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We are so pleased to announce our new Associate Deaf Artist for 2013-14  made possible with funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. Gareth is a versatile theatre performer, with a strong physical style informed by his deafness. He has appeared in three showcases as part of his studies at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and has had an enviable career in mainstream theatre in the short time since he left. He has puppetry, dance and mime skills, speaks Welsh and English, and his first language is BSL. He’ll be with us for some rehearsals, some performances on the road, and he’ll be visiting the office for a few training days. If you see him, do say “Yachi Dah”…

After a sold out, rip-roaring success with Edmund the Learned Pig at The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, in cahoots with Fittings Multimedia, we are now embarking on ‘1,2,3 Little Pigs’. Rehearsing at the lovely ‘Pleasance’ in London, we tour out from 17th November, starting at the beautiful Brighton Emporium. Of Edmund, the press said :‘a heady mixture of slap-stick, cabaret, puppetry, story-telling and drama. It is funny, no doubt about it, but it’s also as mad as a bag of frogs… the madcap approach really works, the show holds together in an adorably eccentric fashion… a really fun night out.’ The Good Review. What will they say about the Littler Piggies? Watch this space…and come and see us!

Interesting goings-on at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester where we find a gathering of artists from three exciting UK based theatre companies: Fittings Multimedia, The Krazy Kat Theatre Company, and our hosts The Royal Exchange Theatre. On Monday we begin to create ‘Edmund the Learned Pig’ written by Mike Kenny with songs by Martyn Jaques. Designed by Chris de Wilde (Set) and Kevin Pollard (Costumes).  Kinny is greatly looking forward to the rehearsals; to learning, playing, changing and laughing until the show is built and settled and ready for YOU to see us. From 9th October until 25th October we will be singing, dancing, puppetting, laughing and talking with our hands (and hearts). To tell a tale of a Pig who could talk (and sign!) and who changed the lives of The Boss, The Missus, Ariella and Mr. Mesmo. Kinny will be playing Mr. Mesmo….oooh! See you there!

We have been awarded a grant from The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust towards our new project ‘Hands Up – Sign Up’. Kinny is delighted, and the entire team are increasingly excited about both the stories that are part of it:  ‘1,2,3 Little Pigs’ and ‘A {midsummer night’s} DREAM’.

Here is the link to our BSL signed and subtitled publicity clip for ‘Edmund the Learned Pig’ , our co production with Fittings Multimedia Arts and The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester. It’s running there for a few weeks – October 9th – 25th 2013.Huge thanks to Caroline Parker and Kinny for their signing, and amazing film director Inigo Braithwaite for his excellent filming. It’s on VIMEO, so you’ll have to copy and paste this link to get there : https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sq15w0rpowlxew5/pzSDlbZ3Ae/Edit%2001%20with%20Subtitles%20%28H.264%29.mp4

Edmund the Learned Pig, our remarkable co-production with Fittings Multimedia and The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, is toddling on beautifully. Kinny spent a blissful day in the music studio working with Musical Director Sally Clay and co-artistic producer Garry Robson on the wonderful songs by Martyn Jaques of The Tiger Lillies. Here’s a link to the show, which is running in Manchester in October of this year. http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/event.aspx?id=723

As you can see from the newly re-vamped SHOWS page, we are in the middle of booking up our Winter tour. A curly-tail of much silliness, with Sign Language performers Kinny Gardner and Jim Fish being directed (or corralled) by Caroline Parker. We’ll be re-visiting some old friends, and happily making new ones, so do check the listings and get along to see us. And if you want to book it, ring now! And very soon we’ll be releasing further information on ‘A {midsummer nights} DREAM, our greatly anticipated Shakespeare, already booking up for Spring 2014… mmm magic and mayhem awaits.

We are so pleased to announce that we are in receipt of a grant from Arts Council England towards the cost of our next big project. ‘Hands Up -Sign Up’ will allow us to appoint a new Associate Deaf Artist, and create two new touring theatrical productions. The first of which, ‘1,2,3 Little Pigs’ begins it’s UK travels on Nov 17th of this year…Well done Kinny for some tenacious fundraising!

We had a great time at Hacton Primary School in Hornchurch. Here is a link to their amazing web page, all about our visit with The Waving Cat, and featuring great paparazzi – style photos. Once you are there, click on the photo image to see it bigger.

http://hactonprimary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-waving-cat-of-japan.html

We are so excited to tell you that we have raised further funds from ‘Foundation Scotland’ and from ‘The Moffat Foundation’. This means we are now fully funded for our ten day trip to Bonnie Scotland in June. Hoots indeed…