After a successful run at Vault Festival with Luna earlier this year, and their first foray into digital theatre with lockdown inspired show (It’s Not All) Zoom and Gloom, Roustabout Theatre are back with a new improvised family show which will be performed both on stage and online. The Great Big Story Mix Up is a highly interactive show which puts children’s imaginations at the heart of the action in a completely original way.
When the show is performed on stage, the company uses suggestions, interruptions, and wild ideas from its young audience to create never-before-seen fairy tales. Now the award-winning family theatre company have created a new online version which takes the nonsense to a completely different dimension through the addition of animated children’s drawings…
‘Imagine your artwork becoming the scenery for a play, with the actors performing inside your drawing,’ . ‘That’s exactly what we have worked out how to do! Now I can’t explain how – a magician never reveals his tricks – but any drawing sent to us before the show could feature in the performance. We can even animate them so that they move!’
Will Monks, Technical Wizard
For director and performer, Toby Hulse it’s very important to let children have creative and control. Performer and producer, Shaelee Rooke agrees, highlighting how difficult the last year has been for children and how little space they have had for imagination and play. The Great Big Story Mix Up gives them space to do this, celebrating the unique way in which children see the world and allowing them to collaborate with the performers to see their ideas and artwork come to life in front of them.
‘It’s all about being surprised. I might be playing a hideous troll in a drawing of a cave at one moment, then a child will blow the Horn of Song and the troll will suddenly have to rap about what he eats for breakfast. Then the scene will change to a painting of a castle, and I’ll be scrabbling to find the right costume to play a beautiful princess. We all have to think so quickly!’
Robin Hemmings, performer
Hosted by Oxford Playhouse with support from boomsatuma, The Great Big Story Mix Up will play live and online from Saturday, October 24 to Wednesday, October 28. Why not join Roustabout Theatre for an hour of laughter and nonsense? And be sure to send in your pictures before the performance. Without your imaginations, the show can’t go on!