Peter is a boy. And boys like blue and football and fights. Jane is a girl. And girls like pink and dollies and princesses.
Princess Charming is a contemporary topical exploration of gender identity and stereotypes for children aged seven – eleven. Spun Glass Theatre will transform theatres across the UK into family-friendly cabaret clubs that will energise and educate audiences, demonstrating how adults and children alike can be confident in their role in our modern-day society.
This fun-filled show celebrates being exactly who you are. Through cabaret, sticker books, song and dance and, even acrobatics, performers Charlotte Worthing and Alexander Luttley bring heaps of entertainment as they inspire audiences to find the courage to defy expectations.
Introducing children to the creative possibilities of cabaret while possibly even showcasing the next generation of cabaret stars, Princess Charming gives children a voice and families the opportunity to take part in an all-important discussion. This hilarious play successfully enables children to reflect on this zeitgeist subject, to deeper understand their own identities and, in doing so, break free of gender stereotypes.
Director, Amy Draper, comments, It feels important to make bold, uncompromising and innovative work for young people and in Princess Charming we not only play with form but also explore the complex and political subject of gender identity and stereotypes. Gender is obviously, rightly, a vital talking point at the moment and a subject that is particularly pertinent to our two performers, with whom we’ve devised this show. I hope that it acts as a springboard to conversations between children and adults, whilst also being fun, entertaining and theatrically inventive.
An absolute gem of a show…it is entertaining, informative (though never preachy) and vitally, incredibly relevant (★★★★★, West End Wilma).
Princess Charming is a co-production with Ovalhouse and is supported by Kidscape, Bullies Out, The Ben Cohen Stand-up Foundation and Arts Council England.
Running time 1 hour 15 minutes
Twitter @spun_glass, #princesscharming, #freetobeme
Website www.spunglasstheatre.com
Writer Stewart Melton
Director Amy Draper
Producer Jessica Cheetham
Designer Katharine Heath
Lighting Designer /Production Manager Simon Booth
Performers Charlotte Worthing and Alexander Luttley
Tour Dates
Weds 19th Sept Poplar Union, 2 Cotall St, London E14 6TL, 4pm
www.poplarunion.com
Sat 22nd Sept ARC Stockton Arts Centre, Dovecot Street, Stockton on Tees TS18 1LL – 11.30am & 2.30pm
www.arconline.co.uk
Sun 23rd Sept Cambridge Junction, Clifton Way, Cambridge CB1 7GX – 11.30am & 2.30pm
www.junction.co.uk
Weds 26th Sept The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury OX16 5QE 10.30am – 2pm & 5pm
www.themillartscentre.co.uk
Fri 28th Sept The Garage, 14 Chapel Field N, Norwich NR2 1NY – 1.30pm & 7.30pm
www.thegarage.org.uk
Sat 29th Sept Colchester Arts Centre, Church St, Colchester CO1 1NF – 11am & 2pm
www.colchesterartscentre.com
Sun 30th Sept Norden Farm, Altwood Rd, Maidenhead SL6 4PF – 11.30am & 2pm
www.norden.farm
Sat 6th Oct Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow CM20 1LS – 1pm
www.harlowplayhouse.co.uk
Sun 7th Oct Georgian Theatre Royal, Victoria Rd, Richmond DL10 4DW – 2pm
www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk
Fri 12th Oct Pontardawe Arts Centre, Herbert St, Swansea SA8 4ED – 6pm
www.npttheatres.co.uk/pontardawe
Sat 13th Oct Maud Theatre, 186 Hoe St, Walthamstow, London E17 4QH – 2pm & 5pm
www.mirthmarvelandmaud.com
Sat 20th Oct The Marlowe Studio Theatre, Canterbury CT1 2AS – 12pm & 3pm
www.marlowetheatre.com
Sun 21st Oct The Place, Bradgate Rd, Bedford MK40 3DE – 11am, 2pm
www.theplacebedford.org.uk
Tues 23rd – Sat 27th Oct Ovalhouse Theatre, 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW – 2pm
www.ovalhouse.com
Weds 31st Oct – Thurs 1st Nov Chapter Arts Centre, Marked Rd, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1QE – 2.30pm
www.chapter.org
Fri 2nd – Sun 4th Nov The Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Bristol BS3 1TF – 10.30am & 1.30pm
www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
