A new play for children at the National Library of Scotland is coming to the 2015 Fringe.
A new play for children based on the award winning book ‘A Boy and a Bear in a Boat’ by Dave Shelton will be entertaining family audiences at the National Library of Scotland this Summer.
Join our heroes all at sea with just a suitcase, a ukulele and a teapot to help them. Dark clouds are looming, the ocean is full of dangers, there’s only one sandwich left and it’s nearly teatime. When all seems lost, can their friendship survive? Where exactly are they heading? And will they ever get there?
This new version of the award winning book has been adapted by leading young person’s playwright Stewart Melton and is presented by Spark Arts for Children in association with Nottinghamshire County Council.
Featuring live music and movement, A Boy and a Bear in a Boat is a funny, thoughtful and thrilling adventure for everyone aged 5 – 9 years and their families and will be at National Library of Scotland 16 -22 August (except 18 August) at 11.30am, 15-22 August (except 18 August) at 3pm. Tickets cost £6 / £8. Book via Edinburgh Fringe Box Office online at http://www.edfringe.com, by phone at 0131 226 0000, or in person at Fringe Box Office, 180 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QS.
The show has been created specifically to be performed in libraries to attract new audiences and encourage children to widen their reading horizons. A Boy and a Bear in a Boat has been touring libraries across the East Midlands before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the prestigious National Library of Scotland.
Playwright Stewart Melton said “Dave’s book is a gift to adapt: rich, varied and ambitious, it effortlessly switches from comedy to epic action sequences. It’s been a challenge in the best sense to match the novel’s sense of scale and I have had a lot of fun working with the team finding ways of staging sea monsters, storms and ghost ships in your local libraries. As a Scot I’m thrilled that our tour concludes at the National Library of Scotland. It’s a wonderful privilege and makes the project even more special for me.”
For more information visit http://www.edfringe.com or http://www.thesparkarts.co.uk.
Illustrations © Dave Shelton 2012
Submitted by Keith Turner
