Fantastical encounters lead Thumbelina to faraway lands where she finds the meaning of freedom & true love. A Hans Christian Andersen tale brought to life in a one-woman show by Egyptian-German singer-composer , through song from Europe to the Middle East, referencing Sephardic folklore, Gershwin, Darwish and Merit Ariane.  This follows Turkish virtuoso oud-player Baha Yetkin perform his repertoire of Turkish Makam, a constantly evolving music form from Istanbul's 13th century, one of the world's great music traditions.

Enter the world of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale Thumbelina. Thumbelina, a girl the size of a human’s thumb is sent off into the big, wide world. Magic moments and fantastical encounters lead to a journey to lands afar. Everyday life in Mother Nature turns into an extraordinary experience through the eyes of little Thumbelina as she meets a beautiful butterfly, a scary toad, a mole with furs more expensive than the queen’s and a swallow, who will finally take her to meet the angel of the flower. Thumbelina’s story is interpreted by singer and composer Merit Ariane, who has created her own unique theatrical performance of the tale, merging a wide variety of musical traditions.

Merit Ariane Stephanos is a singer and composer specialising in Arab and Middle Eastern vocal music. Inspired by her multicultural heritage and her initial training as a Western classical singer, Merit draws on classical Arabic and Western contemporary influences in her music and is passionate about exploring a musical dialogue between these cultures. Merit has a special interest in early Arab Christian chant, which she began researching in Lebanon in 2012, supported by a Gerald Finzi Trust scholarship. Merit performed at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2014, as Cantor in David Eldrige’s new play ‘Holy Warriors’. Most recently, Merit and composer Morag Galloway won a Terry Holmes composer/performer commission, which resulted in the premiere of ‘Swimming between Shores’, a music theatre piece exploring a women’s journey through identity, at the opening of the York Festival of New Music. Merit is a professor at the Royal College of Music, where she teaches creative and leadership skills.

Baha Yetkin began his musical career by taking lessons in Turkish Classical Music in 2000 at the Bogazici Turkish Music Foundation Conservatory. He has performed in concerts in Turkey and European countries, with numerous famous musicians (Inci Cayirli, Mustafa Keser, Zeki Cetin etc.) and has collaborated with a number of prestigious organisations (Shakespeare’s 7 Theater Play, Alamar Fest, Royal Albert Hall Presents etc.). He is involved in two flamenco projects in Istanbul and Cordoba. He is the only Turkish-style oud teacher and Ottoman Makam Music teacher in London.

Merit's website: http://bit.ly/21kdrt1

The venue is a deliciously sumptuous sofa-filled home-crafted cinema like none other, housed in a beautiful building oozing the history both of the neighbourhood and of costume creation. Even the loos are like none other in London!! Uniquely again, a ticket entitles you to free tea/coffee. Stronger stuff is available at the riverside Mayflower Pub, only a few cobble stones away. Sands Films is an inspiringly intimate place to hear fabulous music.