Badapple's Tales From The Great Wood - with puppets!

"This is a new short play for children and grandparents and everyone else to enjoy together that can be performed indoor or outdoor," says writer-director Kate Bramley, founder of the theatre-on-your-doorstep proponents, as she introduces her interactive storytelling eco-adventure.

"Listen! Can you hear the whispering in the trees? The Great Wood is full of stories. It's a hot summer's day, perfect for basking in the sun, but instead of resting, Hetty the hare is investigating because someone is missing.

"As she unravels a tall tale that stretches from end to end of The Great Wood, Hetty realises that every creature no matter how small can have a huge part to play in the world of the forest."

Starring York actor Richard Kay, Danny Mellor and a host of puppets, made by designer Catherine Dawn, this show for ages five to 95 will be performed at the Covid-secure Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, on July 2 and 3.

"We'll also be playing Skipsea Village Hall on the Sunday, and we're looking to do some outdoor performances too, such as at stately homes, with Annabelle Polito working on that at the moment," says Kate.

"I'm trying to create a show that is 'omni-everything': suitable for outdoor spaces and for indoors, so it's not only a play for all seasons, but a play for all eventualities."

To add to the feeling of resurgence, Badapple Theatre is celebrating being awarded two grants to support its youth theatre classes, as well as the resumption of professional live shows this summer. 

Over lockdown, the North Yorkshire touring theatre company moved its youth theatre classes online, created a free Theatre On Your Desktop podcast series of online plays and even converted an empty grain store into a theatre/film studio to record two of its plays, Eddie And The Gold Tops and The Snow Dancer.

Now, the Local Fund Harrogate District, administered by Two Ridings Community Foundation, has provided £2,908 to cover Badapple's core costs and ensure its community projects can continue through to August, such as its regular youth theatre sessions in the village.

"Meanwhile, Arts Council England has awarded £15,000 in financial support to commission new plays for the youth theatre and youth summer school and to ensure a return to professional live performance," says Kate, Badapple's artistic director.

"We're delighted to be celebrating both of these grant awards. The two go hand in hand to keep us afloat with our community work right now and keep us moving forward with brand new shows for audiences this summer."

Looking back on a 21st anniversary year spent under the Covid cloud, Kate says: "Arts Council England stepped in and bailed us out spectacularly, but we couldn't monetise the online programme, beyond getting plenty of hits for the Christmas show, but certainly we couldn't live off it."

Badapple resumed live performances last September with Suffer Fools Gladly, actor Danny Mellor's hour-long comedy about the perils and perks of always having to tell the truth, presented in Yorkshire private gardens, campsites and hall car parks.

"We really hit lucky with Danny's show, and we were really lucky with the September weather, except for the last show, when we needed a sturdy, stoic audience! The shows were utterly Covid-safe too," says Kate.

Reflecting on how theatre companies responded to the Coronavirus crisis, she says: "So many companies adapted to the social need, whether to run food banks or provide outdoor events, and that's a good thing to come out of the arts world in pandemic times.

"There's been less navel-gazing with a lot of good companies looking beyond their own agenda to think, 'what do people need from us now?'."

Looking ahead, Kate reveals: "December 2021 will see the rescheduling of our original eco-fable Snow Dancer, the Christmas show that we were so lucky to present in a handful of performances at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in December 2020 between lockdowns.

"Our Christmas remit is always to play to children and grandparents, so that's our agenda again, to bring those two generations back to seeing things together.

"May/June 2022 will finally everything crossed! see the long awaited and much-postponed premiere of my brand-new comedy Elephant Rock. This show is already funded by Arts Council England, so we're excited to be programming venues for this event from now onwards."

What happens in Elephant Rock? "From the great age of the steamers and through the heyday of the British seaside resorts, the old Palace dance hall stood proudly on the pier, attended by the greatest of all attractions, the Mechanical Elephant," says Kate.

"But the relentless tides have chipped away at the coast and the mighty Elephant Rock that gave the headland its name seemingly walked off overnight. Join us for a night of comic capers from a family who are trying to keep the Palace doors on, and open, as they delve into a complicated family history of music-hall owners spanning 100 years and 5,000 miles to the elephant-filled grasslands of Sri Lanka."

Badapple Theatre, Tales From The Great Wood, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, July 2, 7.30pm, and July 3, 11am, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 501935.