The Polka Theatre will get beastly (in a good way) this autumn as it welcomes Theatre-Rites’ hilarious and magical Beasty Baby and much-loved classic Beauty & The Beast through its doors.
Offering new plays, page to stage adaptations and beasts of all shapes and sizes, the new season runs from September to March, promising a “wild winter” for its young theatre-loving visitors.
Beasty Baby, a lively celebration of family and growing up, will play in the Adventure Theatre from 14 October to 3 January, inviting children aged three to six-years-old to enter the playfully yucky world inhabited by the mischievous but totally lovable title character.
In the main theatre from 20 November to 7 February, enchanting children’s classic Beauty & The Beast will bring its tale of two very different sisters to the venue. Charles Way’s exhilarating take on the much-loved story, which is suitable for children aged six to 12-years-old, follows the timid Belle as she leaves her feisty sister Cassandra to embark on a courageous journey to save her father from a fearsome beast.
Those mourning the loss of The Gruffalo when it ends its West End run this summer can delight in another of Julia Donaldson’s bestselling tales as the former Children’s Laureate’s The Paper Dolls plays in the Adventure Theatre from 8 January to 13 March.
Lovingly adapted and directed by Peter Glanville, the tale of childhood, memory and the power of the imagination follows a little girl who makes a string of paper dolls as she takes them on a magical adventure encountering a toy dinosaur, a snapping oven glove crocodile and a very real pair of scissors.
The Polka Theatre’s autumn/winter season will also welcome stories by authors including Raymond Briggs, Ted Hughes and David McKee for short runs at the venue.
Briggs’ The Bear (23 October to 8 November) tells the story of a snowy white bear who climbs into a girl’s bedroom, Hughes’ The Tiger Bones & Other Stories (25 to 28 February) features imaginative and funny stories by the former Poet Laureate and McKee’s Not Now, Bernard & Other Monster Stories (12 to 21 February) brings the writer’s much-loved tale of the title character to life alongside The Two Monsters and The Monster And The Teddy Bear.
Other season highlights include pre-historic dinosaur journey What To Do When You Find A Dinosaur (24 September to 4 October), interactive show Claytime (25 to 27 September), Ellen Havard’s Hurricane Boy (7 to 11 October), Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin’s iconic The Sagas Of Noggin The Nog (15 to 18 October) and much-loved classic Thumbelina (3 and 4 October).
Tickets for Polka Theatre’s new season can be booked through the venue’s website.