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"One tree makes a million matchsticks.

That's what I like, knowing I could use a million and have basically no affect on the outside."

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In prison, where choice is restricted and control is enforced, change seems impossible. When Dani gets sent to prison counselling for anger issues she is reluctant to communicate with her counsellor, Heather. Heather introduces Dani to the art of matchstick modelling. What happens when two very different women, from contrasting backgrounds, find common ground in the unlikeliest of circumstances? Matchsticks forces us to consider the value of art, the importance of relationships, and the impact of incarceration. Inspired by a true story, it provides a window into the often-misunderstood lives of prison inmates.

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Originally titled Matchstick Models, this piece started in its R&D state at the Play4Free festival in Manchester. Then we took it to Basel, Switzerland as a one-act play. We adapted it into a two-hander production for the Greater Manchester Fringe. Most recently, we took it to the Oldham Coliseum Studio as part of our Studio Takeover.