Autism Friendly Theatre Performances at The Ark Synopsis Pack for White

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Vincent Payne
7 years ago
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1 Autism Friendly Theatre Performances at The Ark Synopsis Pack for White Your Visit to the Ark Welcome to the Ark! You are about to embark on a splendid theatrical journey! You will see many new things and meet some interesting characters. This pack will help you prepare for your visit to the Ark. We have put together some pictures to help you understand where you are going and what you will see, as well as a synopsis of the play so you can know what to expect during the performance. Here is some of what you will see on your visit to The Ark. Firstly here is a map so you know how to get here!

2 And here is The Ark...Well the outside of it! This will be the first thing you see. Here is an image of the entrance to the Ark.

3 This is a picture of the reception area. This is where you will come to collect your tickets for the theatre performance. Al is the person sitting behind the desk. He will give you your tickets. From the reception you will see the entrance into the theatre. Here is a picture of it.

4 If you need the toilet the doorway leading to it is just opposite the theatre entrance, here are some pictures to help you find it. We have numbered them in the order you will see them This the inside of the toilets 2.

5 This is what the inside of the theatre will look like when you arrive. Here you can see the stage and set where the actors will perform, and the benches and mats on which you will sit to watch the performance. The performance will be adapted slightly to make it a more comfortable experience for you. Instead of the theatre being in darkness the lights will be left on, just slightly dimmed during the performance, and the sound levels will be lowered. There will be no bright flashing lights, though at one stage during the performance there is a disco ball that admits lots of twinkly lights out into the audience. Once you enter the theatre please feel free to make yourself comfortable in which ever way you like, you may sit anywhere within the theatre. Also the doors of the theatre will always be left open at all times, so you can come in and out as you please. During this play there are noisy moments. Sometimes children don t like loud noises. If you read the synopsis you will be prepared for the performance as we have used a cartoon image at times when there will be a loud noise so you can cover your ears, or we will also have ear plugs available. There will also be staff in the theatre who will hold up glow sticks to indicate when loud noises or music is about to occur.

6 (This is the image used to indicate loud noises) There will also be a confetti canon which will shoot out small bits of coloured paper right at the very end of the performance. The canon is hidden inside a rubbish bin which is part of the set. It makes a large bang when fired. In the synopsis we have placed a cartoon image of a canon so you will know when the canon will be fired during the performance. The coloured paper will fall on the set and the audience. If you don t like the thought of being close to the canon and its spray of coloured paper, maybe choose a seat away from the bin, and nearer the back of the theatre. This is the confetti canon spraying its coloured paper

7 There also may be more noise when people clap at the end of the performance. This is a way of thanking the actors for doing a great performance. People may also clap during the performance if they like very much what the actors are doing on stage. We will have fidget toys available as you enter the theatre. Something you can play with during the performance. This will be yours to keep and take home. Of course you re welcome to bring your own favourite toy from home as well! If during the performance if you feel you need a break, and want to leave the theatre that s no problem. We have designed a chill out area with bean bags where you can relax away from the busy theatre. You can use this at any time throughout the performance. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the wonderful play you are going to see! We hope you enjoy your visit to The Ark! Synopsis of White Once you have been brought into the theatre and settled down on the mats or benches the performance will begin. The following images of the performance feature different actors to the ones you will see when you come to The Ark. Here are the photos of the actual actors you will see play the characters of Cotton and Wrinkle at The Ark. Cotton Wrinkle

8 When the performance begins you will first meet the character Cotton. He sits on the lovely white stage knitting. Music starts to play, piano, bells and trumpets A cuckoo clock sounds, and a bicycle bell is rung by Cotton to wake up Wrinkle. A drum sounds, a cow moos. Wrinkle wakes up and Cotton goes about getting Wrinkle ready for the day ahead. He wipes his face, brushes his hair and teeth. They then settle down to have their breakfast. After breakfast they start work.

9 First they make sure everything is still white and then they start taking care of the birdhouses. Scraping and brushing noises as they go about cleaning and mending the birdhouses. As they clean a birdhouse they find a piece of coloured paper in it. This is not white so it must go in the bin. They open the bin and put the coloured paper in. You will hear the paper fall and drop into the bin. Cotton and Wrinkle take care of more birdhouses and then it s time for eggs.

10 The eggs fall from the sky. You can hear them fall but can t see them until Cotton and Wrinkle catch them in their aprons. The eggs make a loud falling and dropping sound. Cotton and Wrinkle welcome the eggs and give them a kiss and put them in their egg cups. The eggs start to laugh. If you listen close you will hear them. They put little white hats on the eggs to keep them warm. They take pictures of the eggs and ask a member of the audience to take a picture of both of them with the eggs. They put the eggs in their birdhouses. There is a sound of another egg falling and Wrinkle catches it in his apron. This egg is brightly coloured! Wrinkle doesn t like this and makes Cotton put it in the bin. Cotton likes the colourful egg and wants to keep it! Cotton is sad because it has to go in the bin. They open the bin and the egg makes a loud falling sound as it hits the bottom of the bin.

11 Now it s Cotton and Wrinkles nap time. The room gets dark, but not completely dark. A disco ball shines sparkly light everywhere. They both go to bed in their tent. Moments later Cotton creeps out of the tent and goes to the bin and takes out the egg and puts it in one of the birdhouses. It gets darker and the music grows louder After a little while it s morning. Again Cotton starts to knit, he is shocked as his wool that has always been white is now brightly coloured. He hides the wool so Wrinkle won t see it. The Cuckoo clock chimes Cotton rings the bike bell twice to wake Wrinkle and there is the sound of a cow going moo. Cotton is shocked to find the comb to brush Wrinkles hair is now brightly coloured.

12 They have their breakfast but Cotton discovers their milk is not white! He drinks all the milk so Wrinkle won t see it. Wrinkle is not happy that all the milk is gone. They get to work checking everything is still White. They keep finding colour and hiding it from one another, as everything is meant to be white. They go about cleaning and fixing the birdhouses. There is a loud banging sound as Wrinkle hammers a nail into a birdhouse. Soon they start to find more and more colour and Cotton admits he loves colour! And then Wrinkle admits he loves colour too! All the birdhouses start to laugh and all change colour. The music gets a little louder. Next there is a very loud bang as a confetti canon billows out coloured paper from the bin, and into the audience. Wrinkle and Cotton are so happy now there is colour everywhere! They might even ask you what your favourite colour is!! The End

13 Many Thanks to: Louise Gilmour Wills and everyone at Catherine Wheels Janna Feldman and Jo Belloli at Polka Theatre Deborah Stein and Lisa Carling of the Theatre Development Fund Allan Foy at Liverpool Playhouse Maeve Whelan and Stephen McManus at Dublin Theatre Festival

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