During her days of studying drama and theatre arts at Queen Margaret University, Heather Fulton’s passion for children’s theatre was born.
In 2003, she become a trainee with the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival travelling the world for two years to learn the trade.
Through this, she met Brenda Murphy, and together they founded the theatre company Frozen Charlotte.
The company was established to create ambitious and inventive theatre for – and with – children and young people.
Almost 20 years later, the Moray-based company continues to thrive with their shows in Scotland and abroad.
They are also always focusing on ensuring children from all walks of life get the opportunities to experience theatre.
She has learned a lot from visiting different children’s theatre festivals in countries like Denmark, Norway and Belgium.
And saw a gap in the market.
Heather said: “From my traineeship, I learned a lot about hands-on experience, especially that I wanted to direct and create for really young children.
“At that time, there wasn’t much work being made for preschoolers, mostly for primary age.
“That gap made me wonder why no one was addressing it.
“The traineeship helped me connect with experienced companies, which supported me in securing funding for my first show.”
First show
She added: “My first show, Moussa’s Castle, was created in 2006.
“It was inspired by a story I heard in Lebanon when visiting a friend about a man who defied expectations and built a Disney-like castle.
“I loved the theme of children dreaming big despite adults doubting them.
“We made the show for two- to five-year-olds, using cardboard boxes as a low-budget set, and it premiered at the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival.
“It toured across the UK, Ireland, and beyond, proving that even a simple concept can resonate deeply.
“We’re now hoping to bring it back for a schools tour if we secure three years of core funding. It’s a timeless piece that continues to feel relevant.”
Meanwhile, she believes it is important to ensure the quality is high.
She said: “Just because it’s for children doesn’t mean it should be any less thoughtful, with anything less than the best performers or the highest production values.
“It should be the best it can be.
“The rewarding part is being in the rehearsal room or seeing children’s reactions to the work.
“We develop many shows by working directly in nurseries, incorporating the children’s input so they can see their world reflected on stage.”
Frozen Charlotte around the world
Since the company started, 145,000 people have watched their shows.
They have produced shows including Paperbelle and Too Many Penguins which have been hits and toured around the world.
She said: “We performed Paperbelle and Valentina’s Galaxy shows at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh through the funding scheme Made in Scotland, which attracts a lot of international bookers.
“It led to our show Paperbelle being toured across China to Beijing, Suzhou and Shanghai.
“The audiences in China are so massive and it has been a great help in bringing income into the company.
“It’s a great hallmark of your work that it’s enjoyed by audiences that don’t even speak the same language.
“Lots of our work has a very limited amount of language in it.
“It is great to tour in many other countries like Bahrain, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Norway too.”
Frozen Charlotte’s challenges and future ambitions
It is far from easy running a theatre company.
As a charity, it has board of five people.
One of the biggest challenges is funding as it becomes more difficult to get.
Heather said: “Setting up a theatre company has been challenging because we work on a project-to-project basis and have a small team.
“Sustainability is hard when most of your time is spent applying for funding.
“I’m a freelancer, so it can make it difficult to build momentum.”
She added: “To manage the demands of funding applications, we’ve started working with producers like Riff Raff, who have helped a lot.
“For example, our Creative Scotland application for multi-year funding required a business plan and significant preparation.
“If we secure this funding, it would be transformative, allowing us to work in schools long-term, create new shows based on children’s voices, and provide consistent support to families through creative play workshops.”
‘It is a meaningful ambition for the future’
She wants to grow the theatre company even more and continue to reach more children in schools and beyond.
Heather said: “Our ambitions include becoming the leading children’s theatre company in Moray and the north of Scotland.
“We’d love to tour regularly, provide continuing professional development for teachers, and ensure that all children, regardless of background, have access to live performances.
“Touring Moray schools is particularly impactful because it reaches children who might not otherwise have these opportunities.”
Another ambition is to have an Elgin town centre home which would help support the company’s work.
She said: “It would be amazing to have an actual building, as we could design it in a way that truly works for families.
“We’re always facing various challenges, especially as we’ve started creating work for children with additional support needs.
“Issues like accessibility in old buildings can be difficult, and there’s often limited space for things like nappy changing and other family necessities.
“Having a dedicated home would make such a difference—somewhere children could feel is their space too.
“That would be an incredible place and a meaningful ambition for the future.”
Click here to find out more and support Frozen Charlotte.
Read more stories:
- How a stonemason put down his tools to open up a yoga centre on Elgin’s Batchen Street
- The Seaforth: How a social club housed inside a former Elgin hotel is striving to adapt to ever-changing times
- Moray Sports Centre: Climbing walls, a world-class tennis centre (and the challenge of a PureGym a mile away)
Conversation