‘She drew out a match – ‘Scratch!’ How it sputtered as it burnt! It gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she held her freezing hand over it. It was really a wonderful light.’
As our destitute heroine struggles to survive, she strikes her matches to keep warm. Each match will conjure a new story, a new vision, and we will hold her hand as we tumble down the rabbit hole with her.
Inspired by the beautiful and devastatingly sad Hans Christian Andersen ‘wonder’ tale, The Little Matchgirl, and combining Andersen’s other tales, The Princess And The Pea, The Emperor’s New Clothes and Thumbelina, The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales) will reveal a spellbinding world of magic and mystery. Steeped in the metaphor and meaning that runs through the veins of Andersen’s enduring stories, this will be a night to delight, transport and surprise.
For adults and brave children alike, expect music, puppetry, dark magic… and perhaps some modern truths that we would all rather remain hidden.
The Little Matchgirl And Other Happier Tales plays at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse from Thursday 24 November to Sunday 22 January. More information and tickets can be found on the Globe Theatre website.