The Moonwatcher
by Horse + Bamboo Theatretheatre
A world of cotton mill chimneys, talking birds and Asian twists and tales; a young girl travels from Pakistan to meet her husband in England
about the production
The Moonwatcher is a theatre show that combines poet Shamshad Khan's insightful and thoughtful poetry with Horse + Bamboo's trademark use of powerful narrative and imagery, using masks, puppetry, film and music. We meet a young girl who came from Pakistan to join her husband in England. We are led through a surreal landscape to witness one family’s fate on our fast spinning planet. The Moonwatcher tells a story of global travel and the residues of settling. A second generation daughter and determined truth-seeker brightens our hearts with questions.
about the artist
A piece written by poet Shamshad Khan and Bob Frith, founder of Horse + Bamboo, with music by Arun Ghosh, clarinettist, composer and music educator. The production is based on stories and research undertaken by Shamshad and Bob as part of the Different Moons project, in which they interviewed and recorded the stories of first generation immigrants to Rossendale from South Asia, specifically Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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stage dimensions
width: 7 metres
height: 3 metres
depth: 5 metres
Three-hander with one performer also acting as stage manager.
It will be built for studio theatres and rural touring networks. We expect a get-in of less than 3 hours and a running time of approximately one hour.
Stage dimensions (provisional) will be:
Min width – 7.00m
Min depth – 5.00 m
Min height – 2.50 m
Lighting and sound will be self-contained within the show. The show will benefit greatly from blackout or where blackout is not possible there will need to be additional get-in time
to allow for time to darken the space.
The show has themes of migration from South Asian but with a universal tone.
Diverse performance and performers
Puppetry
Visual Theatre
South Asian music
Spoken word and poetry throughout
“A leading force in accessible visual theatre.”
"Compelling and eloquent… An unforgettable theatrical experience… The inventive Horse + Bamboo touch a chord the West End wouldn’t know existed… A theatrical spell, which is quite unique… And accessible to everyone.”
Post-show discussion and chance to see the puppets and others props up close. 15 mins.
£1000 +VAT for weekend shows.
£850+VAT during the week
Reduction for multiple show bookings.
