Islington’s Little Angel Theatre has unveiled digital and live puppetry performances to celebrate its 60th anniversary ahead of World Puppetry Day on March 21.
The children’s puppetry theatre began celebrations this month and launched its digital production of Where the Bugaboo Lives on Sunday.
Executive director Peta Swindall said the show is a “choose-your-own adventure”, where “the audience gets to choose how the story unfolds” with Zoom polls.
“Inspired by the community”
This interactive spirit will run throughout Little Angel’s anniversary celebrations. It will launch The Wishing Tree project in summer, which will see “magical” trees appear throughout Islington. Swindall said: “Children will hang puppets on them and tell stories about their wishes and aspirations. Off the back of that, it’s going to inspire a production.”
The production will form part of a festival of outdoor performances in June which will be “inspired by the community”.
Lockdown has not stopped Little Angel extending interactivity to children throughout the country. Last February, it took its collaboration with Great Ormond Street Hospital, If Not Here…Where?, to hospital and hospice wards. It is adapting this into a digital production to reach children despite Covid-19 restrictions.
Swindall is excited about its legacy: “Hopefully, a bit further down the line, that element of the show will be able to continue with those more vulnerable children.”
She said: “It’s a show about hope and transition and trying to bring creativity and interaction into the lives of children on wards where they don’t get a lot of interaction with the outside world.”
It’s been one year since we were forced to close our doors. And what a year it’s been.
? 175 digital shows, stories & crafts
? 800,000+ views
? 3 Zoom shows
? 1 Puppet Picnic
?? 2 months until we’ll see you again.#16March #FirstInLastOut pic.twitter.com/4PTRycmfIQ— Little Angel Theatre (@LittleATheatre) March 16, 2021
Lockdown has expanded the theatre’s digital reach. Its series, Watch, Make, Share, has been viewed over 757,000 times in 90 countries.
While the theatre hopes to open its doors with a socially-distanced production of The Smartest Giant in Town in May, Swindall said: “Part of Little Angel’s 60th anniversary season includes a commitment to carrying on digital content.”
