PRESS RELEASE
22 February 2018
Immediate release
THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUE STORY OF A FAMILY OF ACROBATS AND THEIR ADOPTED TIGER COMES TO HALF MOON WITH CIRCUS, PUPPETRY, LIVE MUSIC AND SONG
Roll up, roll up and join the award-winning M6 Theatre Company as they present A Tiger’s Tale, a brand new family show touring to Half Moon Theatre on Saturday 10 March 2018.
Written by Olivier award-winning Mike Kenny (The Railway Children), one of England’s leading writers specialising in theatre for young people, A Tiger’s Tale tells the unbelievable true story of a family of acrobats and their adopted tiger cub, Fenella.
Fenella was given to the Overends, a family of circus entertainers, when they were touring South Africa in the 1930s. She lived in the Yorkshire village of Holmfirth from 1939 to 1950, near the local primary school, and was often spotted out and about with her owners.
This energetic show presents Fenella’s tale, from a circus train in South Africa, to a steamboat on the Atlantic Ocean and onward to West Yorkshire. Featuring original music by James Atherton (Around the World in 80 Days, UK Theatre Award winning The Snow Queen), a ramshackle travelling troupe perform a high spirited balancing act of circus, puppetry, live music and song.
The show’s director Gilly Baskeyfield lives close to the village and explains what sparked her interest in the story of the Holmfirth Tiger:
“I came across the story years ago when I met one of the Overend sisters whilst working on an arts project. When I asked the frail, old lady about her life, I didn’t expect to hear that she had been an acrobat in her family’s travelling circus troupe. And I was even more amazed to hear that that they had reared a tiger cub and brought it back to live amongst the villagers in Holmfirth. It’s a well-known story locally but beyond the village it’s hardly known. It has always felt like a story that was just waiting to be turned into a play for children. You never know what adventures life has in store and it’s a privilege to have the chance to show that even the most ordinary looking people can have the most extraordinary stories to tell”
Founded in 1977 and based in Rochdale, M6 Theatre Company is acknowledged as one of Britain’s leading touring theatre companies specialising in creating and delivering high quality theatre for young audiences. The company’s production of Whatever the Weather(in association with Polka Theatre) won an Off West End Theatre Award in 2016 for Best Production for Young People (0-7 years).
Chris Elwell, Director of Half Moon commented: “We’re delighted to welcome M6 Theatre Company to Half Moon Theatre with their new show by Olivier award-winning Mike Kenny that promises to be a fun, action packed show full of balancing acts, circus skills, puppetry and live music. We look forward to learning more about the unbelievable true story of a family living with a tiger.”
All tickets are priced at £7 and can be obtained by visiting the Box Office or by calling 020 7709 8900. Tickets are also available online at
ENDS
LISTINGS DETAILS
M6 Theatre presents
A Tiger’s Tale
Saturday 10 March| 11am 2pm
Ages 4+| 60 mins
Half Moon Theatre
43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND
Tickets: £7
Box Office: 020 7709 8900 or online at
ON SALE NOW
NOTES TO EDITORS
CAST
Owen Gaynor | Pa
Sophia Hatfield| Titch
Nicola Ingram | Ma
CREATIVE TEAM
Gilly Baskeyfield | Director
Mike Kenny | Writer
Joss Matzen | Designer and Production Manager
James Atherton | Composer and Sound Designer
TC Howard | Choreographer
FURTHER DETAILS
For further information or to arrange interviews, photographs and press tickets please contact Stephen Beeny on 020 7709 8907 or
Promotion images for the production can be downloaded from Dropbox:
ABOUT HALF MOON
Half Moon is the UK’s leading small-scale young people’s venue and touring company. It is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting artists and young people at every stage of their creative development. Working from our base in East London, we specialise in new writing and artform development, acting as a gateway organisation that provides pathways for progression and experimentation. Our wide-ranging programme reaches 53,000 people annually and engages those who are often excluded from arts activity. Our activity includes a season of professional plays for young audiences, national touring productions and an extensive creative learning programme, including seven youth theatres. Half Moon is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receives regular funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Half Moon’s digital archive is available at
@HalfMoonTheatre
For press enquiries please contact: Stephen Beeny
Communications Manager
020 7709 8907