Big Up! at Unity Theatre
Gemma Gibb, Associate Editor
We couldn’t be more excited for Big Up! – a brand new show by titans of mesmirising theatrical experiences for (and by) children and young people, Theatre-Rites and 20 Stories High.
We all know that family life, or just life in general whether you are a kid or an adult is governed by ALL the rules on how to behave.
Aimed at ages three to six (although parents and older siblings will also have a good time), expect to witness through hip-hop, puppetry and live music a brand new version of a world where rules are absent.
When a Beatboxer (Hobbit), Singer (Dorcas Sebuyange) and puppeteers (Iestyn Evans and Clarke Joseph-Edwards) find themselves on stage with nothing ready and no rules, chaos and much glee ensue. Life and magic spring from unexpected places. Suddenly everything is possible.
A collaboration between Theatre-Rites (renowned for some of the most critically acclaimed theatre for children in the world including the recent The Welcoming Party at Manchester International Festival), and 20 Stories High (a leading young people’s theatre company making exciting and relevant new work including the recent Contact co-produced I Told My Mum I Was Going On An R.E. Trip) certainly means we are in for a fine time.
Written and directed by Theatre-Rites’ Sue Buckmaster and 20 Stories’ Keith Saha, expect the same high quality as the best adult theatre and an enriching cross-artform performance for young and old hearts alike.
We love that this show has been developed through research with young adult parents, young carers and their three to six year old children from working class and culturally diverse backgrounds.
If you can’t catch it at Unity, Big Up! is on tour until 30 March at Oldham Library, The Grand, Blackpool and Z-arts, Manchester.
