Metta Theatre takes over Belmont Park playground with Monkey & Crocodile, featuring aerial circus, acrobatics, live music, skateboards and 100 fresh apples. Based on a classic Indian fable of friendship, betrayal and cunning, this is a show for children and adults alike. The show opens following the success of Metta’s recent production Arab Nights (at the Bikeshed Theatre) and previous family show, puppet opera The Elephant's Child (Arcola Theatre/Trafalgar Studios).

Audiences enter a playground forest to find friendly Monkey monkeying around on the monkey bars with her new best friend Crocodile zipping about on his skateboard. All is not what it seems however and clever Monkey must keep her wits about her if she is to escape the clutches of Crocodile’s mean mother.

The performances are accompanied by circus workshops in juggling, clowning and acro-balance, and every audience member gets a free apple.

Poppy Burton-Morgan “Communities who don’t necessarily access live performance will find Monkey & Crocodile right on their doorsteps and in their playgrounds. We hope the show – full of surprises and fun – will be a step on an exciting journey into the Arts for newcomers and regular theatre-goers alike, young and old, and everyone in between.”

Metta Theatre makes beautiful, imaginative and compelling theatre, using all the story-telling tools at its disposal: words, music, video, movement, puppetry, opera, illustration, and circus. The company creates theatre that wears its theatricality on its sleeve: meta-theatrical works that tell stories that include the audience in the act of telling.

Supported by Arts Council England, PRSF, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, Exeter Arts Council, FEAST for Cornwall and Circus Space Lab:Time Award.

Monkey & Crocodile is a free family show, performances at 11am and 3pm on 26, 27 and 28 June (plus workshops at 4pm).

Written and directed by Poppy Burton-Morgan co-director/choreographer: Layla Rosa; composer: Jessica Dannheisser; costumes: Kate Lane.

www.mettatheatre.com

Show running time: 45 minutes

For more information contact the Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk