The Zoo that Comes to You
Produced by Scarlet Oak Theatre
Aimed at ages 5-11
The Zoo That Comes To You follows the impassioned attempts of two animal enthusiasts to share their love of and concern for animals with the world. They take in animals that need respite, care or a temporary home and have, accidentally, ended up with a whole sanctuary, but with no visitors! So everybody – animals and humans alike – have decided it is time to get out, see the world, and bring the zoo, to you.
Come and meet this eclectic group of charming yet cheeky animals, as they discuss their life experiences and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world. They have a lot to say and want to inspire people of all ages to take action, because they know small actions can make a big difference in the world.
Featuring puppetry, live music and playful characters, Scarlet Oak Theatre welcomes you to join the conversation about animal conservation.
“They have an infectious sense of fun and have left our audiences smiling with every performance.”
– Adam Fuller, Co-Creative Director @ Front Room Theatre, Weston-Super-Mare
”I don’t know who enjoyed it more – the children or the adults!”
– Audience Quote
“The show was funny, musical and thought provoking…. A perfect balance of entertainment, education and beautiful design.”
– Director of The Exeter Fringe 2021
Gallery
Age Guidance
The Zoo that Comes to You is aimed at ages 5-11. Our shows for this age group have storylines that can be followed by children from around age 5. They work for a wide age range and there will be elements to engage the older children, and adults, in the audience, for example music, puppetry techniques, more complex ideas, language or humour. Children under the recommended age can often enjoy the visuals but may not follow everything, and may not stay engaged. If the show contains any parts likely to be scary or upsetting for anyone, these will be mentioned in the FAQ below.
This show has standard theatre seating – rows of benches facing the stage. There will be up to 90 people watching the show (sometimes more if you come when there are school groups).
Questions and ideas are taken from the audience throughout and children can put their hands up to speak, or shout answers out together. There are two points in the show where the performers will ask for volunteers to come on stage. At the end of the show, the whole audience are taught a song to sing together. The audience stay in their seats while watching, but you can leave and re-enter the auditorium at any time.
As the show is about animal conservation, it does cover habitat loss and poaching. Serious messages are delivered alongside success stories and fun and laughter, aiming to leave the audience feeling that there are positive things they can do to make a difference.
Younger children may not follow all the dialogue on stage or the verbal interaction, since a lot of the content is designed to work well with KS1 and KS2 science curriculum, looking at characteristics of animal groups, habitat and habitat loss.
About the Company
Jasmine Orchard and Lucia d’Inverno met when training at Circomedia: center for contemporary circus and physical theatre and have since trained in clowning with Ecole Phillipe Gaulier. Both artists bring to the company their experience from working in a variety of educational settings which has highly informed their practice in creating work for young audiences. With their separate careers in acting, puppeteering, directing and producing they have come together to form Scarlet Oak Theatre, a company committed to making theatre that is equally accessible and engaging for children and their grownups.
Credits
Puppetry design and director – Marc Parrett
Composer – Sam Welch
Videographer – Dave Pomphrey
Photographer – Rowan Virgo
Performed by Jasmine Orchard and Lucia d’Inverno
Multibuy Offer on Children’s Puppet Festival events:
(exclusions apply*)
Get 10% off when you book 2 events
Get 20% off when you book 3 or more events
How it works:
Step 2
If you add a second show or family workshop to your basket 10% discount applies to both events
Step 3
If you add a third show or family workshop to your basket 20% discount applies to all events
* Puppet Placations, other Family Workshops and Adult Workshops are excluded from this offer. Offer applies only to shows or family workshops (Ice Screams! and Ahoy There! Puppet Pirates) taking place between 1st August and 1st September only. Shows and family workshops need to be booked in the same order for the discount to apply, but if you have booked in separate orders and would like to claim the discount, please contact the box office. Please note that if you book more tickets for one show or family workshop than another, the discount only applies to the number of tickets booked on all events (e.g. if you book 3 tickets for two shows and 4 for a third show, 9 tickets are discounted 20% and the extra ticket on the one show is not discounted).
August – September 2024
Little Angel Theatre’s OFFIE award winning Children’s Puppet Festival
Jam-packed with shows and workshops for all the family and adults too!
We are delighted to announce the return of our Children’s Puppet Festival which will take place across both Little Angel venues this summer from 2 August – 1 September 2024. The vibrant programme will showcase a broad range of puppetry by the most exciting UK and international companies currently making theatre for young audiences.
There will also be plenty of opportunities for everyone to take part, with workshops for families, community events, fun days for children and courses for adults to try out the craft of puppetry.
If you cannot find an available event to suit you, you can join our waiting list for sold out events here.