Rubbish Shakespeare Company To Bring THE STORY FORGE: MAKE YOUR OWN MYTH On UK Tour

Award-winning theatre company, Rubbish Shakespeare Company are joining forces with Silly History Boys to present the first UK Tour of The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth - an adventure told through their distinctive fusion of clowning, silly storytelling, physical comedy and live music.  

The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth is an immersive, all-ages family show, where two larger-than-life history professors and a live musician make new myths from children's ideas. Audiences will be led through a triptych of tales: the origin of the place they live; the creation myth of a donated item; and a hero's journey - where an audience member will prove themselves a legend. 

So... who is the God of dog poo bags? What ancient crime was Marmite the punishment for... and why was it inflicted upon us? Will it be Greek? Viking? Ancient Babylonian? They haven't a clue! This silly iliad - or silliad, if you will - is completely unique every single time it's performed, as three new myths are forged from the unhinged minds of the audience - and a boatload of cardboard props!

This hysterical production is a true masterclass in clowning, jam packed full of silly songs, daft gags and belly laughs; whether you're 6 or 106, you'd be mad to myth it!

The Rubbish Shakespeare Company Production Team are adept at transposing classic stories for a young audience - their last tour of Romeo and Juliet saw them appear at many notable venues including The Pleasance in Edinburgh, and show runs were extended at both Leeds Playhouse and London's West End, garnering great reviews and audience feedback. 

Produced to chime with Rubbish Shakespeare Company's mission of 'Theatre for All', this 'choose your own adventure tale' was developed in response to a lack of new stories for children. Using a flexible scripted framework, each show will reflect the local community, as stories are drawn from their imaginations and experiences.

While the storyline is inspired by the ancient classics - giving audiences a recognisable starting point - each show allows children to make original stories, whilst also providing a first time performance experience for many young people.

"It's been a blast! Sharing the stage with these amazing children is incredible, you really see them light up and come alive. As a performer, this has been one of the most fun and rewarding shows I've ever been a part of. Honestly, the kids steal the show every time, and we wouldn't have it any other way! They're the real stars, not us. You really see how naturally storytelling comes to kids. We created The Story Forge largely because children just aren't being exposed to enough new stories. That New National Literacy Trust study really hit home - only 35% of 8–18-year-olds actually read for pleasure? That's crazy! We think a big reason is the lack of fresh, original stories out there for them. So we're doing our bit to change that by creating three brand new stories every show!"
Lee Hithersay - Artistic Director of Rubbish Shakespeare Co.

The upcoming UK Tour will begin on February 15th, before travelling up and down the country - including visits to both Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands - throughout the Spring and Summer months. Resuming in the Autumn, the tour then continues its jaunt throughout September, wrapping up on 12th October for its grand finale. 

There are 74 programmed performances in total across 43 venues. Alongside the shows, 35 creative workshops are taking place with bespoke activity packs, encouraging attendees to create their own stories. 

THE STORY FORGE: MAKE YOUR OWN MYTH
2025 TOUR DATES

Sat, 15th February, 11am / 2.30pm
Theatre Porto, Ellesmere Port
TICKETS

Sun, 16th - Tue 18th February, 2pm
Leicester Guildhall, UK Kids Comedy Festival
TICKETS

Sat, 8th March, 1.30pm
Pocklington Arts Centre, York
TICKETS

Sun, 9th March, 2.30pm
Kettering Arts Centre, Kettering
TICKETS

Sat, 15th March, 1pm / 4pm
Speyside Sports and Community Centre, Moray (Highlands)
TICKETS

Sat, 5th April, 11.30am / 2.30pm
Unity Theatre, Liverpool
TICKETS

(WORKSHOP)
Sat, 5th April, 4.30pm
Unity Theatre, Liverpool
TICKETS

Sun, 6th April, 11.30am / 2pm
Cambridge Junction, Cambridge
TICKETS

Mon, 7th April, 11.30am / 2pm
Stockwood Discovery Centre, Luton
TICKETS

Wed, 9th - Sat 12th April, 10.30am / 2pm
Leeds Playhouse, Leeds
TICKETS

Sun, 13th April, 2pm / 7pm
Darwen Library Theatre, Darwen & Blackburn
TICKETS

Tue, 15th April, 10.30am
Whitworth Library, Whitworth
TICKETS

Tue, 15th April, 3pm
Burnley Central Library, Burnley
TICKETS

Wed, 16th April, 11am / 2pm
Bolton Central Library, Bolton
TICKETS

Thu, 17th April, 2.30pm
The Atkinson, Southport
TICKETS

Fri, 18th - Sat, 19th April, 2pm
The MAC, Belfast
TICKETS

Fri, 25th April, 2pm / 6.30pm
Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Ludlow
TICKETS

Sat, 26th April, 11am / 2pm
Pegasus Theatre, Oxford
TICKETS

Sun, 27th April, 11.30am / 2.30pm
Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham
TICKETS

Sat, 3rd May, 11.30am / 2pm
Gulbenkian Arts Centre, Canterbury
TICKETS

Sun, 4th May, 11.30am / 3pm
Lakeside Arts, Nottingham
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sat, 10th May, 2pm
Chorley Theatre, Chorley
TICKETS

Sat, 7th June, 11am - 5pm (FREE)
Elizabethan Fayre, Prescot
TICKETS

Sun, 8th June, 5pm / 7pm
Norton Priory and Gardens, Runcorn
TICKETS

Thu, 12th June
Maestag Town Hall, Bridgend
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sat, 14th June, 11am / 1pm
Lyric Hammersmith, London
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sun, 15th June, 11am / 2pm
Arts Depot, London
TICKETS

Wed, 3rd September
East Riding Theatre, Beverley
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sat, 27th September
Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sun, 28th September
Farnham Maltings, Surrey
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sat, 4th October
Gosforth Civic Centre, Newcastle
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sun, 5th October
Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Fri, 10th October
Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sat, 11th October
The Stables, Milton Keynes
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE

Sun, 12th October
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
(On sale soon)
WEBSITE