How To Be A Kid

How To Be A Kid was a project with a two fold focus:

  • To develop 3 graduate actors and provide them with a bespoke programme of Continuing Professional Development, alongside a rehearsal process and tour of Sarah Macdonald- Hughes’ play, How To Be A Kid.
  • To produce an engaging touring production for an audience of young people aged 7-11 and their families to tour libraries, theatres, community groups and schools alongside a resource pack co-produced with Our Time Charity.

The project was funded by Arts Council England and Our Time Charity, a UK based charity that offers workshops, resources and training for children and parents affected by parental mental illness.

The Story

Molly cooks. Molly does the dishes. Molly gets her little brother Joe ready for school. Molly misses her Grandma. Molly looks after her mum. Who looks after Molly?
Molly is only twelve, but she doesn't feel much like a kid any more.
Now her mum is feeling better, maybe things will get back to normal. Maybe Molly can learn to be a kid again.
A touching and funny story of family, friends and fitting in, Sarah McDonald-Hughes' play is ideal for seven to eleven year olds and their grown ups, who never want to let go of the magic of being a kid. This production meets big topics like care, mental health and growing up with an even bigger sense of imagination, creativity, joy and hope!

Highlights

  • From the CPD programme the three graduate actors reflected that what they'd gained was a mindset change, increased confidence, being empowered to put themselves forward for new work, new connections and a local network, and a want to work with other companies who's values align with their own.
  • Words used to describe the performance by our audiences included insightful, meaningful, thought provoking, enlightening, rollercoaster, powerful, impactful.
  • Audience feedback focused on the effectiveness of theatre in making big conversations accessible, an appreciation of the message to talk about your emotions and mental health and how the performance was extremely validating for a lot of the young people (especially young carers and young people in care). 

Quotes

Teacher: 'That was brilliant. Thank you. We support so many young carers so it’s great to see it represented. I was just admiring my class - so engaged. They were really enjoying themselves.’

Audience: 'Such a powerful and thought-provoking piece of theatre - It really should be shown in as many schools and youth group settings as possible. Thank you so much for reaffirming my belief that theatre really can affect and change us for the better!'

Young Person: A young person in care said to NDB1 staff ‘it’s making me cry but in a good way. It’s really real and proper representative of lots of my life. I really like it’ (he then ran back from the toilet because he didn’t want to miss any more of the show, and was saying aloud the part of the play we were up to before he went out to the toilet so he was ready to get back into it).