Our illustrious Artistic Director is off to Scotland for two whole months! Kinny will be appearing in ‘Blanche and Butch’ a new theatrical extravaganza with Birds of Paradise, based in Glasgow then touring for a month all over Bonnie Scotland. This is a new play for a grown-up audience, with newly written songs, and re-unites him with the wonderful Garry Robson who was his co-artistic director, and also played ‘The Boss’, in ‘Edmund the Learned Pig’. All very exciting! The website link for this show for a grown up audience is http://www.boptheatre.co.uk/blanche-butch/
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Just published – Oliver in the Overworld video clip
The wonderful film maker Ollie Wiggins has edited up a fun video clip of our massively successful UK tour of ‘Oliver in the Overworld’. During the tour, Ollie came to see a few performances with his trusty film camera and microphones, recorded them, then spent a lot of time editing them together, and here is the short version for your delight and delectation! Just follow this link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggVXBW9Cb2I&feature=youtu.be
OLIVER in the OVERWORLD – ‘imaginative and original’ The Stage
The tour is travelling, the van is rolling, the actors are singing and signing, and we are receiving excellent notices in the press!
The wonderful world premier of Oliver in the Overworld approaches
The designs are approved, the set is commissioned, the puppet makers are creating ‘Spanner in the Works’ and ‘Spoke in the Wheel’, and all the casting is confirmed for this, the first stage version of Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood’s marvelous musical what-not ‘Oliver in the Overworld’. Lovingly staged by our Artistic Director and beautifully realised by Design genius Chris de Wilde, the dates are up on The Shows page for all to see. Check where we are, and come along and join us to sing and sign “I want to go to The Overworld, I want to go to The Overworld “…
Jolly Preparations for 2017 Continue
We are well on our way with the preparations for ‘Oliver in the Overworld’, our new musical extravaganza which will be touring all over the UK in April and May 2017. The scenery has been designed, the puppets too, by amazing international designer Chris de Wilde (see the picture of the ‘white card’ model, that’s the version we play about with before the ‘coloured in’ version get’s made!) and the cast are beginning to look at their scripts and musical notes, with a lot of exciting hard work on the cards to get the show on the road….Do, do, do come and see us again in 2017, and don’t forget to sign and say “hello”!
Research and Development has begun…
For a new work with international performer and director Annie Stainer. Arts Council England have awarded us a goodly sum to get going on the studies. We are dancing, dreaming, puppeting and playing in the studio, and about to film some of our shenanigans. The show will be for young adults, a first for us, and will be launched later in the New Year. In the meantime, check Annie’s website www.anniestainer.com.
Krazy Kat and the Arena Theatre Wolverhampton
The Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton are one of our favourite venues, with a great Disability Arts Development programme. And we are so pleased to announce that they have invited Kinny to be a patron! Way to go Wolves! (And of course he said yes.)
Our Artistic Director included in Queens Birthday Honours List 2016
We are delighted to announce that Kinny Gardner has been awarded The British Empire Medal for services to Children’s Theatre and Disability Arts in this years Queens Birthday Honours List. We are all so proud and pleased, and of course look forward to some pix of him with the Queen.
Magicnessity and Flutage touring the UK until 2nd July
The Very Magic Flute has begun it’s madcap UK tour, with 3 sold out performances at the Pleasance London and The Mill Studio Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. And we’ve seen friends in schools in Preston, Lancaster, Haywards Heath and St Albans. A whirlwind of puppets, tricks, music and silliness, we are enjoying a fun and funny travelling extravaganza. Do check out THE SHOWS page, and come and see us…there’s a cut out model theatre programme, designed by genius David Shenton, awaiting you…
Signs of the Time project receives Arts Council England funding.
We are so pleased to announce that we have been awarded the funding for ‘Signs of the Time’. So as well as appointing a new Deaf Associate Artist, we will be creating ‘Rapunzel and her Witch’, touring mid Nov 26- Dec 24th 2016 for the Christmas season, and then the wonderful musical ‘Oliver in the Overworld’ will be opening 8th April next year. Dancing is occurring all over the Kat office!
