Waterside's family show.

 TANGO’S BIG ADVENTURE

HALF TERM SHOW CELEBRATING THE UNIQUENESS OF FAMILIES

Fri 17 & Sat 18 Feb

watersidearts.org/tango

 

Hive North bring their new family production, Tango’s Big Adventure, to Waterside in Sale, Trafford, this half term.  Tango’s Big Adventure is based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male penguins who were given an abandoned egg to hatch and care for.

 

The story was the subject of the acclaimed book And Tango Makes Three and is used by many teachers to introduce the idea of different families.

 

The play follows Tango the penguin as she heads off on a trip through Central Park Zoo meeting a variety of fascinating animal families, performed by three actors playing all the characters.

 

Puppetry brings to life the extraordinary animals Tango meets, including Clarence the Clownfish, a very protective stay-at-home Dad; Sheldon the Seahorse, exhausted after giving birth to 2000 babies and Ella the baby elephant who is raised by her Granny and Aunties.  In this fast and funny production, Tango learns the true meaning of family and some truly terrible jokes. 

 

Broadchurch actor and Patron of Hive North, Julie Hesmondhalgh, said: “I am so proud to be Patron of Hive North, supporting their incredibly important & entertaining work both in schools and for the public, exploring diversity & difference. Tango’s Big Adventure is a lively and vital production that invites discussion around different types of families.”

 

Tango’s Big Adventure is a development of Hive North’s previous play Here Comes Tango!, which toured Manchester schools in 2016 and was created in partnership with NHS Healthy Schools.

 

The new play, featuring brand new puppetry and fast-paced interaction, takes children on a journey with Tango around the Zoo, meeting lots of animal families, learning that all families are different and that difference should be celebrated.

 

The play is aimed at families with children aged 3 and over and aims to embed that whether you’re raised by grandparents, parents, same-sex parents, adopted or foster parents, at their heart families are all the same.

 

Hive North Artistic Director, Adam Zane, commented on the production: “It’s wonderful to share Tango’s story with young people in Greater Manchester. It’s vitally important that, from an early age, children are taught to respect each other’s differences and celebrate the uniqueness of every family.”

 

Find out more at watersidearts.org/tango

Watch trailer here.

ENDS

For further information and interviews please contact

Claire Saville / Emily Lyons marketing@watersidearts.org or 0161 912 5616

 

 

NOTES FOR EDITORS

 

LISTING INFORMATION

Tango’s Big Adventure

By Adam Zane | Produced by Mike Lee

Friday 17 & Saturday 18 February | 1100 & 1400 |Tickets: from £7.50

“I learnt that all families come in different shapes and sizes - I enjoyed every minute of it”

Primary School Pupil

 

Based on the true story that inspired the much-loved book “And Tango makes three” this brand-new play uses puppetry and comedy to celebrate difference and diversity.

 

Join Tango the penguin on her exciting adventure through Central Park Zoo!

 

Madame Zuzu is the greatest zookeeper in the whole world and she brings to life the story of Tango – a baby penguin raised by Roy and Silo, two male Chin-strap penguins. 

 

Tango grows up and sets off on an adventure across the zoo, meeting some extraordinary animal families including Mickey the Meerkat and his sisters; and Sheldon the Seahorse who is exhausted after giving birth to 2000 babies!

 

In this fast and funny new play, Tango learns the true meaning of family and some truly terrible jokes in Tango’s Big Adventure!

 

"A production of truly unique qualities. It sensitively delivers the message that there are a diverse range of families in the world who share the same love. I can't recommend this production enough”  

Primary School Teacher

 

Age 3+ | 55 mins no interval

 

 

Waterside

Waterside is an award-winning, vibrant destination for performance, culture and events in the heart of Sale in Trafford, Greater Manchester.

 

Waterside opened in 2004 and has built a strong reputation for delivering high quality and engaging work, ranging from family theatre, interactive arts activity, performance, live music and regular comedy as well as high profile visual arts exhibitions.

 

With an important role to play in the local community, the venue welcomes over 100,000 visitors per year, stages the annual ten-day Refract Festival and the cultural LGBTQ+ celebration Pride in Trafford; and engages with over 7000 residents through the established participation programme.

 

The space houses a main auditorium (the Robert Bolt Theatre), a versatile conference and studio performance space (the Chambers), three exhibition spaces and a number of studios, meeting and workshop spaces, all used by a variety of different groups.

 

The Lauriston Gallery is open to the public six days a week and is free to visit. The venue is funded by Trafford Council and supported by Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

 

Hive North

Hive North is a Greater Manchester based theatre company, perhaps best known for their play Be More Martyn, that celebrated the life of Martyn Hett and toured across the UK in 2019. Established in 2004, as Hope Theatre Company, Hive North specialises in verbatim theatre and creating exciting, challenging theatre that empowers its audiences. It presents educational and original work including productions aimed for and about the LGBTQ+ community. The company encourages the professional development of young actors and creatives and has a history of working with emerging LGBTQ+ artists.

Hive North tours productions to schools, festivals – including the Edinburgh Fringe and the International Gay Theatre Festival – and theatres, including the Kings Head Theatre, The Lowry and Hope Mill Theatre.

In 2016, Hive launched Hive Youth Theatre, delivering drama classes and workshops for young people in Greater Manchester. In 2018 and 2019 Hive North toured #BeMoreMartyn: The Boy with the Deirdre Tattoo, a new verbatim play about Martyn Hett who lost his life in the Manchester Arena bombing. The play was a critical success.

 

MISSION STATEMENT:

• Creating dynamic and relevant theatre for, about and by the LGBTQ+ community.
• Encouraging and supporting the professional development of early and mid-career LGBTQ+ artists.
• Inspiring creativity in young people and creating safe spaces to encourage artistic development.