Going out to see a play

A little shared play in English for Primary Education students

Theatre to Primary Education

This sort of theatre is different fron the others because children normaly have a limited experience of the English language and they also have a short concentration. So the TTT       performances consider these factors:

• Plots are based on well-known fairy tales. So they are wonderful and interesting to children.
• The level of the language is kept to a minimum. (Little Red: 120 words)
• The structures repeat themselves constantly in order to make easy the understanding.
• The interest of the children is constantly stimulated by different techniques -prepared reactions, requested answers, help to the actors, shared audience, to be volunteers and  to take part in the stage.

Limited audience

In order that the understanding and the participation of the children improve, to control everything,   the audience is limited: in groups from 70 to 140.

Flexibility

The performances are designed to be transported and they are flexible because they are adaptable in any place.

Auxiliary material( a workpack)

Schools have a CD with 12 pages of a workpack that helps to the teachers to prepare the children before the show and to continue after the show. This is made by Margaret O'keefe of Merit Training (RSA Diploma). It fills all the basic language aspects. It also has an extensive range of activities and ideas to the young and old children.

The theatre company

Founded in 1997 in Barcelona, Tell-Tale Theatre (TTT) is the only theatre company of Spain specialized in educational theatre in English to Primary students. The shows are 100% in english and the actors are native english people.

The main target:  To be interested in English language through the shared theatre to a primary schools.

Secondary targets: To approach the English theatre to the primary students in Catalonia.

Show facts

Length: 60 minutes

Age: 7-11 years old

Number of children: 70-140

Place: School

Technics: Actors

Sort of performance: Shared theatre

Pedagogical parameters:

English percentage: 100%

Language level: Basic

Pedagogical  content: Verbs (be, have, like). Vocabulary (food, parts of the body, feelings).Functions ( Express preferences, tell the time, ask something)

The plot: Adaptation of the tale Little Red

One morning Mrs Riding Hood prepares breakfast for her daugther -Little Red- before she goes to school. Little Red doesn`t like breakfast. She also doesn`t like to go shopping and visit her Granny. Before she  gets to Granny's house, she meets a wolf in the forest. The wolf is very hungry. But this is not his bibbest problem. Little Red doesn't like wolves, either.

Some stages of the show

Comments and opinions

"Didàctica, participativa, divertida i amb el vocabulari i estructures que treballem a classe i fet    per fantàstics professionals". Marta Nebot, CP Montseny, Sant Just Desvern

"Little Red is a wonderful shared experience". Katie McDonnell-Manson, Educational consultant, Barcelona.

"La mejor obra de teatro en inglés para primaria jamás presentada". La Vanguardia (4 d'Abril 1999).

"Francamente estuvo deliciosa y nos lo pasamos estupendamente; además fue pedagógica y asequible". Teresa Torres. Esc. La Muntanyeta, Barcelona.