Unicorn Theatre Announces Spring Season, Including MISTER HOLGADO & SOMETHING VERY FAR AWAY

Artistic Director, Purni Morell is delighted to announce plans for spring into summer 2013 at the Unicorn Theatre, the UK's only purpose built theatre for young audiences.

The Unicorn continues to thrive, producing bold, original and compelling work for young people by working with a range of artists, some traditionally recognised for making high profile work for adults, yet all making cutting edge theatre.

The new season includes the welcome return of Vanishing Point's Matthew Lenton (The Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth) directing the world premiere of Christopher William Hill's Mister Holgado, a playfully macabre story of a little boy, a tiger that lives in his wardrobe and a strange man who pays the family a visit; International Artists include Italy's Compagnia Rodisio with Carnival, and Belgium's Ontroerend Goed plus the return of the heartbreakingly beautiful Something Very Far Away.

The Unicorn's spring / summer season also features a selection of shows for under fives, Shoofly Theatre's You're Not My Friend Anymore, Teater Pero's Aston's Stones and We Dance Wee Groove by stillmotion; plus Oily Cart's production Tube for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities, Nick Makoha's My Father and Other Superheroes on Father's Day and Box Clever's Romeo and Juliet.

Since taking over in 2011, Purni Morell has produced work from Chris Goode (the critically acclaimed Monkey Bars returns to theatre this month), Nancy Harris, Ryan Craig, Tim Crouch, Dennis Kelly, EV Crowe (whose new play Liar Liar opens on 1st February), Blanche McIntyre and a number of interNational Theatre practitioners.

Season highlights include

A Unicorn production

Mister Holgado
By Christopher William Hill
Directed by Matthew Lenton and designed by Kai Fischer

Sunday 24 March to Sunday 28 April 2013
PRESS NIGHT: THURDAY 28 MARCH AT 7pm (WESTON THEATRE)

Matthew Lenton directs Christopher William Hill's, Mister Holgado, a deliciously dark and gruesomely funny new play, in the tradition of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.

Conrad tells his parents there is a tiger living in his wardrobe, a tiger with a penchant for champagne truffles. But they think it is all in his imagination. When his parents suddenly welcome the mysterious stranger, Mister Holgado, into their home, Conrad worries he is more of threat than any tiger could be. But parents always know best, don't they?

Christopher William Hill's writing credits include the book Osbert the Avenger from his series of books, Tales from Schwarzgarten.
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A Compagnia Rodisio and Unicorn theatre production

Carnival
By Manuela Capece and Davide Doro

Tuesday 9 April to Sunday 28 April 2013
PRESSPERFORMANCE: WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL AT 11.45am (CLORE THEATRE)

Italy's Compagnia Rodisio bring their own vibrant and anarchic fun to London with Carnival. Created through a series of workshops with school children in Southwark, Carnival is about the power of imagination, the madness of art and the endless possibilities of paper mache.
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A Unicorn production

Something Very Far Away
Written, directed and original score by Mark Arends
Design and animation by Matthew Robins

Tuesday 21 May to Sunday 2 June 2013
PRESS NIGHT: WEDNESDAY 22 MAY AT 7pm (CLORE THEATRE)

The critically acclaimed, Something Very Far Away returns to the Unicorn following its sell out run last year.

Kepler is an ordinary man who loves two things beyond all others; his wife Tomasina and the cosmos. When Tomasina is killed in a tragic circus accident, he remembers that the deeper into space you look, the further into the past you can see. Grieving, he builds a spaceship so that he can travel into space and look back on his happy memories on earth.

Something Very Far Away is a strange and beautiful exploration of sadness, mortality and wonder. The show is animated in front of the audience and is told through projection, puppetry and music with no words at all

A Complicite co-production with Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse and Warwick Arts Centre Lionboy. From the novels by Zizou Corder

Adapted by Mike Kenny and directed by Annabel Arden

Tuesday 9 to Sunday 21 July 2013
PRESS NIGHT: WEDNESDAY 10 JULY AT 7PM

Charlie Ashanti is eleven years old. He's a perfectly normal boy, except for one thing: he can speak to cats.

When Charlie's parents are kidnapped, he sets off on a rescue mission - with a little help from a floating circus and its pride of performing lions.

Award-winning theatre company Complicite presents its first show for families and young people, inspired by Zizou Corder's best-selling Lionboy trilogy. Adapted for stage by Mike Kenny (The Railway Children) and directed by Complicite founder Annabel Arden.