POLKA THEATRE ANNOUNCES NEW
SEASON FOR 2018
Artistic Director of Polka Theatre, Peter Glanville today announces their new 2018 season. The new season comprises both new Polka productions and visiting work as well as classes and workshops, celebrating some of the greatest living writers for children.
On the Main Stage, the season opens with an adaptation of Michael Rosen’s classic poem – Chocolate Cake. This new musical version adapted by Glanville and Barb Jungr runs from 23 March to 13 May.
This is followed by a revival of a ‘Polka Classic’ – Jacqueline Wilson’s Double Act which premièred at Polka in 2003 and returns next year following a UK tour. Adapted and directed by Vicky Ireland MBE this gripping story opens on 15 June and runs until 5 August.
For younger children, the Adventure Theatre will house an extraordinary puppetry adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s book The Everywhere Bear, and This is My Bed, a unique collaboration with English Touring Opera.
In addition, Techtopia, a festival of digital delights will open on 24 May until 3 June, exploring how technology shapes our lives and our thinking.
This season also marks the launch of the Polka Memories campaign – a new initiative for patrons to share their past memories of the theatre over the last 40 years.
Peter Glanville said today, “Polka’s new season proudly celebrates some of the greatest living writers for children as well as Techotpia a stunning new digital Festival and a unique new collaboration with English Touring Opera.”
Priority booking for Polka supporters opens on Wednesday 15 November at 12 noon, with public booking opening Friday 24 November, 12 noon.
MAIN STAGE
A Polka Theatre production
Michael Rosen’s CHOCOLATE CAKE
Adapted by Peter Glanville and Barb Jungr
Music and songs by Barb Jungr
23 March – 13 May
Press performance: Saturday 7 April, 3.00pm
Ages 4+
When I was a boy, I had a favourite treat. It was when my mum made… Chocolate Cake!
Follow the adventures of two brothers and the night-time disappearance of a chocolate cake in this scrumptious new musical adaptation by the creators of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and How to Hide a Lionfrom Michael Rosen’s beloved poem Chocolate Cake, which has just been published as a picture book.
ADVENTURE THEATRE
English Touring Opera in association with Polka Theatre
THIS IS MY BED
13 – 24 June
Ages 2-5
An opera about bedtimes, bears and dreams. And a bed with a mind of its own! There’s one thing about your bed. It’s your very own bed. Except somebody else seems to think it’s their bed too. And then the bed itself has its own ideas, and can turn itself into a bus or a train or a rocket. And when a bear turns up one night it whisks you off to meet the very things you’re frightened of. Thank goodness there are some unexpected friends to help you along your way.
Performed by three singers and two players, and full of fabulous songs, characters and animation, This Is My Bed is the latest of ETO’s award-winning operas for children. It was written with the help of students from Perseid Special School in Merton.
MAIN STAGE
A Polka Theatre production
Jacqueline Wilson’s
DOUBLE ACT
Adapted and directed by Vicky Ireland
15 June – 5 August
Press performance: Saturday 23 June, 2.30pm
Ages 8+
Meet Ruby and Garnet. They’re twins, identical and inseparable – and do absolutely EVERYTHING together. But their lives are about to change. Recently, Dad’s gone a bit weird. He’s been acting strange ever since he started dating that frizzy dizzy Rose. And now he’s only gone and bought a bookshop in the country…
Vicky Ireland’s funny and gripping stage adaptation, based on Jacqueline Wilson’s multi award-winning book, was an instant hit when it premièred at Polka in 2003 and loved by thousands of children during a UK tour.
ADVENTURE THEATRE
A Polka Theatre, Little Angel Theatre and Royal & Derngate, Northampton production
THE EVERYWHERE BEAR
By Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb
Adapted and directed by Peter Glanville
6 July – 26 August
Press performance: Saturday 14 July, 2.35pm
Ages 3-6
The Everywhere Bear has a home on a shelf but he doesn’t spend very much time by himself, for each boy and girl in the class is a friend and he goes home with one of them every weekend.
A tender tale from the creators of The Paper Dolls, The Everywhere Bear has a wonderful time with the children in Class One, but one day he gets more than he bargained for when he falls unnoticed from a backpack and embarks on his own big adventure! He’s washed down a drain and whooshed out to sea, rescued by a fishing boat, loaded onto a lorry, carried off by a seagull… How will he ever make it back to Class One?
This captivating and beautiful new story from best-selling author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Rebecca Cobb springs to life with rhyme, original music and delightfully expressive puppets in Polka’s fun and exciting stage adaptation.
Based on the book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb
© Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb, 2017, Macmillan Children’s Books
TECHTOPIA FESTIVAL
24 May – 3 June
Celebrate, explore and question how technological innovation shapes all our lives and thinking through a thrilling and exhilarating programme of theatre from the UK and beyond, interactive workshops, debates and unique creative learning experiences. Throughout the Festival, Polka’s foyer will be abuzz with free activities and interactive art installations including storytelling in an enchanted forest, digital wallpaper, a climate fortune-teller and the University of Nottingham’s latest research.
Techtopia Festival will include iPet, Error 404, Random Selfies and Dreaming the Future. The full programme will be announced shortly.
ADVENTURE THEATRE
Presented by BonteHond
iPet
24 & 25 May
Ages 2.5+
A three-dimensional show with cuddly devices.
Two magicians happily start their act, creating balloon animals and doing magic tricks by pulling bananas out of iPads, just the way it’s supposed to be. But the iPad reveals itself as a cheeky prankster who disrupts the entire show. Eventually, no one knows who controls who anymore.
ADVENTURE THEATRE
ARC Stockton present a Polka Theatre Production
ERROR 404
Written and performed by Daniel Bye
30, 31 May & 1 June
Ages 8-11
There’s a boy. Maybe he’s just like you – except that his best friend is a robot.
Join him on a weird and wonderful interactive adventure through the deepest questions about what it means to be human.
MAIN THEATRE
OVALHOUSE presents
RANDOM SELFIES
A new play by Olivier Award-winning writer Mike Kenny
Designed by illustrator Rachana Jadhav
30 & 31 May
Ages 7-12
As part of a three-year exploration into the impact of child loneliness, Random Selfies will be performed on a digitally animated set, which will bring to life ten-year-old Loretta’s vivid imagination.
MAIN THEATRE
A Polka Youth Theatre production
DREAMING THE FUTURE
by Andy Alty
2 & 3 June
Ages 5+
Close your eyes and think about the future. What do you see? Artificial intelligence, light-speed computers, wearable technology, cities in the sky? Where do we want to go next? What will the world look like? This play, written with and performed by young people in Merton, will answer some of these questions. Join us in dreaming the future. The only limits are our imaginations…
Visiting productions:
In addition to their own grown production and co-productions, Polka Theatre plays host to the best shows for early years from the UK and across Europe. Shows this season include The Little Mochi Man, Sourpuss and Videk’s Skirt; as well as Much Ado About Puffin and Jack and The Beanstalk.
POLKA MEMORIES
This season also marks the launch of our ‘Remember when?’ Polka Memories campaign. As Polka approaches its 40th birthday, in 2019, the theatre is introducing a new initiative for visitors past and present to share their memories of the theatre over the last 40 years. Some of the memories collated may also be featured in a special anniversary play or in a ‘living history’ display. Everyone will also have the chance to vote for their favourite Polka production of all time.
Children’s novelist and poet, Michael Rosen has offered the first memory to launch the campaign ‘ “My oldest children were very young when we came to see shows like Please Mrs Butler. I remember we felt moved and uplifted. Much later, Polka did versions of my Pinocchio, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Happy Harry’s Cafe. All were exciting, thoughtful, productions taking children seriously, engaging them in feelings and ideas.”
Share your memories from Friday 24 November, please visit:
polkatheatre.com/rememberwhen