Polka Theatre’s Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive Helen Matravers, Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive Lynette Shanbury, and the whole team are pleased to announce details of the variety of activities available for families to enjoy this Easter Holiday at the Wimbledon venue.
Following a hugely successful run at Polka Theatre in 2022, Little Angel Theatre’s production of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt returns to Polka’s Y C Chan Theatre from Wednesday 25 March to Sunday 12 April. Recommended for ages 3 – 7 years, Michael Rosen’s thrilling and funny adventure is brought to life in this entrancing puppetry production directed by Peter Glanville. With music and lyrics by renowned singer-songwriter Barb Jungr, the audience follow this family’s expedition of a lifetime – running down the grassy bank, wading through the cold river, squelching over the oozy mud and stumbling into the dark forest to find a mystery friend, or foe?
A fox, a pigeon, and a secret agent are on a mission to save the world, but everything is not what it seems. The evil Miss Information and her deadly sleepy agents are on the attack in emma + pj’s production of The Shivers, running in Polka’s Adventure Theatre from Wednesday 1 – Sunday 12 April.
Featuring ingenious live video, explosive dance moves, and a cast of unforgettable characters, The Shivers is a pulsating adventure about learning to trust your instincts when something doesn’t feel right. Aimed at ages 7-11, this high-octane action-comedy opens the door for grown-ups and children to talk about misinformation, fake news, and keeping safe online.
Helen Matravers said: ‘I’m over the moon to be able to bring such a firm family favourite to Polka for the Easter Holidays. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’s gorgeous songs and puppetry will bring joy to all our younger audiences and a chance for (much) older audience members to relive some lovely childhood nostalgia! For older children, there’s some detection work to do in the brilliantly inventive The Shivers. Posing questions around misinformation, Emma and PJ’s bright, fresh and bold staging of this thrilling tale is one that will surprise, intrigue and entertain. It’s a fantastic and important show for children with inquisitive minds – who also love some great dance moves As well as the shows, our Creative Learning Holiday Workshops are packed with laughter and family sensory fun, and as always, the Play Den at Polka is open and welcoming to all families over the holidays!’
Alongside the productions, Polka are also offering a range of creative workshops, including Swish, Swash, Splash, Splosh! for those ages 0-4, inspired by We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – journey through tall grass, mud and dark caves in their sensory studio on Tuesday 31 March.
For those who love a joke and are 5-8 years, Laugh out Loud – Creating Comedy Theatre is a two-day comedic masterclass inspired by April Fools Day, with drama games, storytelling and role-play taking place Wednesday 1 – Thursday 2 April.
Those aged 8-12 years can step into a world of secrets and spies in the Escape Room Adventure drama workshop, where they can design their own escape room on Wednesday 8 April.
Tickets are on sale now via polkatheatre.com or call 020 8543 4888*
Polka Theatre is one of just a handful of dedicated children’s venues in the UK. Re-opening in 2021 after a major renovation, it continues to present a year-round programme of shows produced by Polka and from visiting companies. Polka also offers a full programme of Creative Learning activities for ages 0–12, with over 21,000 children taking part in the last year. Polka enjoys flexible rehearsal and workshop spaces along with two performance spaces: the Y C Chan Theatre has a 300-seat capacity, and the Adventure Theatre can seat up to 90 depending on the show format.
Over the past year, Polka has worked with 143 schools through Creative Learning projects and has distributed over 9,000 free tickets to schools through their Curtain Up! scheme.
Polka is a community hub and vital resource, open 6 days per week, 50 weeks per year at a challenging time to be a sustainable public venue with step-free access, free-to-access play spaces and a cosy and welcoming café and shop.
