The Oak Tree and the Snail
Interactive Workshop–Performance
Build a puppet village using recycled materials! Children help create the set and bring puppets to life
Freely inspired by Prévert and by Matisse
Synopsis
The postman delivers a letter to the home of Albertine the Snail and Professor Pompon: it’s an invitation from the Great Oak Tree to the annual ceremony of its fallen leaves! Following a long spiral path, our heroes meet various characters with whom they improvise dialogues and/or dances. When they finally arrive, winter has passed: all the leaves have come back to life! The Great Oak gleams in its brand-new spring dress. So everyone sings, dances, and celebrates the colours of life!
PERFORMANCE OUTLINE
Phase A (≈ 45 min)
The stage—covered with large, colourful papers arranged in a spiral—forms the path leading from Albertine and the Professor’s house to the Great Oak’s dwelling. The world of the story is built collectively: using objects and coloured papers, children are invited to create parts of the set through cut-outs and collages, in the spirit of Matisse’s paper cut-outs. Little houses, characters, plants, flowers, and rivers take shape along the path of our heroes.
The space should be large enough for children to work comfortably on the floor, to host the spiral/path, and to seat a small audience on the floor.
Phase B (≈ 30 min)
The journey begins! Between 7 and 10 children aged 5 and up are invited to animate a puppet. Their participation is essential to launching the performance.
Total duration: 1h30
Objectives: To discover Matisse’s paper-cutting technique, explore different types of puppets, and learn how to bring them to life.
Price: 120 euros
The postman delivers a letter to the home of Albertine the Snail and Professor Pompon: it’s an invitation from the Great Oak Tree to the annual ceremony of its fallen leaves! Following a long spiral path, our heroes meet various characters with whom they improvise dialogues and/or dances. When they finally arrive, winter has passed: all the leaves have come back to life! The Great Oak gleams in its brand-new spring dress. So everyone sings, dances, and celebrates the colours of life!
PERFORMANCE OUTLINE
Phase A (≈ 45 min)
The stage—covered with large, colourful papers arranged in a spiral—forms the path leading from Albertine and the Professor’s house to the Great Oak’s dwelling. The world of the story is built collectively: using objects and coloured papers, children are invited to create parts of the set through cut-outs and collages, in the spirit of Matisse’s paper cut-outs. Little houses, characters, plants, flowers, and rivers take shape along the path of our heroes.
The space should be large enough for children to work comfortably on the floor, to host the spiral/path, and to seat a small audience on the floor.
Phase B (≈ 30 min)
The journey begins! Between 7 and 10 children aged 5 and up are invited to animate a puppet. Their participation is essential to launching the performance.
Total duration: 1h30
Objectives: To discover Matisse’s paper-cutting technique, explore different types of puppets, and learn how to bring them to life.
Price: 120 euros
Some of the wonderful characters we'll meet on the journey -- images from different shows
Madame Teapoty is serving tea. Papier maché, ceramics, recycled papers and oil pastels
Grand Pompon Bleu enjoying a beautiful day
Birthday party in Clapton Pond, London
Miss Couette
Show in Grasse, France, children aged between 6 months and 3 years
2 pompoms in love dancing on Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing
Amour. Papier maché, stucco, acrylic wool, recycled papers and oil pastels