Speedwell Dance is in the middle of a national tour with an interactive version of the classic tale, Thumbelina. Children are invited up into the performance space throughout the show to become part of Thumbelina’s world. They are encouraged to participate in the songs, to touch the props, to build parts of the set and altogether, tell the tale.
The performers respond to the children and pick up on what they want to engage with as the story moves on. “We don’t expect them to sit and stay quiet. They can take part if they want to but sit and watch if they prefer,” explains Artistic Director Rachel Dean. “As a company, we knew we wanted the show to be interactive before we had decided which story to tell. Right from the start I wanted to bring together the performance work that we were doing and the participatory work, so you could almost see it as a workshop. Or it could almost be like a performance but with a huge amount of joining in. So, somewhere that sits on the line between performance and participation was one of the absolute first things I knew. I wanted to make an interactive children’s show. The performers and I are all improvisors, so that fits very well with it being interactive. I think to make something that’s truly interactive, improvisation needs to go through the whole piece because it gives you the freedom to go with the children, knowing what they bring and knowing that the story holds it together.
“Children and their grown-ups can help Thumbelina find her place in the world in this show which we have packed full of live music, dance, and song. It’s perfect for ages three to eight and they can help her escape from a hungry toad, build a shelter from sticks and through play, give her the strength to carry on and make it safely home.
“Created with children over a series of open rehearsals for playgroups, nurseries and families, their involvement in the making of the show has been integral to the finished result. Every single thing that happens has happened because of the input of a child either in rehearsals, in a performance, or from watching my own children. We did a lot of rehearsing with audiences. The piece first began to develop with a playgroup I was working with throughout lockdown, just me and a group of parents and preschoolers. So, right from its beginnings, there have been little people there. We would get it so far without an audience, but then it wouldn’t come to life until children were watching. As soon as we met with them, they would do something different to what we expected. That was so exciting.” Rachel concludes, “We’ve taken what the children have showed us, absorbed it, sifted it and we are now giving it back to them. I think that makes it quite special.”
Supported by The Place’s Rural Touring Dance Initiative, the dates on the tour include theatres in towns and cities as well as community halls and libraries in rural settings. The flexibility of the show enables it to work in intimate spaces in any setting, making it easier for people to access Thumbelina.