Bedtime Stories

Underbelly Circus Hub

Imagine curling up under a duvet with a fluffy blanket and pillows and watching an acrobatic story unfold before your very eyes….well, that’s exactly what you can do with this imaginative production by circus performers Upswing. The audience are invited into one huge cosy bedroom, and can sit or lie in comfy beds and snuggle under blankets which clearly thrilled all the children present…shoes are most definitely removed as you relax and enjoy the show !

This is a gentle and evocative piece of physical theatre; beautifully choreographed, telling the story of a young girl who is obviously struggling to go to sleep and instead prefers to go on nighttime adventures with her friend Three. We are immersed in their sensory, playful world and their adventures sailing, walking through forests and heading to the moon ! Clever and beautifully illustrated projections help us visually travel along on their journey and graceful acrobatics and silk routines add to the wonder. But hidden behind the whimsical escapades of the girl and Three, we see the other side of the tale- the busy, stressed Mother, struggling to keep up with her hectic life and drowning under the paperwork piling on her desk and we come to understand why bedtime stories are never quite being finished.

Whilst the narrative can at times be difficult to hear, this does not distract from what is ultimately a charming performance carrying the crucial message of ‘letting things go’ and spending more time with one another.

My mini reviewers say : ”The rocket into space was the best bit, and all the things she did on the rocket”

”I loved sitting on the comfy beds and snuggling..”