Search begins for Sesame Tree cast

Northern Ireland’s version of Sesame Street will be known as Sesame Tree. The title for the local version of the internationally acclaimed educational series was confirmed today as auditions for local cast members began.

Sesame Tree is being produced in association with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organisation behind Sesame Street, by Belfast-based production company, Sixteen South. The programme will be set in and around the Sesame Tree – a wonderful hollow tree where a number of new, specially created puppets live.

The twenty 15 minute programmes will feature two new Muppet characters, developed by local writers and brought to life by local performers, who seek answers to children’s questions through Muppet scenes, live action sequences in and around Northern Ireland, and classic Sesame Street segments featuring characters such as Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster and Elmo.

Sixteen South is currently holding auditions to find local performers who can act and sing to bring the stars of Sesame Tree to life. The local producers are being assisted in their search by Sesame Street Muppeteer, Marty Robinson, who plays Sesame Street characters Aloysius Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster and Slimey the Worm as well as others.

Sesame Tree’s Executive Producer Colin Williams says: “We have worked closely with Sesame Workshop and with educational consultants to create this exciting, new format Sesame Tree where we combine new Muppets, developed specially for our local audience, live action sequences filmed across Northern Ireland and classic Sesame Street moments. Through the fun interaction of the Muppets in studio, Sesame Street archive clips and live action films, local children will enjoy learning about themselves and others.

Over the next six months Sixteen South’s writers and newly recruited puppeteers will work with Sesame Workshop, local education advisers to develop the series. The new Sesame Tree Muppets are currently being made by the Jim Henson Company in New York and will be introduced to their Northern Ireland audience in the coming months in advance of Sesame Tree’s premiere on BBC Northern Ireland television in Spring 2008.

Sesame Workshop is the non-profit organisation of writers, artists, educators and researchers, best known for Sesame Street. In countries around the world, Sesame Workshop brings together local experts to develop locally relevant, educationally valuable resources such as Sesame Tree.

In Northern Ireland, Sesame Tree is being produced by local production company, Sixteen South, part of the Inferno Group. A Sesame Tree website is being developed by BBC Northern Ireland. NIPPA, the early years organisation, is working to develop community outreach and educational materials for preschool organisations across Northern Ireland. Sesame Tree will be broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland television in Spring 2008.

In line with the new curriculum for Northern Ireland, Sesame Tree will give children the opportunity to learn through play and enjoy exploring their own and others’ feelings and emotions, similarities and differences between groups of people and how our responsibilities for self and others help us to live as a member of a community.

The International Fund for Ireland, The American Ireland Fund (which serves as the project’s anchor sponsor), the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation and NI Screen have contributed funding to the production of the TV series, and the provision of community outreach and educational materials.