Three
At the heart of every family lies a story, and at the heart of every house is its kitchen. Three invites you into the lives of neighbours, Ida, Jaanvi and Ralph, to share their experiences, uncover their pasts, and learn how to make the best cup of tea.
Ida cherishes her time with her granddaughter Sophie, but as her memories fade, she feels her independence slipping away. Jaanvi shares her heritage with Anika, whose love forces her to face a life-changing decision. Ralph, content in his solitude, meets an unexpected visitor who challenges his loneliness.
From multi-award-winning puppetry company Smoking Apples, Three explores the unique relationships between Grandparents and Grandchildren. Using mask for the first time, in combination with striking puppetry and mesmerising shadow play, Three captures the quiet moments that define us.
Three R&D 2023
Three is inspired by the real-life stories and intrinsic relationships between grandparents and grandchildren including isolation, loneliness, wisdom and familial ties, pertinent in the wake of the pandemic where separation has become everyday and many older people have become a lost generation. Three explores diverse British culture and heritage to bring three different stories of grandparents and grandchildren to life.
This is our first show combining mask and puppetry and we have loved working with Rachael Savage, artistic director of leading mask company, Vamos Theatre, to support on this new visual aspect.
The Marlowe, Canterbury and the Garage, Norwich, hosted some of our rehearsals and we delivered both online and in-person sharing, to get feedback to keep developing the show.
Upstream
(Illustration by Hattie Field)
Lyra lives on the marsh; running, rushing and clambering through the silt, a water explorer extraordinaire. Recently, she has noticed things don’t seem quite right, the water’s getting cloudier and even the otters don’t seem to play here anymore.
Not one to be frightened of the unknown, brave little Lyra camps out under the stars next to the river and her favourite willow tree, hoping to understand. As daylight turns to moonlight, Old Mother River comes to life, a spectacular 3 metre tall puppet, with willow hair and a beautiful creased and crinkled face.
Together they dive into Old Mother River’s memory pool, discovering what has happened beneath the surface, and how everyone can do something, to help protect our waters.
Kinder
Escaping on a Kindertransport train, one small Czech-Jewish girl embarks on a mighty adventure.
Crossing between the past and present, Babi travels across Europe; from bon bons in Germany to the smell of the sea in Margate, she discovers how tiny acts of kindness can change the course of a person’s life.
Joyful, moving and poignant, Kinder features beautiful table top puppetry and cinematic shadow play, as Babi tries to assemble the parts of her broken identity, to find peace in her future.
Kinder is a multi-award winning, from puppetry and visual theatre company Smoking Apples. Inviting you to take a seat inside an immersive set, the story unfolds through a series of playful hatches and openings.
★★★★★ “Unmissable” – Everything Theatre
★★★★★ “A Brilliant Blend of Clever Storytelling” – Broadway World
★★★★★ ” A Symphony of Artistry” – West End Evenings
★★★★★ “A Must See Play” – Fairy Powered Productions
★★★★★ “Deeply emotional and thought-provoking” – Kat Masterson
★★★★★ “Clever and inventive, visually rich and beautifully emotive” – Always Time For Theatre
★★★★.5 “Absorbing and Touching” – The Reviews Hub
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Enterprise Arts Trust.
Reviews & Awards
“Unmissable” – ✮✮✮✮✮ Everything Theatre
OFFIE Winner for Theatre for Young Audiences – Original Music/Sound 2023
OFFIE Winner for Theatre for Young Audiences – Production 2023
OFFIE Finalist for Theatre for Young audiences – Writing – 2023
Ettie Award Winner for Best Theatre for Young Audiences Production – 2023
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