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Relaxed Performance Pre-show Information

The GruffaloFriday 28 July 2017, 11am

BASED ON THE PICTURE BOOK BY JULIA DONALDSON AND AXEL SCHEFFLER

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Playhouse Relaxed Performances are theatre shows adapted in subtle ways to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for any theatre-goer who would benefit from a more relaxed atmosphere when watching a show in our venue.

The house lights will be up a little bit so customers can easily change seats if they need to and we may alter the sound levels in certain parts of the show.

We ask all of our customers in relaxed performances to accept these subtle changes and be supportive of our relaxed approach to movement and noise within the auditorium.

For ticket enquiries contact our Box Office on

0113 213 7700

If you have further questions, or to feedback about your experience please contact maria.thelwell@wyp.org.uk or call 0113 213 7278

@wyplayhouse #RelaxedPerformance

What is a Relaxed Performance?

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Captioned shows for deaf and hard of hearing customers

British Sign Language interpreted shows for deaf customers

Audio-described shows for blind or partially sighted customers

Dementia-friendly shows for people living with dementia

Adapted to provide an inclusive environment for customers who would benefit from a relaxed attitude to noise and movement within the show.

What else does West Yorkshire Playhouse offer?

West Yorkshire Playhouse offers the following access services for our own productions and some touring shows:

For more information visit our website wyp.org.uk

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Arriving at the PlayhouseThis is West Yorkshire Playhouse, a theatre in Leeds city centre, just across the road from the City Bus Station.

The postcode is: LS2 7UP

Main EntranceThe accessible entrance to the Playhouse is through the main doors on the left side of the building.

Push the silver button on the wall to open the doors.

ParkingThere is a pay and display car park at Quarry Hill.

You can pay with coins or pay by using a mobile phone to park here. A stay of up to 5 hours will cost you £6. You will need to type in your registration plate number.

There is free parking for Blue Badge holders very close to the Playhouse entrance.

The car park gets very busy so allow enough time to find a space.

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Box OfficeOnce inside, you will find our Box Office. This is where you can book and collect tickets for the show. Our staff will be happy to help you.

It is best to arrive early for the show to have enough time to collect your tickets, go to the toilet, use the lift and get settled in your seat before the show starts.

FoyerOur foyer area gets very busy during show times so you can expect there to be lots of people around. It may be also be a bit noisy.

This is the Box Office

This is the Foyer

Attendants Our attendants wear purple t-shirts and are here to help you.

Attendants

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Coffee ShopOur Coffee Shop is open from 8am selling hot and cold drinks and a range of snacks.

You can use the lift or stairs to get to the Café and Coffee Shop.

The Café There is a Café at the Playhouse where you may want to buy something to eat before or after the show.

From 10am – 4pm there are hot and cold drinks available, as well as sandwiches, meals and snacks.

During the IntervalDuring the interval of the performance you can eat and drink in the auditorium. Ice creams will also be sold inside the auditorium in the interval.

Eating, Drinking and Visiting

This is the Coffee Shop

This is the Café

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The Quarry TheatreThe Relaxed Performance of The Gruffalo will take place in the Quarry Theatre.

It is a large theatre with 750 seats.

Getting into the Quarry TheatreWest Yorkshire Playhouse has lifts to each level. There will be people called attendants to help you use the lifts.

There are also stairs to get to the Quarry Theatre.

The Quarry Theatre will open 40 minutes before the show is due to start. There may be a queue to get in.

You can find your seat as early as you like. If you prefer to wait until the show is about to start, you can go in within a few minutes of the show starting.

You can bring drinks into the theatre in plastic or paper cups.

Finding Your SeatsOn your ticket you will find your seat number. Our attendants will help you find your seat. There might be some steps up or down to your seat.

We have booster cushions available to give a bit more height on the theatre seats for people who need them.

This is the Quarry Theatre Auditorium

These are the stairs going up to the Quarry Theatre and down to the toilets

This is the lift which will take you up to the Quarry Theatre or down to the toilets

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Our spaces for wheelchair users are on the back and middle levels with companion seats next to them.

If you have requested an aisle seat to transfer from your wheelchair or mobility aid we can store your mobility equipment during the show.

For Relaxed Performances we keep two sections of seats at the back free, so that if you want to move back and have some space to move around you can.

This also means that if you need to leave the theatre at any point, you can come back in and sit at the back rather than returning to your original seats, if that is easier.

There will be a chill out space outside the auditorium for anyone who needs some time out from the show.

This is where wheelchair users can sit.

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Toilets and Changing Places FacilitiesThe male and female toilets and our Changing Places facility are accessed by stairs or by lift.

This is the sign for the Changing Places facility.

You can use your own Radar key to get in, or we have a key at our Box Office.

There is a H-frame tracking hoist, a shower and an adjustable changing bed. You will need to bring your own sling (with loops, not a clip system) to use the hoist.

We also have another accessible toilet if there is a queue for the Changing Places facility.

This is the door for the Changing Places toilet

This is inside the Changing Places toilet

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The ShowWhen the show is about to start you will hear an announcement telling you some of the rules of the theatre. This includes turning your phone off and not taking photos during the performance.

We look forward to welcoming you to West Yorkshire Playhouse for our Relaxed Performance of The Gruffalo.

We ask audience members not to come onto the stage at any point before, during or after the performance, unless you are asked to do so.

The show is 55 minutes long.

Age guideThe Gruffalo is recommended for ages 3+

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The Characters

The characters in the play are:

• The Gruffalo• Mouse• Fox • Owl• Snake • Narrators

The show is made up of three actors who play different roles. There is one female actor who plays the part of Mouse and two male actors who play Narrators. One of the male actors also plays all three predators (Fox, Owl and Snake) and the other eventually becomes the Gruffalo!

The stage adaptation includes all the rhyming text of the book and is driven along with music, songs, lots of fun and some audience participation. The characters will speak directly to the audience, so feel free to sing-a-long and answer back when prompted.

The actors’ faces are visible and the costumes are minimal to facilitate the very physical style of the performance.

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THE GRUFFALOThe Gruffalo is big and loud! He may be frightening, but he is also silly. He likes to talk to the audience. At one point in the show, the Gruffalo runs away from the Mouse and comes down into the audience asking you whether you can save him.

Aaron Millard - Storyteller/ Gruffalo Aaron is one of the storytellers and also plays the Gruffalo.

MOUSE Mouse is young and brave and full of clever tricks to scare off the predators that are hoping for a tasty lunch. Mouse may ask for the audiences help during the show to scare away the woodland creatures. Mouse and the Storytellers are dressed in costumes similar to combat gear.

Lauren Scott-Berry - MouseLauren starts the show as a storyteller and plays the Mouse

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THE PREDATORSOne actor (Alastair Chisholm) plays the three hungry predators, Fox, Owl and Snake. He has different costumes for each character. Here is Alastair as Storyteller

Fox is a bit of a wheeler-dealer and tries to trick Mouse in to

coming back to his lair so he can eat her for his lunch...

Here is Alastair as Fox

Snake is a maraca-shaking party animal! He likes to sing and dance and be the centre of attention. He likes eating mice too and tries his best to hypnotise Mouse so that he can eat her.

Here is Alastair as Snake

Owl is an eccentric, old air force pilot! He likes to eat mice and tries to get Mouse to

come back to his tree-house so he can eat her for his lunch.

Here is Alastair as Owl

UNDERSTUDYWe have one male actor who is an understudy, which means he performs if somebody else is ill. You might see him playing Gruffalo or Predators.

Neil Jennings – Understudy

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The Story - Part OneThe Gruffalo is based on the much loved children’s book by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler and is adapted for the stage by acclaimed theatre company Tall Stories, known the world over for their physical, musical and story-telling style of theatre.

The story follows a little brown mouse through the deep dark wood as she encounters a fox, an owl and a snake, in the search for nuts, and includes two narrators / story-tellers who guide the Mouse on her adventure.

All of these animals want to eat Mouse, but she outwits each of them by describing an imaginary monster, the Gruffalo, with terrible tusks and terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws, whose favourite food just happens to be a fox, an owl and a snake! The frightened animals flee to Mouse’s refrain…’Doesn’t he know, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo!’

But then Mouse comes face to face with the very creature she imagined and the monstrous Gruffalo is hungry! Mouse bravely tells the Gruffalo, that she, the mouse, is the scariest animal in the wood.

Laughing, the Gruffalo plays along and agrees to follow Mouse back through the forest, meeting each of the three predators in turn, who take off at the sight of the pair. Each time Mouse seemingly scares one of the animals away, the Gruffalo becomes more impressed and when eventually Mouse announces her intention to eat the Gruffalo, “But now my tummy’s beginning to rumble. My favourite food is – Gruffalo crumble!” the Gruffalo is terrified and makes his escape.

The show ends with Mouse finding a good nut to eat.

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The Set When you arrive in the auditorium you will see a golden woodland scene on stage, the stage lighting will be down low with the sound of birds tweeting in the background.

The Lighting There are day-time and night-time lighting states in the show. At the beginning of the show there is a very quick change from the golden wood to a dark blue lighting state and back again.

Towards the end, after the Mouse finds the nut, the stage will go to pitch black. There is no strobe lighting or flash photography in this production.

At the end of the show the lights will come up and there is a finale to clap and sing-a-long to.

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The SoundThe show contains recorded music, live singing and woodland sound effects that help set the scene.

Mouse has some high pitched squeaks in the show. The Gruffalo will roar loudly at times. There is one very loud roar with an echo just before the Gruffalo makes his big entrance.

The Storytellers will at times make high pitched ‘ping’ noises when describing the nut.

Songs from the show include:

1. Mouse’s Dream (The Nut) 2. A Hole / New World (The Wood) 3. 1-2-3-4-5 (Fox’s song) 4. Woodland Air Force Club (Owl Song) 5. When I Have a Party (Snake Song) 6. G-G-G-Gruffalo 7. What Gruffalos Do

After the showAt the end of the show our staff will help you leave the Quarry Theatre and the building.