FOR NURSERY(4+)- P3 PUPILS
23 October - 17 November 2023
15 January - 2 February 2024
Cloud ManClaude loves clouds, and he dreams one day of seeing a Cloud Man. Cloud Men are very rare, very shy and very, very hard to find.
Sitting on little cloud cushions, the audience watch Claude as he follows clues which lead him to the top of Cloud Mountain, where they will find a big surprise! A cleverly staged show with puppets, storytelling and lots of clouds, the show explores the ways we try and make sense of the world and encourages the audience to notice the beauty and wonder to be found in everyday life. “Puppet maker Ailie Cohen has been delighting young folk and their grown-ups for many a Fringe with her original stories and fairy-tale adaptations. Cloud Man is no exception, a deceptively simple story that will melt even the flintiest of hearts.” The List ★★★★ Audience size: 120
Running time: 45 mins Space required: clear, uncarpeted, flat hall, min 4.5m x 4.5m Cost: £500 + VAT per day, two performances included per day Theatre in Schools Scotland offers a Small School Subsidy on request, to support remote schools or those with a small school roll. For more info and to book please contact: [email protected] INFORMATION FOR TEACHERSTeachers and children will enjoy the performance without prior knowledge of the story but the information packs below help teachers prepare and link to classroom plans.
For two short films to show your class to prepare your class for a theatre experience in the school hall, one for you and one to show them, please see the RESOURCES section of our website.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN CLOUD MAN PUPPET IN THE CLASSROOM Download instructions below
MORE INFORMATIONAbout the performance
Running time: 45 mins The children sit on cushions to watch the performance. There are some moments of audience interaction between the performer and children. The show tells the story of Claude, a Cloud Scientist who has always wanted to see a Cloud Man. Ever since he was a little boy, he would look for signs of Cloud Men. Some people thought he was crazy and that they didn’t exist at all. But sometimes he would see things, a tiny footprint on a cloud, or a little scarf that had fallen from the sky, or one time he even heard what he thought was a Cloud Man singing his haunting song... drifting on the wind.... So he decides to move to Cloud Mountain, the cloudiest mountain in the world, and live alone in a tiny hut, conducting experiments and looking for clues. For years and years and years... he remains optimistic that one day he’ll get to meet a Cloud Man. One day, when he is out on a trip to get supplies, a Cloud Man comes to visit! He sneaks into his tiny hut and has a good look around. He rummages in his cupboards, explores his experiments and finds all of his things that Claude has found and put in specimen jars. Then he finds his biscuits! And he is delighted because he loves biscuits. Claude comes home, and the Cloud Man hides. He notices that things are out of place, and it all seems very strange indeed. He carefully pieces together the journey he has gone on by following the trail of disruption. Eventually, he finds him! He cannot believe it! All his life he has waited for this moment. He is very quiet and shy, but he is very polite. He sees that he has been eating biscuits, so he gives him another one. He is very happy about that! He makes a sculpture out of cloud and gives it to Claude as a gift. He makes a little bow and starts to leave. Claude is taken aback, he can’t leave so soon, he’s been waiting for so long! He pleads with him to stay, but he just goes to leave. He has an idea. He gets the biscuit jar and says ‘look, you can come and have all the biscuits you want!’ The Cloud Man is excited. He trots along and runs head first into the jar, and Claude quickly puts the lid on. He has trapped him! The Cloud Man is shocked. Claude tries to explain, he’ll look after him, give him biscuits and warm milk. He’ll make him a lovely comfy bed. He is very worried and tries to get out of the jar. He decides to ignore him ‘til he’s calmer and make some scientific observations, but the Cloud Man seems to get more and more upset. Claude has waited all this time to find a Cloud Man and now he has one, but he just keeps looking up at the clouds overhead... Claude has to make a decision. And so he lets him go... The Cloud Man scurries back to his Cloud. And he let Claude see inside, which was more wonderful and complicated than he could have imagined. He sees all the different parts of the Cloud, where the rain is made, where the snow is made, where the sunshine catches, and he sees the Cloud Man playing. And Claude is happy knowing that he is happy. And when still to this day, if he’s lucky, that same Cloud Man comes back to visit and waves down from his cloud as he drifts slowly past in the sky. Learning Themes and Curriculum for Excellence LinkS
Science: the natural world, observation and experimentation, Respecting ecosystems and environments. Themes: Independent learning, care and respect for other living things, patience and diligence, the rewards of putting another beings welfare above your own, kindness, curiosity. ABOUT THE COMPANY
Constellation Points is the collaboration between Ailie Cohen and Lewis Hetherington, with Producer Sarah Gray. Constellation Points create playful, curious and engaging work for audiences of all ages. They create theatre which uses visuals, music, text and more to tell beautiful original stories which are full of heart, fun and magic. They create work which encourages us to reflect and think deeply and creatively about the world we live in and the challenges we face. They create fantastical and colourful story worlds which celebrate the extraordinary nature of the ordinary, and last long in the imaginations of audiences. The name Constellation Points reflects the deeply collaborative nature of the company's work. Each show is carefully constructed by a team of makers, each one being a vital and beautiful point of light in creating the constellation of that show. Work includes Cloud Man, The Secret Life of Suitcases and Rocket Post! Their work has travelled all over the world delighting audiences in China, Dubai, Egypt, Japan, America, Australia and more, as well as extensively throughout the UK. |
Presented by Constellation Points
Created by Ailie Cohen and Lewis Hetherington Produced by Scottish Theatre Producers Directed by Alasdair Satchel Soundtrack by Niroshini Thambar and Nik Paget-Tomlinson Performed by Samuel Jameson |