Magic comes to Marylebone – after 35 years.
There’s trouble on Church Street Market. The local theatre is having trouble keeping the lights on, The Big Bad Wolf wants to blow down the neighbourhood to build luxury flats, Mother Hood is behind on her rent, Robin Hood has somehow managed to lose his arrows, and someone keeps breaking into houses and eating all the porridge.
What we need is a hero. And a show to put them in.
The Cockpit’s first homegrown, full-length family show for 35 years, Fairytale On Church Street is an original story featuring magical characters and tales known in one version or another across the world – with a modern and unexpected twist.
Said Cockpit Director Dave Wybrow, “Church Street has changed radically since The Cockpit was built. Everyone around here knows the area still needs a makeover but, thanks largely to local community agencies, what was once an area of deprived estates with one of the highest crime rates in the country is now on the way to becoming one of London’s great multicultural success stories; a true global crossroads.”
Dave continues: “Civil society around here has never been healthier. It’s time for The Cockpit to celebrate neighbourhood character and re-invent local family entertainment – especially for that ‘lock-down’ generation of young children that had little exposure to live events as toddlers.”
“The Cockpit is designing Fairytale On Church Street as a panto-style, musical community story featuring well-known fairytale characters, set in the bustling, multicultural Church Street Market. “We want the show to be as fun, quirky and inventive as the community of communities that live around here.” says Dave. “When we ask, most people know stock fairytale characters even though they are thought of as ‘European’ so we are sticking with those as a jumping-off point. Where we all go in future years, as more local people get involved, will be a fascinating journey.”
One of the challenges of producing a local show with musical content is how to incorporate the world music genres heard locally while working with pantomime sing-along conventions around widely known hits and standards. To address this The Cockpit is liaising with local amateur musicians and music enthusiasts to bring in Bhangra and Middle Eastern influences.
“We’ve hosted Middle Eastern maqam, Greek rebetika and bhangra in the past but establishing links with local players is more difficult than you might think” says Dave “The London music industry doesn’t routinely include people who play ‘world’ genres – nevertheless its ‘world’ genres that figure along Church Street and ‘world’ genres we must connect with. If that means holding impromptu impro sessions with people in local barbers shops that’s what we do.”
“It’s huge fun reaching out and we are lucky” he continues, “we have a top-notch cast of actor-musicians who have no problem rising to the challenge and are keen to do so. In future years local connections will start feeding into what we do in a more integrated way. Christmas shows at The Cockpit are set to become true drivers of cultural evolution and hybridisation locally.”
After a gap of 35 years, connecting on any scale with local family audiences around Christmas is also a challenge. To this end, the theatre is offering school parties tickets as low as £1 each with shows in the morning to suit school timetables, and discounted tickets for families from local postcodes, plus a range of other offers.
Fairytale On Church Street opens at The Cockpit on December 8th and runs till the end of the month.
https://www.fairytaleonchurchstreet.co.uk
By Kathryn Gardner
Cast: Glitzy Von Jagger, Artie Godden, Lauson Kenyon, Carys McQueen, Emelia Harrild
Directed by Kathryn Gardner and Dave Wybrow
Musical Director – Meg Cavanagh
Production Manager – Deb Jones
A Cockpit Production
