Bristol Theatre News

Innovative and Inclusive Show Minny Stynker Debuts in Bristol

The incredible new show comes to Tobacco Factory Theatres this half term

An innovative new theatrical project will bring to life the world of Minny Stynker. It’s a children’s storybook which has been developed into a show and a theatrical augmented reality experience.

Bristol company Soap Soup Theatre developed the project to ensure their work can reach children who may be unable to attend theatre due to their health.

During its development, the company worked alongside families who are caring for children with serious illnesses. The project has been endorsed by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.

Arts Programme Manager at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation, Emily Malins said they were fully supporting the ‘exciting project’.

“Reports highlight the significant role creativity can play in improving health and wellbeing. More specifically research shows that engaging in the arts can aid recovery, reducing pain relief and boosting mental cognition,” she said.

Minny Stynker is aimed at families with children age three years upwards. It combines live performance with puppetry and projection mapping. The premiere of the exciting new piece of inclusive theatre will be at Tobacco Factory Theatres this half term. The show will then go on a UK-wide tour.

An immersive AR experience and Minny Stynker picture book will be distributed to hospitals, hospices and healthcare settings across the region.

Minny Stynker tells the story of Kit, who has moved house to a new city where it always rains. Feeling alone and finding it difficult to make friends, Kit feels isolated and trapped in their dingy bedroom. But one night, the swirls and doodles on their page of scribbles suddenly come to life, taking them on a very unusual adventure.

Artistic Director and Producer of Soap Soup Theatre, Tomasin Cuthbert, came up with the idea for the project after spending a month in Bristol’s Neonatal intensive care unit following the birth of her son in 2020.

Tomasin says: “We are so excited to bring Minny Stynker to Bristol this May – both to Tobacco Factory Theatre audiences and to children receiving healthcare treatment across the city. This project is very close to our hearts and has emerged from some incredible and generous collaboration with healthcare providers and families of children with life-altering illnesses. It’s the first time we are incorporating digital media to this level in our work, and it’s had an extraordinary impact on both the live and digital experience.”

Books will be available for purchase at the live show. For each book sold, another will be donated to a children’s ward or hospice in Bristol.

Minny Stynker will be at Tobacco Factory Theatres from 29 May – 01 June 2024

For more information and to book: https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/minny-stynker/

Creative team
Tomasin Cuthbert Menes – Artistic Director, Producer & Performer
Sarah White – Co producer
Stephanie Kempson – Director
Gabrielle Sheppard – Associate Director
Tom Ball – Composer
Chris Harrison – Projection design
Joe Price – Lighting design
Saikat Ahamed – Dramaturg
Ricardo Ventura – Performer

Photography – Paul Blakemore
Featured Image – Tomasin Cuthbert

Funders
Arts Council England
Skinners Foundation
The Nisbet Trust
Coopers Associates
The Gibbs Trust
The Nani Huyu Charitable Trust


For more information about Soap Soup Theatre: https://www.soapsouptheatre.com

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