The Pied Piper Theatre Company and Deafinitely Theatre Present The World Première of CAN BEARS SKI?

The Pied Piper Theatre Company and Deafinitely Theatre have announced a UK tour of award-winning poet Raymond Antrobus' Can Bears Ski? in a new adaptation for the stage by Tina Williams, Artistic Director of the Pied Piper Theatre Company, who will co-direct the production with Paula Garfield, Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre. The story draws on the writer's own experience as a deaf child in a hearing world with a set inspired by Polly Dunbar's illustrations. The story is brought to life on stage with puppetry, music, British Sign Language and spoken English in a world première production for hearing and deaf young people aged 3+ and their families.

The production opens at The Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham on 18 November, and visits 86 schools across the UK, with public performances in towns and cities including Brentford, Brockenhurst, Crawley, Haverhill, Andover, Shoreham-by-Sea, Luton and Hammersmith, with further venues to be announced, as part of a 14-week tour culminating on 24 February 2024. The tour includes 19 performances for deaf schools and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities units.

Poet and author Raymond Antrobus says today: "I'm delighted that Can Bears Ski? is being adapted for the stage by deaf and hard of hearing led artists. I know it's something the younger me would have needed to see in the world, but the story is really for everyone."

Artistic Director of the Pied Piper Theatre Company Tina Williams says today: "Pied Piper is delighted to join with Deafinitely Theatre on a new challenge to bring fully accessible theatre to both hearing and deaf children 3+ in this ambitious tour of twelve jam packed weeks of schools, theatres, arts and community venues."

Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre Paula Garfield says today: "We are very excited to collaborate with Pied Piper Theatre Company to bring Raymond Antrobus' moving story about growing up as a deaf child in a hearing world to the stage. Productions for families and young people are an important part of the work we do at Deafinitely, as we work to increase awareness of deaf communication, culture and talent for future generations to come. As we know, nine in 10 deaf children are born to hearing families and this new production champions the power and expressiveness of British Sign Language, giving families and mixed school audiences rare access to sharing the same experience in two languages."

Little Bear can't hear Dad Bear calling, but feels the floor vibrate with heavy footsteps... Little Bear can't catch the funny joke at school when friends are laughing but feels the crunch of snow on frozen pavements. Join Little Bear and Dad Bear as they learn how there are many ways to communicate love, and to find your place in the world.

Raymond Antrobus MBE FRSL was born in Hackney, London to an English mother and Jamaican father. He is the author of Shapes & Disfigurements, To Sweeten Bitter, The Perseverance and All the Names Given. In 2019 he became the first ever poet to be awarded the Rathbone Folio Prize for best work of literature in any genre. Other accolades include the Ted Hughes Award, Lucille Clifton Legacy Award, PBS Winter Choice, Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, Somerset Maugham Award and The Guardian Poetry Book of the Year 2018, as well as a shortlist for The Griffin Prize, T.S. Eliot Prize and Forward Prize. In 2018 he was awarded The Geoffrey Dearmer Prize for his poem 'Sound Machine' and in 2019 and 2021 his poems ('Jamaican British', 'The Perseverance' and 'Happy Birthday Moon') were added to the UK's GCSE syllabus. Raymond's debut children's picture book Can Bears Ski? is illustrated by Polly Dunbar and was selected as an Ezra Jack Keats honouree winner in 2021, and selected for a Read For Empathy (Primary) Collection Award in 2022.

Tour Dates

Ashcroft Arts Centre

Saturday 18 November at 2pm

Box Office: www.ashcroft.org.uk / 01329 223100

Watermans

Sunday 26 November at 3pm

Box Office: www.watermans.org.uk / 02082 321010

Brockenhurst Village Hall

Saturday 2 December at 2.30pm

Box Office: www.brockenhurstvillage.org.uk / 01590 622 580

Hawth Studio

Sunday 3 December at 10.30am & 1.30pm

Box Office: www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth / 01293 553636

Half Moon Theatre

Saturday 16 December at 11am & 2pm

Box Office: www.halfmoon.org.uk / 020 7709 8900

Haverhill Arts Centre

Saturday 6 January at 11am

Box Office: www.haverhillartscentre.co.uk / 01440 714140

The Lights, Andover

Saturday 20 January at 11am

Box Office: www.thelights.org.uk / 01264 368 368

Ropetackle Arts

Sunday 28 January at 11am & 2.30pm

Box Office: www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk / 01273 464440

Hat Factory, Luton

Saturday 3 February at 11.30am & 2pm

Box Office: www.culturetrust.com/venues/hat-factory-arts-centre / 01582 878100

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Tuesday 13 - Saturday 17 February at 11am & 1pm

Box Office: www.lyric.co.uk / 02087 416850