Children’s Theatre And Family Events At Greater Manchester Fringe This July
| 8th June 2017
The Greater Manchester Fringe features more children’s shows than ever before with Colourquest, The Magnificent Captain Moth, Planet Caravan, and a visit to Narnia.
Colourquest at Salford Arts Theatre 6-9 July.
Colourquest traces the journey of two 11-year-olds, Talia and Aaron, as they seek to recover The Heartstone from the evil Shadowfolk in an attempt to rid their world of a terrible curse.
They journey through fantastical places such as, ‘The Forest Of The Whispering Trees’ and ‘The Chamber Of The Light Maiden’, aided by fantastical creatures such as Treeleapies, a Mudman and a Hepbird and threatened by evil, dangerous creatures that are out to stop them by any means they can.
MadBeth, at the King’s Arms 9-12 July.
MadBeth is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth but in this story Mad Beth is jealous of the social media and reality television star Donna Duncan and has a mum pushing her to achieve more.
This is a family friendly show, staged by Ten Ninety Productions, and welcomes children in the King’s Arms Theatre, as long as they accompanied by an adult (over 18).
The Magnificent Captain Moth at 53two 15-16 and 22-25 July.
The story concerns Lucy, a ten year old girl who has bad dreams due to internalised stress in her waking life. Frightened by nocturnal sounds of gun fire and loud voices, she prays for a saviour to help her wake up, get to the toilet and avoid wetting the bed.
Instead of an all-conquering superhero however, Lucy is confronted by a shell shocked army veteran ‘Captain Moth’, who cannot fly and is afraid of venturing into the light. Through heart felt conversation and game playing, the pair learn how to face up to their fears and re-discover their real selves.
The play has been written for a family audience and although it is generally fun and light hearted in nature, it does deal with some serious themes as writer Anthony Morgan explains. “The play is essentially about conflict and its effects on children,” he says.
“The main character conflates her parents break up and the military conflicts she sees on the news into a menacing, unseen presence that is the cause of her nightmares.” Happily for the audience though, it does seem that all ends well. The themes of conflict mean that the play may not be suitable for the very young.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe at Salford Arts Theatre 20-21 July.
Based on the classic C. S. Lewis novel, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, four young evacuees from war-torn London, arrive at the home of the Professor and his sharp-tongued housekeeper Mrs. Macready. The children are shown to the spare room, which is empty but for a large wardrobe and, while the others go off exploring the house, Lucy opens the wardrobe and the adventures begin.
Planet Caravan at Oldham Library, 28-29 July.
The Dale Wingbottom Experience at The Seven Oaks 26-29 July.
The Dale Wingbottom Experience Family Puppet Show has been specifically adapted for families with children with an autistic spectrum, individuals with sensory and communication disorders, those with learning disabilities and anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment.