By Sarah O’ Hara
Life in Theatre Productions announce Pop up Panto, a brand new touring Christmas show.
The Pop up Panto will travel across Merseyside, bringing joy, creativity and laughter to schools and communities – but they need your help to make this happen.
The company is aiming to raise over £18,000 to support the delivery of the Pop up Panto, providing the equipment and creative team needed to produce the show.
Life in Theatre Productions aims to bring the festive tradition of pantomime to schools on Merseyside, at a time when many theatres look set to remain closed this Winter due to the pandemic.
The Pop up Panto will employ local creatives to deliver the show and entertain children safely where they are in local schools across Merseyside.
Life in Theatre Productions aims to tour to as many schools in Liverpool as they can, with the hope of reaching further.
The Pop up Panto will tour in a van with a pop up stage, presenting stories that fit with the school’s reading curriculum.
The concept is influenced by a similar project ran by the Liverpool Everyman in the 1970s called VanLoad. This involved actors touring to local communities in a van, bringing theatre and comedy to audiences where they were.
Stephen Fletcher, the Founder of Life in Theatre Productions, has always wanted to write a show for kids and recalled that his first experience of theatre was watching a pantomime as a child.
““I knew that magic was happening right in front of me, which is what I’ve always tried to create with my own shows, said Stephen.
“Pantomime plays a vital role in introducing performance into young people’s lives, making them laugh, cry, feel, hope and forget.”
Stephen and Life in Theatre Productions hopes to create a fleet of pop up theatres, or extend the dates and numbers of shows, to bring future productions to schools next year.
Since launching, Life in Theatre productions has brought Broadway Plays, Musicals and original writing to theatres in Liverpool, reaching a combined audience of over 50,000 people.
Their shows have included musicals, plays, cabarets and comedies such as Bev’s Christmas Cracker and Mam I’m ‘ere.
Life in Theatre Productions have championed and showcased new talent, something which they aim to continue to do with the Pop up Panto.
To find out more and to support the Pop up Panto fundraising campaign, please visit their fundraising page.
