The Lion Bling – everything you need to know
Venue
The Exchange Theatre, Twickenham, TW1 1BE
The theatre is opposite Twickenham station.
Tickets
Tickets can only be purchased directly from the Twickenham Exchange:
PLEASE NOTE: Train strike on Saturday
There’s a train strike on Saturday. It’s possible the knock-on impact of the strike may also cause some service disruption on Sunday.
Please leave plenty of time for your journey and use alternative transport, if possible. If you don’t drive, there are lots of buses that go through Twickenham. CLICK HERE for the TFL BUS PLANNER.
Parking
- The multi-storey car park on Arragon Road is closest to the theatre. Please note: This car park closes on Sundays at 6 pm.
- People coming to see the Sunday evening performance will need to find alternative parking.
- There is some local free residential street parking and here is a list of car parks in the Twickenham area.
- Please note: parents are not allowed to park in front or behind the Exchange Theatre.
Food and drink
Please pack for your child:
- Lots of food and snacks – enough to last the day, but no nuts please as we have children with serious allergies.
- Lots of water – please pack two or three large bottles of water for each child, not just their normal-sized bottle. It gets very hot backstage.
Costumes
Please double-check your children have all their costumes, including their ESDA t-shirts for the finale.
If you’ve paid for an ESDA t-shirt but have not collected it yet, please tell us before Saturday.
If your child accidentally came home with an extra item of costume, please bring it this weekend so we can return it to its owner.
Please remember your child also needs an old, baggy t-shirt to wear over their costume – this is to protect their costume when they’re eating and drinking backstage.
Show start and finish times
The show is approximately two hours.
Saturday matinee: 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Saturday evening: 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm
Sunday matinee: 2.30 pm – 4.30 pm
Sunday evening: 6 pm – 8 pm
When to bring your child to the theatre
Saturday shows (except under 5s)
Please bring your child to the theatre at 2 pm.
Sunday shows (except under 5s)
Please bring your child to the theatre at 1 pm.
Under 5s – Saturday shows
Please bring your child to the theatre at 3 pm – this is a little later than originally requested.
Under 5s – Sunday shows
Please bring your child to the theatre at 2 pm – this is a little later than originally requested.
What happens between the matinee and evening performances
On both Saturday and Sunday, there’s a break between the matinee performance and the evening performance – we’ll look after your child backstage during this time.
If you’re taking your child out during the break
Please email us ASAP – it’s vital we know which children are staying with us and which are being taken out by parents.
Please return your child to the theatre at least 30 minutes before the evening show so they can change into their costume and prepare hair and make-up.
If your child is 16 or older and you’re happy they leave the theatre between performances
We must have written permission from you – an email or text is fine.
If we don’t have written permission, we can’t let them leave the theatre.
How we will hand children over after the evening shows
We will dismiss groups from different exit points in a specific order. This is to ease congestion and get your children to you as quickly as possible.
Saturday evening
Ground-floor doors (at the bottom of the stairs):
- Infantry
- Unbreakable
- Groundbreakerz Seniors
- Dynamite
First-floor doors (near the bar area and auditorium entrance):
- Rampage
- Future Fresh
- Fierce
- Eliza Crew (non-Fierce crew)
Sunday evening
Ground-floor doors (at the bottom of the stairs):
- Tiny Tycoons
- Groundbreakerz Minis
- Ignite Juniors
- Zara’s Crew
First-floor doors (near the bar area and auditorium entrance):
- Aspire
- Little Legends
- Abstrakt
- Darrick’s Crew (non-Abstrakt crew)
Hair & Make-Up
- Please can all girls wear light make-up for the performance as the stage lights can wash out the complexion.
- A bit of colour on their lips, eyes and cheeks if possible but nothing too crazy and bright. – subtle is good.
- Please can dancers arrive at the dress rehearsal on the 19th and the day of the show with makeup already applied.
- Please bring a brush and extra make-up if required.
Hair required for each group
Please can dancers arrive at the dress rehearsal on the 19th of June and the show day with hair already done as below (boys’ hair just neat and tidy please):
High Top Teenies (Under 5’s)
2 low plaits. If hair is too short then two low bunches if possible
Rampage (10 am infants)
2 low plaits. If hair is too short then two low bunches if possible
Groundbreakerz Seniors (10 am Breakdance group)
Two French plaits
Groundbreakerz Minis (11 am Breakdance group)
Two French plaits
Aspire (Eliza’s 11 am Juniors)
Hair half up, half down
Future Fresh (Chris’ 11 am Juniors)
2 French plaits or 1 French plait
Abstrakt (Darrick’s Seniors) & Darrick Crew
Whatever style the seniors prefer but their hair needs to be completely off their face with no loose strands hanging down
Infantry (Eliza’s 12 pm infants)
2 low plaits
Tiny Tycoons (Chris’ 1.15 pm infants)
2 low plaits. If hair is too short then two low bunches if possible
Little Legends (Eliza’s 1 pm Young Seniors)
High slick ponytail (please use gel/spray to make the pony really sleek)
Ignite (Zara’s 2 pm Juniors)
2 French plaits or 1 French plait
Eliza Crew
Same as Little Legends
Fierce (Zara’s 3 pm Seniors)
High slick ponytail (please use gel/spray to make the pony really sleek
Unbreakable
All boys so just neat and tidy, please
Dynamite & Senior Crew
Whatever style the seniors prefer but their hair needs to be completely off their face with no loose strands hanging down