Little M
by Anders Duckworth

About Little M
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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 is a celebration of difference for everyone aged nine 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
From cabaret Chekhov (The Bear/The Proposal, Young Vic) to drag king plays (JOAN, winner of Off West End Award and Fringe First Award, Milk Presents/Derby Theatre) Luke Sklibeck’s work centers Queer and trans experiences in unexpected ways. Luke is the Artistic Director of Milk Presents Theatre Company, formally an Associate Company of Derby Theatre and the Bush Theatre.
Their work has been described as ‘powerful, dynamic and irreverent’ by The Scotsman, and they are quoted by The Stage as making ‘theatre that flies in the face of convention’. Luke works extensively as a writer, director and associate director, including as Associate Director on Queer cult musical Fun Home based on Alison Bechdel’s memoir (Young Vic) and more recently in TV, including writing a non-binary crime thriller (87 Films / Freemantle). Luke is a leading trainer for venues and organisations to enable them to make positive change and welcome trans and Queer audiences and artists into more spaces. Their work with young people spans over twelve years, from running youth theatres to creating work for children, young people and their grown-ups.
Cast & Creatives
Choreographer & Co-Director: Anders Duckworth
Writer & Co-Director: Luke Skilbeck
Designer: E. M. Parry
Composer: NikNak
Puppet Maker & Co-Designer: Scamp
Dancers: Jose Funnell, Áine Reynolds, Naissa Bjørn, Tylee Jones
Project Facilitator: Orrow Bell
Production Manager: Helen Mugridge
Stage Manager: Florian Lim
Co-Produced and commissioned by The Place. Supported by FEAST, Yorkshire Dance and Gendered Intelligence.