Fireside Folktales to Launch in May!

Fireside Folktales, Shadow Road Productions' new project for 2019, will see us retelling various myths, legends and folktales via short plays (30-60 minutes long) performed by a company of professional actors in an eight-metre diameter bell tent!  We are delighted to be launching at the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival over the weekend of 11th-12th May, where our beautiful Story Tent will be positioned in the middle of Barnes Green (Church Road, London, SW13 9HE), between the main Festival Marquee and the Tea Tent!

We will be performing three short plays on each day, with entry to any of the performances free throughout the festival weekend, although numbers are limited so we advise you to get there early for your chosen production!  Join us for Aesop’s Fables at 11am, followed by Persephone & the Pomegranate Seeds: How the Seasons Came to Be at 1pm and finally, at 3pm, A Tale of Robin Hood.

As these performances will take place during the day and are aimed primarily at young audiences, the other elements that will form a vital part of future Fireside Folktales performances – a campfire in our medieval-style firepit and marshmallows for the audience to roast over it! – will not feature during this first weekend.  It is, however, our hope that, with numerous future performances of new material for all ages planned, those who wish to do so will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy them later!

We will also be available for private bookings - with either our 8m bell tent or our smaller 3.5m teepee (which usually serves as the actors' dressing room and our costume and prop store!) - for parties and events for both children and adults, or for school visits, any time from the end of May onwards.  (For more information, please see our BOOKINGS page.)

In the meantime, we are truly delighted that Fireside Folktales will make its debut under the umbrella of the wonderful Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, as is the Festival Director, Amanda Brettargh, who says,“We have been keen to bring myths and legends to Barnes Children’s Literature Festival ever since we started and Fireside Folktales represents a fantastic opportunity for us to work with a local theatre company, young people and emerging artists.  We think it will really add great value to our audience experience.”

Everyone involved in Fireside Folktales is really excited to bring this project to life and we very much hope that you will join us on May 11th and 12th - and afterwards - to see the magic of myths and legends made real on your very own doorstep!