In this upcoming blog post, I will be sharing a collection of quotes that capture the reactions of the “Down the Rabbit Hole” Tour. These quotes will provide insights into the event, highlighting the key moments and emotions that made it a truly memorable experience. Whether you were there in person or simply curious about the event, these quotes will give you a glimpse into what made it so special. Stay tuned for an inspiring and thought-provoking read!
Here are some positive comments from students ages 7-10 who enjoyed watching the storybook opera:
- “The show was so exciting. I would definitely recommend others to watch it”
- “My favourite part about the show was when they went down the rabbit hole”
- “I loved it so much. I give it 10/10”
- “It was very funny, and there were so many fun activities.”
- “I would definitely recommend this show to children who love adventure stories. What I loved about it is when Alice went from being big to small.”
- “The acting and singing were so good, and it made me feel really excited throughout.”
- “I think it was very exciting and always kept you on your toes even though we were sitting. I think that everything was amazing.”
- “It was very fun and entertaining. I would most definitely recommend it to others.”
- “If I could recommend it to everyone in the world, then I definitely would. 10/10″
- “I thought it was really good and was amazing for deaf people to see that they can do anything.”
The impact of the project went beyond just the performance itself. The community was buzzing with excitement and appreciation for the effort put in to make the production inclusive for everyone. Claire Edgeley, Head Teacher of Over Hall Community School said: “Charlotte and the team have worked so hard to deliver a high quality, multifaceted performance that magically gripped the audience of both children and adults.” The project has raised awareness for British Sign Language and has inspired parents to encourage other drama productions to include signing for accessibility. This is an important step towards making the arts more accessible and inclusive for all members of the community.
Mrs Emma Snowdon, Head Teacher of Over St Johns Primary School, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the tour, which was made possible through funding from Arts Council England. Dr Michael Fallon, who attended a performance, praised the standard of the show and highlighted the importance of music and drama in education. Dr Fallon said: “Music and drama should be an essential part of primary and secondary education, but I know that, sadly, it is increasingly difficult for schools to support this. However, a child who receives a good education will be much more likely to enjoy good physical and mental health for the rest of their life.”
Recently, Fiona Maddocks published a 5-star review of “Down the Rabbit Hole” in the Guardian Observer. My team and I are thrilled to have received such high praise from such a respected writer and publication. The review highlighted that the storybook opera, “absorbed every child present [and that the opera has] incalculable resonance.”
I am proud to have created a unique and inclusive opera that has made a positive impact and resonated with the students. Thank you to my team, the participating schools and Fiona Maddocks for the recognition. Fingers crossed we can grow this tiny enterprise into an extended tour in the future.
Photographs : Nick Rutter
Wonderful feedback!! So rewarding!! 🙏🤗🤗
Thank you, it has been a very rewarding project for all of us.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I bet!! and you are very welcome! 🙂
Congratulations, Charlotte, on a successful production and including an exciting way to share music that will no doubt inspire young artists with hearing loss to jump into the arena.
Thank you John, I hope it does encourage young artists with hearing loss into the arena, Zoe and I certainly did our best to show them just what we are capable of.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Amazing achievement! You deserve to feel very very proud.
Thank you Martin, I couldn’t have done it without a lot of support and encouragement and I am pleased I persevered with it.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Congratulations Charlotte and the entire team! Such great people. ☺️❤️🇬🇧
Thank you John, I had a great team and valued their contribution to the project.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You are welcome, Charlotte. ☺️❤️🇬🇧
The people have spoken, Charlotte, you’re a HIT!!
I’m really pleased you think so GP 😊. You have constantly encouraged me to keep on pushing forward.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Always will.
Congratulations on all these positive comments.
Thank you very much.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Well done to all! My smile joins all the others that I am sure will remain in the hearts of all those who had the opportunity to experience this amazing presentation. xx
Thank you Annette 😊. I’m going to need some help to take this forward.
Best wishes
Charlotte
That’s wonderful Charlotte. It was so touching reading the quotes actually and that all your work and the work of everyone who took part was so hugely apprecdiated. COngrats again.
Thank you Shehanne, at Knollmead we had a chuckle because our lovely interpreter had so many questions from the children to sign, around sixty children per show there, one child said they thought the show was ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ luckily Zoe guessed what she was finger spelling quickly.
Best wishes
Charlotte
My my. . That would be .. . not just a tour highlight, but . . . a signing one. Wonderful xxxx
Great reviews. All good questions. Can you break glass?
Thanks Timothy, I don’t try to break glass hehe. Although once I was at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester doing a recital, I can’t recall what I was singing but a glass on the bar smashed nearby and everyone said it was me, perhaps the glass was fragile.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You were oviously smashing.
Congratulations Charlotte!
Best regards,
Cate
Thank you Cate, lovely to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Well deserved plaudits suggesting this project should run and run – nationwide
I would need a lot of help to get it to run, let’s keep our fingers crossed. I would love to try it out on a bigger family audience, I was surprised at one of the schools when parents came with very young pre-school children who sat attentively through the 1 hour 15 minutes, my Mum said one of the toddlers was only grumbling at first because they couldn’t see but when they could see they were fine.
Best wishes
Charlotte
That is most encouraging.
Bravo, Charlotte! A great success, but I would have expected nothing less, considering your talent! I hope you can expand on it!
I would love to expand it but I need more connections, I’m trying to make them. Thank you Noelle for your encouragement.
Best wishes
Charlotte
How wonderful, Charlotte, to read such rewarding quotes! Pat yourself on the back, and Congrats to all!
Thank you Lauren. I’ve loved looking at some of the photographs of the children’s faces that we were allowed to take (but not publish without permission yet).
Best wishes
Charlotte
A wonderful achievement, Charlotte. Certainly a memorable experience for cast, crew, and audience alike. Congratulations to all!
Thank you Bruce, I need to recommence my BSL lessons now and try to obtain my next level of qualification.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I was privileged to be invited to watch one of your shows Charlotte and thoroughly enjoyed it. You all put forward a truly entertaining and educational show, the children were totally entranced and participated eagerly. A joy to watch, well done everyone 👏👏👏🥰
Thank you Gill, I have blob trees from each child that completed one of their feelings before watching the show and after watching the show nearly 1000, and further feedback to document for The Arts Council of England, I shall be very busy this weekend, I wish I had your typing speed!
I’m so happy you got to see a show and grateful to the school that allowed me to invite a few guests.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great quotes! Something to be remembered for decades!
Thank you. There is nothing I enjoy more than sharing my songs and performances with everyone.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Celebrate such wonderful feedback. I hope this idea catches on and grows and grows. A new opera every year?
I, too, wish to know whether George thinks in English or Romanian and loved that perceptive question.
In the first photo (from the Guardian), the two little boys top right capture my attention. Brothers, surely, but one does not have a pom-pom, but merely clutches his left hand, protectively? Or as if he doesn’t know what to do with it? The camera has captured a poignant moment in time. (Not to mention recorded the efforts of parents who have turned them out looking exceptionally neat for this big day!)
Thank you Gwen. I hope I can take it forward. George thinks in English a lot more now in the UK, he has been in the UK twelve years, and my partner for ten years conversing daily in English. When he is around his family he flips to thinking in Romanian, great skill. I’m not sure if brothers unless they’re twins as it was one class, perhaps they are best friends.
Every school had superbly behaved children, there were several schools with special educational needs and I think a lot of the teachers were pleased with how well we had held their concentration.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great reviews from those that count. Take a bow to acknowledge your standing ovation.
Exactly Don, it was always my upmost goal to entertain the children and engage them with both opera/classical music and British sign language.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wonderful! Congrats again and all the best for this show to move on to bigger things, Charlotte! 👏
Thank you Arti, I would love to develop the project so that I could complete a larger tour and share it with as many children as possible.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You should be proud indeed…
Bravo chère amie.
Wow, what wonderful feedback. So fantastic you have connected with them.
The feedback is fabulous, Charlotte. Congratulations to you and your team. 🙂
I am so very proud of you – and for you. The responses were terrific!
Continued successes ahead. The journey doesn’t end here.
Sounds like a great success. You should be very proud to have accomplished this. Wow. Love the reviews. Oh, by the way, can you break a glass with your voice? lol.
The children’s quotes are precious.
How could you not get more funding?
I am so proud of you!
Resa
❦❦❦
The opening photo of you is priceless ~ and from it, I can understand all of those beautiful/positive quotes from your tour and efforts. Wishing you continued success with this, and would imagine the funding will arrive to push your creativity to even further heights.
Thank you Randall, funding is one of the most difficult parts of projects like mine as I’m not a registered charity and companies only like giving to registered charities because of tax I think. It’s a bit of a catch 22 if I register as a charity I can’t run it and can’t be related to the trustees so who is going to run that for free as they also can’t work in the project. It’s a shame there isn’t a sort of government charitable trust where they control the donations and I would have to provide receipts and evidence to draw down the funds. Doing it as a ‘not for profit’ was the way I achieved it but as I say corporates won’t support that.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Sounds like a great success. Congrats Charlotte and fellow members of the production!
-Alan