PRESS KIT
Credits
Pigeon Party! starring Mo Willems’ Pigeon
featuring Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! & Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
Presented by Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company
Adapted and directed for the stage by Adam Bampton-Smith from the books by Mo Willems
Design by Claire Sutherland
Lighting Design by Will Evans
Music by Shock Productions
Lyrics by Guy Picot
Running time: 45 mins
Copy
Mo Willem's Pigeon is back and ready to party! Squeezing all the fun of the first three Pigeon books into one
raucous production, this lively show for children 3 and up is full of fun, feathers, laughter and excitement and
features original music and lots of audience participation. Meet the friendly hot dog man, Pigeon’s new friend
Duckie and the lovable Knuffle Bunny! Can you stop Pigeon driving the bus? Will he share the hot-dog? And
after all that it’s time for bed, the Bus Driver wants Pigeon to go to bed, all his friends want him to go to bed,
but the question is will you let him stay up late???
Musical Numbers
Just the Ticket (Bus Driver)
Hot Dog Party! (Pigeon and Duckie)
Five More Minutes (Pigeon)
We Could Count the Stars (Pigeon and Duckie)
Hot Dog Party! reprise (Pigeon and Duckie)
Resources
www.pigeonpresents.com
(Games, info, teacher’s pack and print-outs)
www.mowillems.com
www.bigwoodenhorse.com
30 NORTHFIELD ROAD, WEST EALING, LONDON W13 9SY, UK
tel: +44(0)208 5678 431 email: [email protected] web: www.bigwoodenhorse.com
About Us
BIG WOODEN HORSE THEATRE COMPANY aims to present high quality theatre to younger audiences
across the United Kingdom and to represent the best of British theatre craft abroad. We believe that young
people deserve highest quality of writing, performance and production that a professional theatre company
can offer. The company's productions will always strive to both entertain and inform young people, drawing
from different cultures and traditions to present entertaining and educational work.
CAST AND CREW
ED BURNSIDE (BUS DRIVER / HOT DOG MAN / DUCKIE)
Ed trained as an actor gaining a BA Hons in Acting (First) at Italia Conti. He has
toured extensively. Notable credits include Twelfth Night (Stafford), Iphigenia at
Aulis (Oxford Playhouse, dir. Helen Eastman), Marat Sade (dir. Philip Wilson),
three years at the Edinburgh Festival winning a Fringe First for Jekyll (Adam
House Theatre), Candide (Landor Theatre), Power (National Theatre, dir.
Lindsay Posner), Mafeking! (Bridewell Theatre), The Tempest and Macbeth
(Tours and New Players Theatre, West End). He is co-Artistic Director of Dorset
Corset Theatre Company, directing and performing around the UK in their
adaptations of Persuasion, Far From The Madding Crowd, Northanger Abbey
and Under The Greenwood Tree. For Big Wooden Horse: The Night Before
Christmas (Brighton Dome, Artsdepot and tour: director of the Arts Depot revival), Don't Let The Pigeon Stay
up Late! (national tour). Ed danced in Jane Campion's new film, Bright Star (choreographed by Jack Murphy)
and most recently, played Max/Erich in Imaginary Forces' highly acclaimed new play, The Iron Eyelashes,
(Dublin and Brighton Festivals and tour).
NATHAN GUY (PIGEON)
Nathan began his training at Aberystwyth University of Wales before graduating
with his Masters degree from Central School of Speech & Drama. Theatre
credits include: Silly Billy in Jack & the Beanstalk (Civic Theatre, Chelmsford),
Stingy in Lazy Town Live & Lazy Town Live Pirate Adventure! (UK Tours) Idle
Jack in Dick Whittington (The Hexagon, Reading), Pigeon in Dont Let the Pigeon
Stay Up Late! (UK Tour), Will Scarlet in Robin Hood (The Connaught, Worthing),
The Gruffalo/Predators in The Gruffalo’s Child (UK Tour), Whiff in Whiff (Peoples
Theatre, Newcastle), Muddles in Sleeping Beauty (The Connaught, Worthing),
Ertaozi in Love is Verticle (Corn Exchange Newbury & The Maltings Farnham),
Billy in The Snow Dragon (UK, USA & Polish Tour), Owl in The Owl & the
Pussycat (UK Tour) both productions for Tall Stories, Punch in Topsy Turvy (Baron’s Court Theatre), Hansel
in Hansel & Gretel (UK Tour), Joe in The Selfish Giant (UK Tour) and Prince Tristan in Goblins Don’t Scare
Us (New End Theatre, Hampstead). TV, Film & credits Include: Prince Otto in Genie in the House Series 2
for Nickelodeon, Toby in the short film Schools Out, Bubble Gum Boy in the short Stray Balloon and more
recently Nathan completed shooting his first feature Three Minute Moments playing the role of Tom opposite
Belinda Lang.
CJ (Company Stage Manager)
CJ originally hails from sunny Los Angeles, CA where she first discovered her passion for theatre before
moving to England to study. She received her BA (Hons) degree in Stage Management and Technical
Theatre from GSA Conservatoire and her BA (Hons) in Film and Media Production from London Southbank
University. She has worked on the technical side of many shows including, Chaplin: A Memory as
Entertainment, The Storm, The Importance of Being Earnest, Cold Comfort Farm, The Secret Garden and
the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre’s Pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk. This is her second year with Big
Wooden Horse Theatre Company where she has stage managed the US tour of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive
the Bus and the UK tours of The Night Before Christmas and Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
30 NORTHFIELD ROAD, WEST EALING, LONDON W13 9SY, UK
tel: +44(0)208 5678 431 email: [email protected] web: www.bigwoodenhorse.com
CREATIVES
MO WILLEMS (Author)
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for PBS’ Sesame
Street, where he garnered 6 Emmy Awards for his writing. During
his nine seasons at Sesame Street, Mo also served as a weekly
commentator for BBC Radio and created two animated series,
Nickelodeon’s The Off-Beats and Cartoon Network’s Sheep in
the Big City. While serving as head writer for Cartoon Network’s
#1 rated show, Codename: Kids Next Door, Mo began writing
and drawing books for children. His debut effort, Don’t Let the
Pigeon Drive the Bus! became a New York Times Bestseller and
was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2004. The following year
Knuffle Bunny: a Cautionary Tale was awarded a Caldecott
Honor. The sequel, Knuffle Bunny Too: a Case of Mistaken
Identity garnered Mo his third Caldecott Honor in 2008. In
addition to picture books, Mo created the Elephant and Piggie
books, a series of “Easy Readers”, which were awarded the
Theodor Suess Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009, and an illustrated memoir of his year-long trip around the
world in 1990-91 entitled You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons. Mo’s drawings, wire
sculptures, and ceramics (done in collaboration with his father) have exhibited in numerous galleries and
museums across the nation and his graphic story about his family experiences during 9/11 for DC comics
resides in the Library of Congress’ permanent collection. Mo can be heard on NPR’s All Things Considered
where he occasionally serves as the broadcast’s ‘Radio Cartoonist’. While no longer working in television,
Mo voices and produces animated cartoons based on his books with Weston Woods studios. The animated
Knuffle Bunny was awarded Best Film during the New York International Children’s Film Festival in 2008 and
received the Andrew Carnegie Medal in 2007. Mo lives in Massachusetts with his family.
ADAM BAMPTON-SMITH (Writer/Director)
Adam founded Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company in 2003 to create theatre specifically for young
audiences. He wrote and directed Pigeon Party! which has toured the UK for the past year and is now due to
tour the USA well into 2011. For the company he has also written and produced The Legend of Perseus,
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! and The Night Before Christmas. His
show based on the first Pigeon book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! toured extensively throughout the
UK and North America, where it spent for three extremely successful seasons. Adam also wrote and directed
an adaptation of the L Frank Baum novel The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus which premiered in the UK
this Christmas season.
CLAIRE SUTHERLAND (Designer)
Claire is an award winning Designer (IVCA Clarion 2008) who has worked with Theatre, Film and Opera
Companies throughout the UK as a Set, Costume, Props Designer and Scenic Artist. Theatre design credits
include: Holes, Theatre Royal Bath; Moll Flanders at Chatham Central Theatre; Lola, Trestle Theatre; The
town of total darkness for Edcoms; The Just at White Bear Theatre; Fairytaleheart at The Old Red Lion and
is the Youth Designer at The Circus Space. Claire has also worked with Chloe Lamford (2007 TMA Best
Design Award) on theatre, film and opera projects over the past three years. These include The Full
Monteverdi, a feature length opera film, Lola at Trestle Arts Base & The Magic Flute, English Touring Opera.
30 NORTHFIELD ROAD, WEST EALING, LONDON W13 9SY, UK
tel: +44(0)208 5678 431 email: [email protected] web: www.bigwoodenhorse.com
WILL EVANS (Lighting Designer)
Will trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Lighting design credits include: for Big Wooden
Horse, Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, The Tempest, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and The
Legend of Perseus; for Tall Stories How the Giraffe got its Neck, Monster Hits, Does A Monster Live Next
Door?, Cat and No Mouse. Other lighting design credits include: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber,
Showbiz Pops Orchestra/Really Useful Group; Thark, Upstairs at the Gatehouse/Hidden Pearl Productions;
Big Space, Battersea Arts Centre; Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Buxton Opera House; Honeymoon in Flames,
Pauper’s Pit Theatre, Buxton; Serenading Louie, RADA; Spend Spend Spend and 7 Lears (Birmingham
School of Acting). Will also lit the popular jazz singer Clare Teals’ Paradisi Carousel tour in 2007. Re-lights
include national tours of: An Inspector Calls, PW Productions; Mine, War and Peace, Jane Eyre, Orestes
and Kindertransport, Shared Experience; Street Trilogy, Theatre Absolute; HMS Pinafore, Carl Rosa Opera,
Golden Boy, Broadway Productions; Something Else and The Snow Dragon and Snow White, Tall Stories.
Associate Lighting Design on The Gruffalo, Arts Theatre, London for Tall Stories. Will is an Executive
Member of the Association of Lighting Designers.
SHOCK PRODUCTIONS (Music)
Jon Fiber and Andy Shaw of Shock Productions have composed and recorded songs and sound effects for
theatre since 1997. Current show highlights include, for Big Wooden Horse: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the
Bus! UK and international tours; Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, UK tour; The Night Before Christmas,
UK tour; The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, UK tour. For Tall Stories: Room on the Broom, UK & USA
tour; The Gruffalo, UK and international tours; William’s Monster, UK and international tour; How the Giraffe
Got It’s Neck, UK tour; Snow White, UK & USA tours and sound design for David Wood’s production of The
Tiger Who Came to Tea, UK tour.
GUY PICOT (Lyrics)
Guy has written lyrics for the Big Wooden Horse shows Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and The Night
Before Christmas, as well as the forthcoming The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. He also wrote lyrics
for The Rabbit and The Hedgehog for Theatre Royal York. For TV Guy has written episodes of Bad Girls and
Footballers’ Wives and was script associate on the West End show Bad Girls The Musical. He has directed
his own shows Bonnie in Brighton, People Who Don't Do Dinner Parties and The Christmas Present. He is
currently developing a comedy drama TV project in LA.
30 NORTHFIELD ROAD, WEST EALING, LONDON W13 9SY, UK
tel: +44(0)208 5678 431 email: [email protected] web: www.bigwoodenhorse.com