The giant upturned purple cow otherwise known as the E4 Udderbelly returns to the South Bank this summer offering a range of delights for families.
In line with the venue’s adult programming – a mixture of cabaret, comedy, theatre and quirky performance – the Udderbelly’s family offering includes stand-up comedy show Comedy Club 4 Kids, storytelling show Not So Grimm Fairy Tales! and shadow puppetry in the form of Sticks, Stones And Broken Bones.
Events commence on 30 April with Propeller theatre’s Pocket Dream, a condensed, 60-minute version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream especially devised for children. The show was previously seen at Hampstead theatre last year. Pocket Dream runs to 14 May.
From 14 May to 2 July there is another chance to catch Comedy Club 4 Kids, the child-friendly stand-up comedy show which has proved a hit at Soho theatre over the last few years. Designed for children aged six and over, the show features the best comedians on the UK comedy circuit doing what they do best, but without the rude bits.
From 7 to 21 May Uncontained Arts presents Not So Grimm Fairy Tales!, a family show based on the Brothers Grimm fairy stories including Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Tom Thumb.
In a more serious vein, the hugely popular stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful comes to the venue from 26 to 29 May. Set during World War One, the story centres on Private Tommo Peaceful, a young solider awaiting the firing squad at dawn, who looks back on his life growing up in rural Devon.
Finally, Udderbelly also welcomes Canadian shadow puppet artist Jeff Achtem with his show Sticks, Stones And Broken Bones for four dates from 11 June to 17 July. This imaginative show sees Achtem transform bits of everyday household junk into a visual feast of chickens, brain transplants and Ninjas.
The E4 Udderbelly moors its cow on the South Bank from 21 April to 17 July prior to its relocation to the Edinburgh Festival during August. All tickets can be booked through the Southbank Centre website.
CB