Playful Tiger

★★★★
“remarkably bold and visionary...what really shines through is the generosity and constant awareness that the dancers show throughout the performance... the interaction is an uplifting witness to how dance can loosen up more than muscles.”
– The Herald

Playful Tiger is a sensory show for neurodivergent young people. It tells the story of a tiger’s visit to a rigid family home where he turns their world upside down. It’s chaotic but brilliantly fun, with a focus on sensory engagement. Playfulness within the work creates space for a two-way response between the audience and performers—blurring the boundaries as young people become active collaborators both within and beyond the set.

Internationally acclaimed and toured across the UK, Europe and USA, Playful Tiger is a joyful invitation to audiences to join in the fun at their own pace, and is celebrated for its spellbinding playfulness and the magical sense of inclusion it creates.

Playful Tiger is inspired by Tiger Tale co-created by Natasha Gilmore and Robert Alan Evans.

Access

Barrowland Ballet and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay are committed to making the arts more accessible to all. For this show, several adjustments have been made. This includes trained staff to help you find your way around the venue, adjustments to sound levels and lighting, and additional time built in for arrival, settling in, and finding your seats. There will also be no rush to leave once the show has finished.

The performers have been trained to work with neurodivergent children and young people.

The audience is not expected to sit still and/or be quiet. The show will be 45 minutes long without a break.

In the venue, there will be a maximum of 6 to 8 young people with their adults at each performance.

You may refer to our wayfinding guide to get to the Theatre Studio. You can also reach out to the Esplanade staff at the venue for directions.

What to expect at the performance

Details on what to expect at the performance can be found in the Visual Story. The details are also available in text format below:

• You can sit on a chair behind the child/young person you are accompanying or on mats next to them. The dancers won’t start until everyone is ready.

• If the child or young person you are with wants to wander around during the show, or just stand in the corner, that is fine. If they want to come in and out of the theatre during the show, that’s ok too.

• If the young person you are with makes noise during the show that is totally fine. The dancers are expecting this and do not mind.

• If the child/young person you are with needs to leave at any point during the show then that is no problem. There is a Calm Space that you can ask an usher to show you to.

• At the beginning of the show, there will be some dynamic dance to enjoy and watch on the stage. If it is possible to keep the young person you are with off the stage for this section that would be ideal. (However, if the child/young person you are with really wants to sit on stage and it will upset them to move, that is ok, the dancers will work around them.)

• Once the tiger has entered and spilled the oranges out of the buckets, he will encourage the children and young people to join in with the dancing if they want to. This is entirely optional.

• Although the dancers are highly trained in working with young people with complex needs, we would appreciate your vigilance throughout the show to ensure your own child’s enjoyment and safety.

• We want you to relax and enjoy the show with the child or young person you are with. In the second part of the show, if you feel comfortable to let them join in on their own, please feel free to do so.

• After the show has finished you can stay for a while and play with the orange balls. There will be lots of time for you to make your way out of the theatre.

Credits

Choreographer: Natasha Gilmore

Collaborator: Ellie Griffiths

Performers: Kai-Wen Chuang, Amy Hollinshead, Vince Virr

Composer: Kim Moore

Set and Lighting Design: Fred Pommerehn

Costume Design: Christine Dove

Local Technical Manager (Set and Props): Allister Towndrow