Mathilda and the Orange Balloon
by Jess Kaufman
Based on the book Mathilda and the Orange Balloon, text © 2010 by Randall de Sève, illustrations © 2010 by Jen Corace
2019 premiere production created with The DH Ensemble
Mathilda and the Orange Balloon is a D/deaf and hearing accessible play for children and families based on the popular picture book by Randall de Sève. Mathilda is a grey little sheep in a grey little world, but when an orange balloon makes a surprise appearance on her farm, she starts to question if that's all she can be. Mathilda takes her family, the narrators, and the audience on a journey of self-discovery and self-determination that includes structured playtime with the actors on the farmyard playground set, where we discover that we can be anything we believe! The play is performed in Sign Language, Spoken English, and with animated captions to be fully accessible.
The first production was created in Spoken English and BSL with The DH Ensemble, and D/deaf and Hearing theatre company in the UK, where the play toured in Spring 2019. The Research & Development period was supported by Sheffield Theatres / Ramps on the Moon. Our 2019 tour was supported by Arts Council England and the lovely generous individuals who donated to our crowdfunding campaign.
Press
The Guardian: “Theatre’s role models for deaf children: ‘they need to think anything is possible’”
West End Wilma: ★★★★ review
London Live: Video interview with Writer Jess Kaufman - [click here for transcript]
The Live Review: “Mathilda and the Orange Balloon Review”
BBC Radio:
“My girls won’t stop talking about it. Wish I had something like this when I was growing up!”
