Storyhouse Launches Half Term Festival

Michael Rosen, TV doctor Ranj Singh and author and illustrator Clara Vulliamy are set to appear at the Wayword Festival when it returns to Storyhouse this autumn.

They are among the first wave of line-up announced for the annual festival for children which aims to excite, inspire and to celebrate the power of words to ignite imaginations.

The half term programme for young people and their families takes place from Saturday, 26 October to Monday, 4 November.

Events will take over the main stage, Garret Theatre and Bar, Atrium and Storytelling Room at Storyhouse and this year’s theme is centred on animals and conservation along with poetry, music and learning new skills.

The busy programme begins on Saturday, 26 October with Luna Loves Library Day – The Musical in the Garret Theatre. Join Luna and her dad for an adventure among the library shelves in this brilliant new musical for families which is based on the critically acclaimed book by Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coehlo and illustrator Fiona Lumbers.

On Sunday 27 October, children’s doctor and TV favourite Ranj Singh will appear on Storyhouse’s main stage. Before he showed his twinkle toes on Strictly Come Dancing, Doctor Ranj presented Get Well Soon and Get Well Soon Hospital on CBeebies, while his children’s books include How to be a Boy: And Do it Your Own Way and Brain Power: A Toolkit to Understand and Train Your Unique Brain.

The festival week continues on Monday, 28 October when The Tempest for Kids is staged in the Garret Theatre.

The abridged production of Shakespeare’s magical, mystical tale follows the previous hugely successful productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Kids, and along with the WayWord Festival it will also be performed at schools across the region.

In the afternoon there’s pumpkin decorating in The Kitchen.

On Tuesday, 29 October the Garret is the venue for Clara Vulliamy’s Creative writing workshop.

The event is comprised of a mini creative writing session, for children to learn to write their own news article, doodle FUN draw-along exercises, and even a ‘make your own Press Pack’.

On the same day, best-selling award-winning author and illustrator Lydia Monks celebrates her latest book with Julia Donaldson, The Tooth Fairy and the Crocodile, with an illustration event on the main stage.

And the drawing theme continues with an afternoon of doodling in the library.

Wednesday, 30 October brings Wayword favourites Goofus Theatre to the Garret Theatre for a day of unmissable pop-up performances and storytelling.

And The Tempest for Kids returns, this time on Storyhouse’s main stage.

The stage is set for a visit from former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen on Thursday, 31 October.

The We’re Going on a Bear Hunt author and poet’s many children’s books include The Incredible Adventures of Gaston le Dog, Macbeth United, Hampstead the Hamster, Chocolate Cake and the Uncle Gobb series.

Find those Story Explorers in the Storytelling Room on Friday, 1 November where they will be reading Julia Donaldson’s magical Room on the Broom. The session will be free.

And then head over to the Storyhouse theatre for YolanDa’s Band Jam where young audience members are invited to join the award-winning saxophonist and CBeebies favourite Yolanda Brown and her brilliant band for a bop, boogie and bounce.

Yolanda’s Band Jam has been called ‘Jools Holland for kids’ and this irresistible music-making show expands youngsters’ knowledge about instruments and music.

Meanwhile the Storyhouse Book Day Party takes over the Garret Theatre and Bar on Sunday, 3 November.

And there is also the chance to catch Dear Zoo Live! in the main theatre. Rod Campbell’s timeless children’s classic leaps off the page and on to the stage in a delightful show for little ones (and their grown-ups). Expect puppets, music and lots of audience interaction.

Meanwhile Storyhouse’s cinema has a bumper week of family films, including animation hit Frankenweenie, Wes Anderson’s iconic Fantastic Mr Fox, the 25th anniversary of Balto, perennial favourite Peter Rabbit,  the live action version of Doolittle and the Royal Opera House’s Olivier award winning family opera Wolf Witch Giant Fairy.   

Added to all this, throughout the week there will be arts and crafts, reading challenges, books to loan and lots more in the Storyhouse Library.

More details and booking via www.storyhouse.com

Suzie Henderson, Storyhouse’s Creative Director, says: “WayWord is always a massive hit with our young visitors and their grownups.

“The fantastic programme we’ve brought together for 2024 underlines our aim to be playful, creative and surprising, to fire imaginations and to instil a lifelong love of books and reading among Chester’s children.

“I’m particularly pleased to welcome former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen back to Storyhouse. When he came in 2018, he enchanted more than 800 schoolchildren with a joyous poetry performance, so I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the WayWord Festival.

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