THE TINDERBOX, a finger puppet play freely adapted from H.C. Andersen’s fairy tale.

Performers:
Viggo Sommer - Music
Birgit Rastrup - Puppeteer
Set design: Viggo and Birgit
Finger puppets: Birgit

The Tinderbox
Duration 45 min
Age: 3-9 + adventurous grown ups
For an audience of 50-100 children.
Stage space required: 9 square meters, preferably in a room where lights can be dimmed.
Preparation: two hours
Cleaning up: one hour
Price: 3,400 kr +VAT + transport.

THE PERFORMANCE
The performance is true to Andersen’s story, but has been brought up to date for children. Finger puppetry is a unique art form. The stage is a double mask, standing on an old mysterious stove cover; behind this, the tiny “actors” perform the story. The soldier crawls through the hollow tree, down into the fantastic cave where there are huge dogs with eyes as big as teacups, and returns with a large bag of money.

The witch looses her head, and the soldier seeks lodgings at the local inn, where he can see the copper palace. He dreams of winning the princess and half the king’s riches…
The atmosphere is heightened and emphasized by lights and sound effects together with songs and music played on many fascinating instruments.

Viggo Sommer
Plays the bugle, wooden flute, transverse flute, clarinet, a 100-year-old banjo with violin bow, the riti - an African violin - and a one stringed Indonesian instrument. He has performed with the Hesbjerg Children’s Theatre from the beginning. He takes part in all the performances as a musician, actor and set designer.

Birgit Rastrup has performed with Hesbjerg Children’s Theatre since 1978 as an actor, puppeteer and set designer. She makes her own theatre puppets, stick, hand and finger puppets.
She appeared in the film The Light and the Darkness as the witch Hanna.
Since 2002, she has taken part in the H. C. Andersen parade in Odense as the witch in The Tinderbox.


THE TINDERBOX
has been performed at the following locations, among others:
Ringe-, Otterup-, Vissenbjerg-, Aarup-, Langelands Bibliotek, Spurvelunds- og Kragsbjerg Skolen I Odense, Tommerup-, Bjedstrup- og Norddjurs Friskole. Børnehaven Landsbyen, Grenå, Christiania`s Børneteater, Utamaduni Lejren, Hesbjerg Gøglertræf, Badstuen, Klosterbakken , Næsby Sognegård, Fyrtøjet- Et Kulturhus For Børn- Odense. Kunstforeningen The Stibo Group, Århus, Plantagehuset Thisted, Odder Museum, Kirkerummet Koldinghus, Ringsted Grenå Kulturhus, Vollsmose Bibliotek, Speedsbjerg Udflytterbørnehave, Lillebælt Værftet In Middelfart, Mimeteatret in Odense and Munkebo Bibliotek.