Match (Tour – Salford)

Dot & Ethel present Match which has been inspired by Hand Christian Anderson’s the Little Match Girl and is performed by Jade Berks and Eloise Secker.

This is a physical performance aimed at pre and infant school children that allows them to sit on cushions and pillows near the front of the stage to interact and soak up the stage.
Unfortunately, there is not much dialogue throughout this piece and the opening scene where two young performers create wind noises and move newspaper around the stage and in to the audience. This goes on for too long which results in some audience members getting restless very early on in the show. This sets a tone that continues throughout the piece.

Another problem is that the piece is too vague as to when this version of the story is meant to be set and there is not enough dialogue to move it along. It is not clear how some of the physical scenes are meant to move the story along and it takes some time before the piece slips in to a rhythm.

Unfortunately when one of the performers travelled in the audience on a number of occasions she was not lit which made it difficult to see what she was doing and how this helped the tale unfold. My 7 year old co-reviewer did not understand that the story culminated with the girls journeying to heaven to be with grandma so it would seem that the point of the story is not well communicated either.

That being said, Match is an enjoyable experience with some heart-warming moments and enough audience interaction to keep the children involved but without it taking over.

With more work though, this could be a charming show but it is a difficult tale to adapt for children so young. Match may not set your world alight but is pleasant enough to begin the festive season.