Roustabout and Oxford Playhouse Present New Interactive Family Show, THE GREAT BIG STORY MIX UP

Roustabout Theatre present The Great Big Story Mix Up, a highly interactive, improvised family show which puts children's imaginations at the heart of the action in a completely original way. When the show is performed on stage, the company uses suggestions, interruptions, and wild ideas from its young audience to create never-before-seen fairy tales. Now the award-winning family theatre company, creators of Luna and One Small Step, have created a new online version which takes the nonsense to a completely different dimension through the addition of animated children's drawings...

'Imagine your artwork becoming the scenery for a play, with the actors performing inside your drawing,' explains technical wizard Will Monks. 'That's exactly what we have worked out how to do! Now I can't explain how - a magician never reveals his tricks - but any drawing sent to us before the show could feature in the performance. We can even animate them so that they move!'

'When we decided to create a live online show for children, we wanted to use the technology available on Zoom in a way that had never been done before,' explains director and performer Toby Hulse, 'It puts children's artistic creativity at the centre of what we are doing.' Letting children have creative control is something that is very dear to Toby.'

'We're all familiar with the idea that children say the strangest things. I don't believe that they are strange, rather they see the world in new and wonderfully unexpected ways. Now imagine a play led entirely by those ways of thinking! Every show is completely unique.'

'It's all about being surprised,' laughs performer Robin Hemmings, 'I might be playing a hideous troll in a drawing of a cave at one moment, then a child will blow the Horn of Song and the troll will suddenly have to rap about what he eats for breakfast. Then the scene will change to a painting of a castle, and I'll be scrabbling to find the right costume to play a beautiful princess. We all have to think so quickly!'

'The recent months have been difficult for children in so many ways,' adds performer Shaelee Rooke. 'Being away from school and their friends has left little room for wild imagination and play. The Great Big Story Mix Up celebrates what children do best - coming up with daft ideas - and enables them to become creative collaborators in a wonderful world of silliness and story. Imagine the thrill of seeing your artwork become online scenery - it's like nothing else.'

'We are delighted to be commissioning Roustabout to create The Great Big Story Mix Up, which will form part of Oxford Playhouse's new online programme. We have a long history working with Shae, Robin and Toby and know this new show will be the perfect treat to entertain families at this time' Laura Elliot Programme Director (Programming, Participation and Artist Development).

Hosted by Oxford Playhouse with support from boomsatuma, The Great Big Story Mix Up will play live and online from Saturday, October 24 to Wednesday, October 28. Why not join Roustabout Theatre for an hour of laughter and nonsense, and be sure to send in your pictures before the performance. Without your imaginations, the show can't go on! For tickets visit https://www.roustabouttheatre.co.uk/current-productions/great-big-story-mix-up/

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