The Marsh Demons of Iken
We have recently returned from beautiful Suffolk for our most recent education project, The Marsh Demons of Iken. Over an intensive week of rehearsals, learning puppetry, acting, fight choreography, movement and song, our ensemble cast of 20 Key Stage 2 children from Orford Primary School prepared to appear as the show's ensemble alongside Rust & Stardust.
We had a fantastic week working with the imaginative, enthusiastic participants and the project was a huge success. Audiences called the show "spine-tingling," "amazing" and "heartening", and Katie Butler, the school's headteacher, commented:
"Joining in the production with Rust and Stardust encouraged our children to learn so many things, like puppet making to professional production techniques. For pupils who have not had experiences of performing to an audience for a couple of years and who were in many cases starting to lose confidence due to lockdowns and isolation from the wider community, this wonderful experience helped them enormously. They felt they could overcome their fears to perform to a community audience for a real reason. The pupils all felt they were part of something very special.
Wren and Sparrow are back sprinkling sugar (sometimes not very tidily) all over Kent, Surrey and Sussex this summer! For a list of Tweethearts performances, see our calendar.
The baker birds' next appearance is at Eastbourne's Summer Sundae on Saturday 24 July.
Our puppet adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest returns this summer for an intensive three days of performances at St George's Catholic School, Tunbridge Wells, as part of their Summer School programme.
Hundreds of children will be able to enjoy Caliban's capers and Prospero's spells as the magic of puppetry brings the language to life.