Susan Jamson from Chickenshed on what the Southgate theatre has in store for audiences this autumn

Rehearsals for Rise Festival — Preparations for Rise Festival

As autumn approaches, at Chickenshed we’re getting ready for this year’s festive season when we will be performing two very different shows.

Our main house production is a completely new show called The Toymaker’s Child. See if the storyline rings any bells when you read this description: “The toymaker lives a simple and quiet life. He has just one child, his pride and joy; but (as all parents do) he worries. They often play alone and rarely bring friends home from school. Worried his child is lonely, the toymaker cooks up a cunning plan…

“Using a magical 3D printer, he creates an all-singing, all-dancing AI child! However, things don’t quite go according to plan when the AI child proves to be a bit too mischievous to handle!”

We guarantee that this brand new Chickenshed theatrical experience will leave you spellbound. It features a captivating cast of colourful characters, big laughs and stunning sets, making The Toymaker’s Child an unforgettable journey. Our talented cast of over 200 will fill the stage with wonder, beauty, and just a touch of delightful chaos.

The Toymaker’s Child opens on 22nd November and runs until 13th January. There are evening and matinee performances and tickets are priced from £10 to £22.50. Sign language is integrated into every performance, but we also have captioned and audio described shows so that everyone can enjoy it.

If you feel that your children are a little too young to sit through a two-hour performance (with a 20-minute interval) then our second show, Cinderella in Boots, could be just the ticket. Every year our Tales from The Shed team performs a shorter show, of just under one hour, for our early years audience. This year we will be reviving our hugely popular Cinderella in Boots show. It is more of a winter pantomime for the very young – so expect to see plenty of “they’re behind you” moments and lots of classic panto touches as your children will join in the fun of live theatre where anything can happen.

Cinderella in Boots is bursting with music, dance, puppets and lots and lots of surprises – we guarantee a festive show for audiences young and old.

But if you can’t wait until Christmas to see more of Chickenshed, we have our brand new Rise Festival being performed on Friday, 6th October at 7pm and on Saturday, 7th October at 1pm.

Our Rise programme was developed to “rise, inspire, share and elevate” new creative companies at Chickenshed and Rise Festival offers an exciting platform for twelve talented artists to share their brand-new, authentic and bold creative experiences to audiences.

Get ready to be immersed in innovative choreography, provocative film, original writing, fresh music and powerful workshops. It will be a vibrant experience, brimming with a diverse array of exciting performances, plus food, drink and a wonderful atmosphere! Every corner of Chickenshed will come alive during this festival as we unveil nine never-seen-before creative works.

For more information about all events at Chickenshed:
Visit chickenshed.org.uk

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