.
The show features a real working model railway, live music and two very playful characters, taking
audiences on a journey of discovery as Grandma and Grandpa navigate a big change and rediscover a
shared dream.
Target Audience: Key Stage 1
M6 Theatre Company has put together a comprehensive learning resource for the show. This
includes suggested activities for continued post-show learning. The production and follow up
resource pack will assist teachers in the following learning objectives :
Literacy: Developing pupils insights into narrative and character, theme and structure and provide a
powerful stimulus for speaking, listening and writing.
PSHE: Developing good relationships, based on respecting the differences between people, and
providing a model for positive conflict resolution.
History: Assisting in chronological understanding and intergenerational relationships.
Geography: Knowledge and understanding of places - Grandpa’s Railway layout depicts features of an
urban, industrial location, which is transformed into a rural landscape, extending geographical
language.
Music: The specially created music underscoring the production is used for a variety of purposes,
supporting both the action and the audiences’ emotional responses.
Science: Knowledge, skills and understanding of physical processes- forces and motion are illustrated
by the model trains as they travel over the layout.
Tickets cost £xx and are available from VENUE EDUCATION CONTACT/BOX OFFICE.
For more information please visit www.m6theatre.co.uk.
We hope to see you there.
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Sample Direct Mail Letter for Families
Dear __________________
M6 Theatre Company presents
GRANDPA’S RAILWAY
A playful journey of discovery with Grandpa and his working model railway
For all adventurers aged 5+ and their families
“The excellent M6 Theatre”
Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
All aboard as internationally renowned M6 Theatre Company bring their playful new production of
change and discovery to NAME OF VENUE on DATE.
From the team behind the critically acclaimed One Little Word and Mavis Sparkle, Grandpa’s Railway is
an original production for children and families featuring a real working model railway, live music and
two vibrant characters.
Join us on a journey of discovery as Grandma and Grandpa navigate a big change and rediscover a
shared dream.
“‘I really enjoyed coming to see a show that we can all appreciate together
and that doesn’t feel like it’s just for the kids”
Audience member, Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival
Tickets cost £xx and are available from BOX OFFICE DETAILS.
For more information please visit www.m6theatre.co.uk.
We hope to see you there.
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www.m6theatre.co.uk
Cast and Creative Team Biographies
Olwen May – Director
Olwen has worked as an actor and director for almost thirty years. Acting work includes roles with the
RSC, IOU Theatre, The Young Vic, West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Library Theatre, Manchester.
Her extensive TV work includes roles in George Gently, Silent Witness and Life on Mars.
Previous directing work with M6 includes Homeward Bound, Family Business and Harm Reduction
(monologue for schools). Other directing work includes Old King Cole for Norfolk Actors, Arc and Ice for
Prism Theatre (Edinburgh Festival), Only Water Between for the Royal Armouries and Company Fifty
Six, Ninety Six and Veterans also for the Royal Armouries. She directed students in Summerfolk and A
Family Affair for Bretton Hall College and also two student productions, The Kitchen and Waiting for
Godot in Kielce, Poland on a directing residency.
Mary Cooper – Writer
Mary loves travelling by train. Her Dad worked for British Rail in York in the Signals Department,
drawing up train timetables. Summer holidays always involved taking the train to ‘unexplored’ parts of
the country. For the past twenty years she’s been writing plays, usually to a strict timetable, for
companies throughout England and Wales, and she still travels by train. This year she went with her
two sons all the way to the Adriatic Sea by train. There, and then back home – to Leeds.
Pip Nash - Designer
Pip’s design work spans thirty years working within a range of theatre forms, including new writing
(Royal Court, Soho Theatre, Tell Theatre), devised and community (London Bubble, Common Stock,
Theatre Powys, Pentabus, Wimborne Community Theatre), classic and contemporary texts, within
main house, touring, and studio theatre (The Dukes Lancaster, York Theatre Royal, Cheltenham
Everyman, Lyric Hammersmith). More recently Pip has focused on productions that explore the
connections between community and place, as an ongoing dialogue with intergenerational community
companies, notably London Bubble. This has led to theatre making in public spaces, in non theatre
venues such as markets, parks, streets, empty houses, industrial buildings, churches, galleries and
museums, challenging the relationship between performer, audience and performance space.
As Senior Lecturer in Design at Rose Bruford College, Pip has led performance projects with student
designers, for theatre festivals, museums and schools and in developing the use of found materials
and objects in devising theatre for children, with the MA Theatre for Young Audiences Programme.
Joss Matzen – Lighting Designer/Production Manager
Joss is M6’s resident Production and Tour Manager and has been working backstage in theatre for over
20 years. She gained a degree in scenic construction, props and stage management at Rose Bruford
College and studied set design with the National Youth Theatre. Joss designed the sets for M6’s recent
productions of Mavis Sparkle and Sunflowers and Sheds. She also freelances for production companies
on cruise ships, festivals and other theatre companies.
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Tayo Akinbode - Composer/Sound Designer
Tayo wrote his first musical score 1982 and since then has worked with numerous companies as
composer or musical director. Tayo’s recent credits include: Julius Caesar, RSC; Emperor and
Galilean, National Theatre London; Cinderella, Liverpool Playhouse Theatre; The Bible, Shakespeare's
Globe Theatre London; and UAE 40th Birthday Celebration in Abu Dhabi. Tayo composed the music for
M6’s highly acclaimed productions of One Little Word and Mavis Sparkle.
Belinda Lazenby - Grandma
Belinda trained at Mountview Theatre School touring with a variety of companies such as Hull Truck,
Tutti Frutti, Mind the Gap, Cleveland Theatre Company, Crowded Theatre Company, Risky Things,
Quondam and Jabbock, performing in a diverse range of locations from theatres, outdoor parks and
gardens to The Houses of Parliament. Internationally she has performed in Los Angeles, Utrecht and
Jerusalem.
TV & Film credits include Exhibit A, The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister, Barking, Emmerdale, North
Square, Fat Friends, The Cops and In Extreme Danger. She has also been involved with several
commercial and training videos. Her favourite Voice Over is still Curse of the Where Rabbit, the
computer game for Outsource Media. She is experienced in Forum Theatre, Improvisation and Role
Play and is also a teacher, hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner.
Belinda is delighted to be performing with M6 Theatre for the first time.
Thomas Frere - Grandpa
Theatre includes Two Gentlemen of Verona (SATTF) The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, &
Sleeping Beauty (Lancaster Dukes); Christmas Carol (Bolton Octagon); Wind in the Willows (West
Yorkshire Playhouse); Tom Jones/Moll Flanders (York Theatre Royal); The Seduction of Anne Boleyn
(Southampton Nuffield); The Passion (Harrogate Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ludlow
Festival); Othello (Bridewell Theatre) and Candide (Liverpool Everyman).
He has also toured extensively in productions such as Bittersweet, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, The Great
Gatsby, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Return to the Forbidden Planet, plus many shows with
North Country Theatre including the original The 39 Steps (Hannay), The Passion Plays (Jesus), Moll
Flanders (Jem), The Man who would be King (Director/Co-writer) The Rocking Horse Winner (Basset)
and the Viking Saga, Egil Skallagrimsson.
Thomas has worked as an actor and presenter on various TV programmes, has appeared in The Royal
for ITV and in films The Spell and The Obelisk.
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Q and A with the Producers
Gilly Baskeyfield (Artistic Programme Manager) and Dot Wood (Strategic Director)
What is Grandpa’s Railway about?
It’s a story about Colin and Nita who are packing a lifetime’s belongings ready for a move closer to their
grandchild. The sorting and packing is going very well in most of the house but in Grandpa’s attic, the railway
signals are on RED! Grandpa’s much loved railway layout won’t fit in the new house but Grandpa hasn’t
contemplated life without it. This challenge becomes a metaphor for their differences – Grandpa wants to stay
on the same well-travelled track and Nita wants a fantastic new journey!
Tell is about the development of Grandpa’s Railway
We were drawn to explore the fascination and charm of model railways and how they could work as a
metaphor. From a miniature world where everything is under your control, to ‘real life’ where the journey is
much more complex. Visits to model railway clubs, exhibitions and specialist museums introduced us to a world
of characters and passions, where many hours of love and labour have been willingly spent creating and
crafting highly detailed locos and landscapes. This rich seam gave inspiration to the whole look and feel, story
and characters, sound and texture of the production.
What do you hope children will learn from Grandpa’s Railway?
We hope children will enjoy and engage with this new story and share in the delight of seeing older characters
play, laugh and sometimes still find things hard. We hope they will empathise and connect with both characters
and thereby extend their understanding of different feelings, needs, hopes and fears. That they’ll recognise the
ups and down of family relationships and benefit from seeing how struggles can be overcome through love,
understanding and compassion. We all have things that we value and find very hard to be separated from.
Change can be scary but it can also take us on new exciting journeys.
How important is theatre for young children?
The thrill of being emotionally and imaginatively transported into another multi-sensory world creates a
magical, shared and very precious experience for all age groups. Sharing stories through powerful and carefully
crafted theatre brings children close to the worlds, actions and relationships of other people and engages them
in a deep emotional journey. M6’s work is very multi-layered enabling intergenerational audiences to find
meaning, enjoyment and connection with the production. All elements of story, design, music, props, language
and characters are carefully crafted to suit the emotional and developmental levels of the target age range. M6
maintains a passion and commitment to produce work that has deep emotional resonance with its audience.
How does Grandpa’s Railway stand out in a crowded children’s show market?
In a world of many adaptations, Grandpa’s Railway is an original, vibrant story brought alive with colourful
characters, evocative music and an amazing working model railway. The play takes its audience on a journey of
discovery, encouraging children to emotionally engage with the fun, challenges and resolution of two
characters as they navigate a big change and rediscover a shared dream.
Grandpa’s Railway is a REAL play for little people and the friends they take with them – as high quality and rich
as the best theatre for adult audiences.
The production works on many levels and the pilot performances delighted audiences aged 5 – 80+ years.
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About M6 Theatre Company
Based in Rochdale, M6 Theatre Company is acknowledged as one of Britain’s leading theatre
companies specialising in creating and delivering dynamic, high quality and relevant productions for
young audiences.
M6’s work is renowned for its deep emotional resonance and the dynamic combination of original
storytelling, highly visual imagery and evocative music.
Founded in 1977, the company creates theatre that:
• Ignites the imagination
• Nurtures the heart
• Challenges the mind
M6’s highly acclaimed productions tour nationally and internationally to theatre venues and festivals,
and locally to schools and community settings. The company’s rich programme includes inspiring and
highly visual work for young audiences, powerful new dramas for older audiences and compelling short
single voice plays for specific audiences.
“Experts in producing theatre for young people"
Manchester Evening News
M6 is currently embarking on an ambitious three-year participatory youth arts programme with a
diverse range of Rochdale young people age 8 – 18. For the next three years, the youth theatre and
outreach programme will come under the Act Now! banner.
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Contact Details
M6 Theatre Company
Strategic Director – Dot Wood
Managing Director – Debs Palmer
Artistic Programme Manager – Gilly Baskeyfield
Production and Tour Manager – Joss Matzen
Administrator – Kelly Brophy
Finance Officer – Jenni Morris
Communications Officer – Maria Major
Studio
Theatre
M6 Patrons:
Hamer CP School
Albert
Royds Street
Sue Johnston
Rochdale OL16 2SU
T: +44 (0)1706 355898
E: [email protected]
W: www.m6theatre.co.uk
Twitter: @M6Theatre
FB: M6 Theatre Company
F: +44 (0)1706 712601
Patrons:
Jane Cox
Anna Friel
Sue Johnston
Photography: Lewis Wileman
M6 are affiliated to the Independent Theatre Council (ITC), Equity, Action for Children’s Arts, Assitej
UK, Earlyarts and the National Association of Youth Theatres (NAYT).
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