CARDBOARD Joe and The Book Of Mysteries will visit Selby Town Hall on Sunday as part of a 11-date Yorkshire tour commissioned by the Small Venues Network.
This Grants for the Arts-funded network is a group of 11 independent-minded performance spaces that has been working together since 2012 to "bring some of the boldest and brightest theatre, music and literature events to the region".
Last year, the network put out a call for a company to create a new show that would "excite and engage their audiences", whereupon Cardboard Joe and The Book Of Mysteries was selected from nearly 100 applications with its combination of storytelling by Dan Mallaghan, music by Nick Lewis and boundary-pushing live animation by Fabric Lenny.
It's hammer time! Dan Mallaghan as Cardboard Joe
This fun-filled family adventure for children aged three to 11 and their families has been created by the multidisciplinary 154 Collective, an array of 14 performers, painters, writers, photographers, animators, dancers and musicians from Britain and continental Europe who create ever-evolving collaborative work.
"The show involves an actor, musician and live animator, with a backdrop that doubles as a projection screen and a story driven by the young audience," says Chris Jones, Selby Town Council's arts officer. "I’ve spoken to a few people who attended last week’s world premiere in Leeds and they assure me it’s one of the best pieces of family theatre they have ever seen. Enthralling, engaging, exciting and brilliantly different."
Cardboard Joe and The Book Of Mysteries follows the adventures of thicker-than-paper but thinner-than-wood hero Joe and his friends. Every show will be different as the young audience and Dan Mallaghan's Cardboard Joe make up the story together. Expect "oodles of joining in, daft tales, loads of laughs and, as his name suggests, more than a little bit of cardboard".
"Cardboard Joe and The Book Of Mysteries isn’t your run-of-the-mill family show," says Chris Jones
As Joe and his new friends imagine new adventures together, digital artist Fabric Lenny will draw all their ideas in real time. These are then projected to create exciting new worlds and even universes on stage using live animation, and all of this will be accompanied by musician Nick Lewis, who conjures up a soundtrack for each part of the story and even has his own cardboard guitar.
“Cardboard Joe and The Book Of Mysteries isn’t your run-of-the-mill family show” says Chris. "For children who love cinema, storytelling, music or animation, it's a magical experience which they can lose themselves in and join in as much or as little as they want. They’ll have a great time either way. It’s an exciting, loud and daft show that's a celebration of all the fun and magic of making up stories and letting our imaginations run wild."
Praising the commissioned show's vibrant originality, Chris adds: "The combination of live music and animation, created on the spot in response to audience ideas, is really ground breaking and brilliantly done. I’m absolutely delighted with the fantastically imaginative show that 154 Collective have created for Yorkshire’s Small Venues Network. It certainly reflects our desire to place big ideas and ambitious shows in intimate performance spaces and promises to keep adults and children alike royally entertained.”
Tickets for Sunday's 2.30pm performance are available on 01757 708449, at selbytownhall.co.uk or on the door from 2pm. The show will visit Helmsley Arts Centre on October 27 and Pocklington Arts Centre two days later, both at 2.30pm; Helmsley box office, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk; Pocklington, 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk
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