MATHILDA AND THE ORANGE BALLOON

Join Mathilda, her herd, and the narrators on stage to see how, with a little imagination and a big open mind, anything is possible!

Mathilda and The Orange Balloon brings together a talented cast of both deaf and hearing actors to tell the story of Mathilda, a little grey sheep in a little grey world, who is not content to spend her day eating clovers like the rest of her herd. In comparison to the other she is very inquisitive about the world and the expectations she is expected to conform to.

When an orange balloon unexpectedly makes an appearance on Mathilda’s farm all the questions building up inside her come bursting out. The balloon leads Mathilda on a journey of self discovery as she learns there is more to life than just being a grey sheep. Mathilda shows the audience that you are free to express yourself, use your imagination and live life however you choose. If it makes you happy then why not identify with an orange balloon.

Mathilda’s world is brought to life by two narrators who tell the story through spoken English, sign language, and whimsical animation, making the show fully accessible to both deaf and hearing children and families. The narrators, Adam Jay-Price and Mia Ward, regularly interact with the audience to keep the children interested, asking questions and at the end they are invited to meet the actors on stage for a supervised interactive play on Mathilda’s farm set.

Adapted from Randall de Seve’s book, which celebrates children’s individuality and creativity, the play encourages children to express themselves freely and emboldens them to accept themselves and be positive. Mathilda was brought to life by deaf actor Hermon Berhane, and it was great to see the children of the audience enjoying the production as for some I can imagine it may have been the first time they have seen relatable representations of themselves on stage.

For most people when you think about going to the theatre you don’t consider that anyone deaf or hard of hearing is having to miss out because they are not catered for in a show so it was great to see such an accessible, original and creative play brought to life because why should anyone have to miss out. The DH Ensemble Director Jennifers Bates commented ‘After several years of making bold theatre and pushing the boundaries of what accessible theatre can be, it’s time for the DH Ensemble to make a show for our toughest audience yet, children.’