A new play aimed at young children is set to give a delightful new twist on a traditional fairytale as well as tackle the issue of homophobic bullying by spreading a positive message about diversity and acceptance.
Created by the critically acclaimed Action Transport Theatre and LGBT Youth North West, Happily Ever After is inspired by the Dutch children’s book King and King by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland which tells the story of two princes who fall in love and live happily ever after. The new play will be at Unity Theatre from 17-19 September.
Directed by Action Transport Theatre’s artistic director Nina Hajiyianni and featuring a cast of international actors, Happily Ever After uses the company’s trade-mark highly visual, wordless storytelling and comedy clowning to engage children in high quality art. The play’s aim is to help raise awareness amongst primary school children around homophobia, gender expectations and ‘difference’, promoting respect and understanding, and equipping children, parents and teachers with a vocabulary around same sex relationships.
Almost two thirds of young people have experienced direct homophobic bullying in schools according to a recent survey by charity Stonewall. Nine in ten secondary school teachers and more than two in five primary school teachers say homophobic bullying occurs in their school with the word ‘gay’ often being used as an insult.
The unique creative collaboration with LGBT Youth North West, which successfully toured to eight primary schools in Cheshire in 2014, will be supported by expert wrap-around activities which will enable parents and schools to tackle homophobia whilst promoting mutual respect, equality and diversity amongst primary school children
Action Transport Theatre exists to put new writing and young people at the heart of U.K. Theatre. Based in Ellesmere Port, Action Transport Theatre is the only specialist new writing and dedicated young people’s theatre company in Cheshire. The company is driven by its mission to present theatre that is innovative, surprising, challenging and, most importantly, by, for and with young people.
Tickets for Happily Ever After are priced at £6 and can be obtained from the Unity Theatre Box office.