Little M

Anders Duckworth

Silhouette of Little M, a Silhouette of Little M, a person with long hair, wearing a draped flowing translucent fabric, holding a model ship with red sails. Backlit to create a dreamy, underwater-like glow, the image evokes a sense of a dreamlike world. with long hair, wearing a draped flowing translucent fabric, holding a model ship with red sails. Backlit to create a dreamy, underwater-like glow, the image evokes a sense of a dreamlike world.

About Little M

Family ticket: Two adults and two under 16s for £40! Applies automatically at checkout

Have you ever wondered what’s below the surface?

Little M is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid for anyone who feels like they're swimming against the tide.

Little M and their friend Punk the Puffer Fish find a suitcase filled with mysterious treasures, leading them to wonder about the ‘world above’. With their questions met by silence under the sea, they embark on an epic adventure intro the wondrous worlds above the waves and deep down below.

Fantastical puppetry, magical transformations and spectacular dance all combine to tell this extraordinary coming-of-age story. Little M brings a celebration of difference and acceptance for everyone aged eight and above, choreographed and co-directed by Anders Duckworth, and written and co-directed by Luke Skilbeck.

About Anders Duckworth

Anders (they/them) is a British/Swedish, trans, non-binary dance artist, choreographer, and visual artist.

Their creative practice blurs boundaries between movement and visual arts and is heavily rooted in collaboration, often with artists in fields such as computer coding, residual media, fine art, projection, fashion, music technology, and design. They make work that seeks to question our relationship with the material and explore how dance and other art forms can be combined to create magical worlds.

After initially studying art and design, Anders graduated from the London Contemporary Dance School in 2014, later returning to complete their MA. They are currently a Work Place (associate) Artist at The Place (21-26).

About Luke Skilbeck

Luke Skilbeck (they/he)'s work centres queer and trans experiences in unexpected ways, and has been described as 'powerful, dynamic and irreverent' by The Scotsman. They work extensively as a writer, director and associate director.

Luke is passionate about creating work for and with children, young people and their grown-ups. This includes Marty and the Party (Milk Presents / Derby Theatre, UK tour including HOME Manchester and the Southbank Centre) and more recently directing Tabby Lamb's How We Swam (National Youth Theatre).

Past work includes: as co-director - Modest(by Ellen Brammer and MiddleChild, midscale UK tour), Trans Filth and Joy supporting Christine and the Queens (Milk Presents / Trans Creative, Royal Festival Hall), cabaret Chekhov (The Bear/The Proposal,Young Vic), and as writer/director - drag king play JOAN, (winner of Off West End Award and Fringe First Award, Milk Presents/Derby Theatre), Associate Director on Queer cult musical Fun Home based on Alison Bechdel's memoir (Young Vic).

Cast & Creatives

Choreographer & Co-Director: Anders Duckworth

Writer & Co-Director: Luke Skilbeck

Designer: E. M. Parry

Associate Costume Designer & Supervisor: Eve Oakley

Associate Set Designer & Supervisor: Kit Hinchliffe

Puppet Maker & Co-Designer: Scamp Niemz

Lighting Designer: Carey Chomsoonthorn

Composition & Sound Design: Nicole Raymond / NikNak

Additional Music & Production: Joseph Smith

Dancers: Jose Funnell, Áine Reynolds, Naissa Bjørn, Tylee Jones

Production Manager: Helen Mugridge

Stage Manager: Florian Lim

Project Facilitator: Orrow Bell

Associate Direction: ShayShay

Co-Produced and commissioned by The Place.Supported by FEAST, Yorkshire Danceand Gendered Intelligence.

  • Two performers are on a stage with a set resembling a tangled net of ropes. One performer sits atop a bed frame with their arms outstretched, wearing a large, purple costume. The second performer stands beside the bed, looking to the side.
  • Three performers are on a dark stage, leaning back in a curtsy position with their arms raised. The central performer, in a shiny green skirt and a light top, is the clearest, while the others are slightly blurred in the foreground, creating a synchronized, fluid motion
  • A performer in a captain's hat with a lit-up model ship on top crouches forward on a dimly lit, foggy stage. The scene is cast in an orange glow from the stage lights.
  • Three performers are in a choreographed pose under a vibrant blue light. The central performer extends their arms wide, with the other two performers in mirrored poses on either side, all wearing knit tops.