The Firework Maker’s Daughter opened last night in Yorkshire with Opera North.
Having an audience for the first time is always an energising experience for the cast and creative team but it was particularly true yesterday. The feedback during the show – which included lots of laughter and a few tears – really helped bring the show to life. The show really relies on the audience feeling present and included in the storytelling – not only does the audience applause for Lila’s firework display determine whether or not Lila and Lalchand live or die – but throughout the show there is so much gained from an audience joining in the fun and spontaneity of the storytelling. They are learning the secrets of firework-making just as Lila is.
We worked like fireworkmakers in Hull all week and I am enormously grateful to the amazing technical team at Hull Truck Theatre who helped us create the show. The show is full of images – jungles, mountains, lakes as well as the odd firework – and we were all working up to the eleventh hour to make these effects as beautiful as possible. And our wonderful cast of singers and puppeteers gave a brilliant first performance despite a very intensive final week of rehearsals. Last night it felt like we have a show which, like Lila, is ready to go out into the world…
John Fulljames: Firework Maker’s Daughter, Director
Click Lila to access exciting behind-the-scenes info, fun games and to meet the cast.
www.fireworkmaker.co.uk
