An all-female theatre production company will be spreading some Christmas cheer this year, distributing free theatre tickets to low-income families through food banks in East Sussex.
No child should be excluded from the arts because of money.
More than 500 tickets to The Lost Toys’ Big Christmas Adventure! at the White Rock Studio in Hastings and The Royal Hippodrome in Eastbourne will be given to families in need, paid for by local businesses.
The move will be a welcome one as, according to the Society of London Theatre, the average ticket price for theatre outside the West End rose in 2018 to £27.10, up 8% on the year before. Tickets to The Lost Toys’ Big Christmas Adventure! cost £32 for a family of four.
Co-founder Kali Peacock, who has written and directed the show, said: “Everyone can remember the first time they went to the theatre. Seeing a Christmas show is such a fabulous and magical family tradition, yet too many can barely afford to put food on the table, let alone think about theatre tickets. “No child should be excluded from the arts because of money. These are our future actors, directors and stage managers but they’re never going to have an opportunity to pursue these careers without being exposed to the arts.”
The musical has been written and staged by UnderWired Productions, which was set up by two mums frustrated with the lack of acting opportunities for their demographic. Peacock, who appeared alongside Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland, and her co-founder Katy Morgan were also fed up with the steep cost of theatre tickets pricing ordinary people out. UnderWired is a charity that is truly smashing stereotypes, and questioning what the theatre industry has become. This is so important for the long-term survival of this artform if it wishes to continue being relevant.
Change starts small and, in just one year, Peacock and Morgan are already attracting interest from women who like what they’re doing and want to be involved, both on stage and behind the scenes. One such individual is Sarah Travis, the first woman to ever win a Tony award for Orchestration, for her work on the revival of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd who has written original music for the performance.
Seeing theatre companies dedicated to inclusive performances and mass accessibility to their shows needs to be highlighted and applauded. The show is multi-sensory and both venues are accessible, which is especially important to Peacock, who is mum to a six-year-old boy whose disability means he cannot walk or talk. Her motivation was to create a relaxed theatre experience that her whole family could enjoy together.
If you fancy showing your support, The Lost Toys’ Big Christmas Adventure! is running between the 13-29 December in Hastings and 17-18 December in Eastbourne. For tickets visit: https://www.underwiredproductions.com/
