Theatr Iolo will present their first show since the winter lockdown, with performances for families at outdoor venues in South Wales.
Building on the success of their Christmas show, the company are set to reinvent the production HOOF! for sunnier days. Starring three tap-dancing deer, the show has been created in collaboration with Kitsch & Sync, a company most well known for their walk-about performances at festivals.
The tour will mark the return of the award-winning children and young people's theatre company since they were forced to cancel outdoor performances just before Christmas as Wales went into another lockdown. For many venues on the tour, the show will also be the first live performance to take place on their premises since theatres shut over a year ago in March 2020.
“HOOF! was very well received by audiences last December, but unfortunately many missed out due to the sudden lockdown over the winter months. We really wanted to finish what we’d started and so have given the production a whole new look and feel; one that is quite literally full of the joys of spring!
This year we’re also able to visit more venues, some of which have been closed for over 12 months. We’re thrilled to be returning to venues and to mark the start of their gradual re-opening with a production that can be performed safely in the open air.”
Lee Lyford. Artistic Director, Theatr Iolo
The travelling theatre was created last year thanks to a capital grant from the Arts Council of Wales’ cultural recovery fund. The grant allowed the company to buy a second-hand exhibition trailer and transform it into a travelling theatre. As part of the transformation, the outdoor stage also has its own solar powered battery, which makes the travelling theatre more environmentally friendly.
"We were determined to find a way to make live theatre despite the pandemic and do it safely in a way that our audiences could trust. The grant we received from the Arts Council of Wales has enabled us to create a travelling theatre that we will be able to use for many years to come. We can now create fully staged, albeit small scale, outdoor productions that audiences can enjoy in the open air, at a safe distance from others.”
Lee Lyford. Artistic Director, Theatr Iolo
Audiences are invited to join three little deer as they stumble across an old, abandoned theatre. Investigating their new find, this cheeky trio quickly find themselves in spotlight and treading the boards for the very first time! Will the toe-tapping friends be able to bring the long-forgotten theatre back to life? Or will the lights be turned off forever?
HOOF! is a 20-minute outdoor performance. The performers will be on the travelling theatre stage, whilst the audience stand in the open air to experience the show. Both audiences and performers will adhere to social distancing, with families of up to 6 allocated a standing area upon arrival. Each performance will have no more than 30 audience members and each group will need to be from the same household or extended household.
HOOF! will take place from 16 May – 13 June 2021 at The Riverfront in Newport, MEMO Arts Centre in Barry, Chapter in Cardiff, and Bryngarw Country Park in Bridgend. In addition to this there are also exclusive performances at Llanrumney Hall for local residents and Kitchener Primary School in Cardiff for children who attend the school.
HOOF! has been created for families with children aged 4+, but younger children and babies are welcome. All groups must have at least one child. Tickets are on sale now and must be ordered in advance directly from the venue. Tickets cost £5 or £6 (venue dependant) and babies under 1 are free. All members of the group, including babies, must have a ticket.
Hoof! has been made possible by the support of the Arts Council of Wales.
The Riverfront, Newport
16 – 18 May 2021
newportlive.co.uk
MEMO Arts Centre, Barry
22 & 23 May 2021
memoartscentre.co.uk
Chapter, Cardiff
28 May - 1 June 2021
chapter.org
Llanrumney Hall, Cardiff*
3 – 5 June 2021
llanrumneyhall.org
Kitchener Primary School, Cardiff*
7 – 9 June 2021
Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend
11 – 13 June 2021
bryngarwcountrypark.co.uk
*Please note that performances at Llanrumney Hall are exclusively for the local residents. Please contact the venue for more information. Performances at Kitchener Primary School are exclusively for the children that attend Kitchener Primary School.