Family Theatre Productions

Supported by our funding from Arts Council England, we worked with The Spark Arts for Children and Nottingham Playhouse to provide fun and imaginative theatre for children and families. Take a look below at all the productions that have toured Inspire libraries.

A Square World toured six of our Inspire libraries from 30 May to 1 June 2018. Written and performed by Daryl Beeton, in association with The Spark Arts for Children, the performance was an honest, touching and quirky story of three friends and what happens when an unexpected change leaves one of them out in the cold.

The show was aimed at children aged 3 – 6 and their families. 123 children attended the performances with 214 audience members in total across the six performances. 

The Gingerbread Man toured 20* of our Inspire libraries, delivering 21 performances running from 29 July to 11 August 2018. Presented by Hiccup theatre this brand new version of the classic tale added delicious original live music (that we're still singing today!), tasty storytelling and dollops of fun. 

The show was aimed at children aged 4+ and their families. 539 children attended the performances with 1005 audience members in total across all 21 performances. 

*12 performances were funded through the NPO, the remaining 8 performances were funded through Among Ideal Friends - a theatre touring consortium developed by The Spark Arts for Children in partnership with libraries in the East Midlands. 

Mischief and Mystery in Moominvalley toured six of our Inspire libraries from 10 November to 24 November 2018. Presented by Get Lost and Found, the performance was based on the much-loved novels by Tove Jansson. This heart-warming show told the story of a year in Moominvalley using magical puppetry, original music and interactive play which delighted our young audiences. 

The show was aimed at children aged 3-7 and their families. 171 children attended the performances with 348 audience members in total across all performances. 

The Girl of Ink and Stars toured 20* Inspire libraries from 26 July to 11 August 2019. Commissioned specifically for library spaces, the performance was created by The Spark Arts for Children in association with Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries, with funding from Arts Council England.

Based on the award-winning book by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, it told the story of Isabella and her lifelong friend Pablo’s, journey into the forbidden and unknown territories of their island in a search for their missing friend.

Following her map and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers that deep beneath the dry rivers and smoky mountains, a fiery legend is stirring from its sleep... 

The performance was presented through headsets giving an immersive 360° sound experience. Individual headsets allowed the audience to hear the full soundscape of the mythical island of Joya and be fully transported to Isabella’s world.

The show was aimed at children aged 7+ and their families. 481 children attended the performances with 843 audience members in total across the all 21 performances. 

*12 performances were funded through the NPO, the remaining 8 performances were funded through Among Ideal Friends - a theatre touring consortium developed by The Spark Arts for Children in partnership with libraries in the East Midlands. 

Once Upon A Pillow Fight, presented by Upswing theatre company,  toured four of our Inspire libraries from 6 April to 7 April 2019. 

In the show, children and their adults in the audience tucked themselves into comfy beds whilst two characters, not nearly ready to sleep, embarked on their bedtime adventures which soon descend into pillow-fighting chaos! A wonderfully inventive mix of theatre, acrobatics, and storytelling.

The show was aimed at children aged 5+ and their families. 122 children attended the performances with 222 audience members in total across the four performances. 

GULP! toured five of our Inspire libraries from 21 to 23 October 2019. Performed by The Bone Ensemble, GULP! was a moving, magical story about how to care for the world and its precious resources in an age of plastic and climae change.

The show was aimed at children aged 7+ and their families. 164 children attended the performances with 280 audience members in total across the six performances. 

Activity in year 3 was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, our teams worked hard to transfer as much as they could online so our funded work could continue, here's what they achieved;

When the disruption caused by Covid-19 meant our libraries could not host theatre productions, we then explored new ways of bringing exciting and imaginative stories to children and families.  We worked with The Spark Arts for Children, to bring writer Satinder Chohan’s words to life again. The Spark reunited the team who had so brilliantly created the original theatre production and transformed the play into an audio drama. 

From homes or classrooms, the audio drama, allowed children to be transported to the mythical Isle of Joya and be immersed in Isabella and Pablo’s journey.

The Girl of Ink and Stars was presented over 3 audio podcasts and was available to listen to from October 2020 to October 2021. The podcasts were recorded binaurally which showcased the rich, immersive soundscape and created a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the performers or instruments.

The podcasts were also supported with a series of activity sheets which were used during the original production which toured Inspire libraries.

Below is the playscript for the audio drama;

The team also created an online exhibition capturing the development and performance of the family theatre production that had previously toured Inspire libraries.

The exhibition featured photos by Pamela Raith of the rehearsals and production, as well as more information about the making of the play including cast and creatives, costume design, and audience reactions. 

Mavis Sparkle toured Beeston, Worksop and West Bridgford Libraries in October 2021 aimed at children aged 4+. 

A cleaner with an extraordinary story to tell, Mavis is on a journey north to see nature’s biggest light show with her own eyes.

With a cleaning trolley full of secrets and surprises, and a little help from Spike the hedgehog, Mavis moves ever closer to making her dream come true. 

Featuring a heart-warming mix of illusion, animation and captivating performance, this life-affirming production inspires us all to be brave, dust away doubts and reach for the stars!

Curious Investigators is a cracking adventure created in collaboration with engineering experts from Lancaster University: a delightfully surprising, highly visual show for 3-7 year olds and their grown-ups. Scribble and Clipboard have a job to do: sort the recycling. But Scribble keeps finding new things to investigate. When she discovers a mysterious egg hidden in the rubbish, the pair need the audience’s help to rescue an unborn chick. Can we save a mysterious egg from a smashing? And what will we discover along the way? 

Curious Investigators visited Inspire twice, both digitally in June 2021 and physically in February 2022! The first was a live Zoom investigation for 4 - 7 year olds. The second toured four libraries in February 2022, and two more in April 2022 (NPO year 5). Curious Investigators was commissioned by Big Imaginations. 

The Princess and the Pea visited Mansfield Central Library twice in November 2021 and was aimed at children aged 3 - 7 years.  Not for the faint hearted… fake Princesses… or those who have trouble sleeping at night!

Set in the Museum of Forgotten Things, three musical curators, tell the amazing tale of the museum’s artefacts including the mystery of a little green pea and how it got there.

Vixen visited West Bridgford and Mansfield Libraries in May 2022. The production was aimed at a slightly older audience, children aged 7+. Saffi is 11 and she lives on an estate with her Dad. After being scratched by a vixen in the raincoat man’s garden she begins to transform and dreams of running away to live with her fox family. Vixen explored themes of immigration, loss, estrangement and fire. 

Recycled Rubbish toured 19 Inspire Libraries throughout August 2022, aimed at children aged 5+ and their families. Join two excavators as they scuttle through the muck finding treasures hidden amongst a world of rubbish. A magical world where, at the touch of a puppeteer’s hand, the contents of a bin bag can transform before your eyes. 

Recycled Rubbish was created in response to the pressure we all face to throw things away and update as often as possible. The show explores themes of recycling, the environment and the value of friendships

Grandad Anansi toured 5 Inspire Libraries in October half-term 2022, aimed at children aged 4 - 9 and their families. Join our intrepid characters in this humorous and heartfelt inter-generational adventure, as they step into the unexpected. With evocative live music, Grandad Anansi is an uplifting tale of love, courage and letting go.

Grandad Anansi is one of several productions that are part of Half Moon’s touring portfolio, supporting the promotion and development of theatre for young audiences at a national and international level.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears presented by Nottingham Playhouse was a one-off performance at Worksop Library in January 2023. 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears embarked on a pop-tastic dance-party of an adventure exploring friendship, home and daring to share.

There was music, magic and plenty of opportunities to join in along the way, this show was ‘just right’ for little humans aged 3 – 8 and their grown ups.

Before touring libraries with What Happened To You? artist and storyteller Nikki Charlesworth visited 6 Inspire Libraries in October 2022 with the Puppet Play family puppet making workshop. In this creative, fun, and interactive workshop families learned about making puppets and how to bring them to life to tell stories. Aimed at children aged 5 - 9, this workshop was for all the family to enjoy. 

What Happened to You? toured 8 Inspire Libraries in February half-term 2023. The show was a semi-autobiographical puppetry show by artist Nikki Charlesworth.  It followed three raggedy puppets, trying to enjoy their day...but so many busy bodies kept getting in their way! 

This version of What Happened to You? was created for libraries with support from Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries and The Spark Arts for Children

Photos:  Graeme Braidwood

JACK! was presented by Little Seeds Music and was a theatrical performance which toured 12 of our libraries during August 2023.

Families joined JACK! in his many guises as he seeked his fortune, found the love of his life and, of course, took on the fearsome giant!

There were traditional stories, original songs and storytelling, plus brilliant live music, with lots of opportunities for children aged 5+ and their grown ups to join in. 

Frocks, Socks and the Orange Fox was presented by East Lab Dance Company.

Fox and Mole go on a journey through towns, forests, mountains, and rivers to find Foxes' socks. Children aged 2-6 years old and their families were invited to rhyme, move and learn on this interactive dance adventure and take part in an exciting stay and play workshop after the show.

Make A Story is a creative family storytelling workshop which toured 6 of our libraries during April 2023. 

Working with professional theatre maker, Kitty Benford, children used their imaginations to create exciting characters and invent a brand-new story. Open to anyone aged 5-9 years old, the workshop was packed with performance, creativity and joy. 

Programmed in association with the The Spark Arts for Children, this workshop is the third in a series of workshops presented by Inspire. 

The Seven Circles production visited Beeston and West Bridgford Libraries in April 2023 to present Club Origami.

Children aged 0-5 years old and their families were invited to dive into the magical world of Club Origami, an immersive and interactive dance show, allowing all those involved to create, imagine and explore whole new ways of thinking, playing and moving.

Programmed in association with the Spark Arts for Children and supported using public funding by Arts Council England. 

As part of the Fantasy theme inspired by the Living Knowledge Network Fantasy exhibition, Nottingham Playhouse bought their Christmas production of Hansel and Gretel to Worksop Library in January 2023, performing to a sold-out audience. 

Children aged 3 - 8 and their families were invited to get lost in the enchanted forest and help Hansel and Gretel get back home. With music, magic and plenty of opportunities to join in, this fairy tale adventure was a perfect treat! 

Boxed In toured Worksop, Retford, Beeston, West Bridgford, and Mansfield Central Library throughout February half-term 2024. 

The production followed the journey of someone who can’t make head nor tail of the unspoken rules that surround us all. Sometimes stop means go and go means stop. Are you supposed to go this way, or that. Sometimes it’s up and sometimes it’s down. 

This relaxed and highly accessible performance was largely non-verbal and had designated quiet spaces for anyone that needed it. 

Programmed in association with the Spark Arts for Children. 

Luna Loves Library Day - The Musical toured West Bridgford and Beeston Libraries with public performances from 9 - 10 March 2024. The production was also offered to schools audiences, performing at Worksop, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Mansfield Central Libraries. 

Based on the critically acclaimed book by Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho and illustrator Fiona Lumbers, children aged 5+ and their families joined Luna and Dad as they discovered magic and mystery, laughter and sadness and, through the power of stories, amongst the library shelves. 

Programmed in association with The Spark Arts for Children.