ALDERNEY THEATRE GROUP’S “THE TEMPEST” PERFORMANCE BRINGS SUNSHINE AND HOPE TO A LITTLE GIRL
A special message for the cast of “THE TEMPEST”
Hi Everyone
Thought you’d like to hear about this amazing happening told to us by Richard Matimong, who starred in our version of THE TEMPEST in the role of Tony Prospero:
“On Sunday 30th July, whilst hauling bits of Prospero’s cabin across the sand, a lady approached me. She seemed very tentative for a while, searching, I felt, for the right words to explain herself.
She told me of her young daughter, who has several learning and confidence difficulties.
It transpired that Alderney was very special for her younger daughter, and that, essentially, this is her ‘Safe Place’.
Her most favourite time, and show, was seeing ‘Mama Mia’ here, on the beach at Braye. It appears that they come here regularly, as it’s now one of their favourite family times.
During the long period of lockdown though, there was no opportunity to travel here: however, the little girl had, at their home, two Alderney milk bottles, which she would fill, and play with, saying to her mum, ” I’m here, I’m in Alderney now.”
These, it turns out, just two Alderney milk bottles, was her saviour.
This summer, fortunately, they managed to be here in person, and so made it to see your performance of ‘THE TEMPEST’.
Mum was apparently narrating, with more understandable dialogue, and smoothing-off some of the more ‘abrasive’ edges (phew!).
But, during the performance, something magical happened. The little girl, somehow inspired, and for the first time, moved a short way from the family, and started singing, and dancing on the beach; she was “transported; smiling, and filled with a new found sense of freedom.”
The following morning, Sunday 30th July, again for the first time, that young girl rode her bicycle, unaided and with such confidence that mum, watching nervously for the fall, couldn’t believe.
When recounting this experience to me, of the night before, and the following morning, mum found herself apologising for having to stop, wipe a tear, and compose her emotions, whilst doing her best (unsuccessfully) to hold back the tears.
She was insistent though, that she thank ‘you all’, for all that you do for the community, and for showing this little girl that it’s alright to sing and dance with joy, and to find there’s somewhere in the world that you can be free, to be yourself.
So, in Mum’s words;
A very important ‘Thank-you’, to everyone involved and for everything you do.
You have made this little girl, and her mum, So Happy. ”
The family would like to be known as “The Winsome Crew with Port & Starboard”