Greenwich Children’s Theatre Festival by James Haddrell

Back in 2007 here at Greenwich Theatre we launched the Greenwich Children’s Theatre Festival.

It was probably the first major initiative that I implemented after being appointed as director, and in that first year with financial support from Docklands Light Railway we programmed six different productions.

The festival was designed to be just one of several bridging points for families through the year, so that our pantomime audience – which was transitory then – could stay connected to the venue through the year.

Until that time, it seemed that audiences moved between local pantomimes – Greenwich, Bromley, Dartford, Stratford, Hackney – but we were keen to build a loyal audience that would feel connected to the venue and come year after year.

That’s very difficult to achieve if you only see people once every 12 months. One thing is clear – the strategy worked.

Our annual pantomime audience is now a regular loyal audience that returns each Christmas, we’re now building a regular family summer show – and the festival has continued to grow and grow.

Among the nearly 30 performances, some of the bigger shows this year include a stage version of Fireman Sam and a Greenwich debut for the Ministry of Science.

Looking at the scientists, engineers and inventors who have shaped the modern world, with a few loud bangs along the way, this utterly entertaining show will prove that everyone in the audience, however young, has the ability to change the world.

Other shows that will share some amazing facts with our young audiences include Curious Investigators, developed in collaboration with engineering experts from Lancaster University and following the fortunes of Scribble and Clipboard as they find a mysterious egg hidden among the recycling.

Meanwhile, the rock ’n’ roll infused Dinosaurs and all that Rubbish is an imaginative adaptation of Michael Foreman’s environmental tale with dancing dinosaurs, while Animals is an interactive show full of original songs which celebrates the amazing wildlife around us and makes big things feel possible.

A series of well-known stories also feature, including The Little Mermaid over the Easter weekend itself, Tales from A Thousand and One Nights, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and The King of Nothing – a new puppet musical based on The Emperor’s New Clothes.

The festival has always aimed to offer something for young people of all ages, so I am also delighted that SheWolves, named by The Stage newspaper in their list of the best Edinburgh Fringe shows from last year, is now confirmed to play on the final night.

The show, which is ideal for teenagers and is described as “somewhere between Booksmart, Little Miss Sunshine and Thelma & Louise”, is an uplifting and empowering play about the power of hope and forging friendships when you’re a bit weird.

Add in a series of workshops and participatory activities, plus puppetry productions of Pinocchio, The Nosy Little Troll, and the beautiful ecological Breathe, told from the perspective of an acorn, and we should be all set for a stunning fortnight of theatre.

 

 

Picture: Breathe. Picture: Half A String