It’s time to brush off those January blues and look ahead to fun-filled February! We are bringing lots of magical moments to venues across the North West and Yorkshire this month. Check out what’s on offer below: 

STAN 

Sam is a happy, dinosaur loving 8-year-old whose world turns upside down after his parents separate. As he takes himself off to the far end of the school field he meets Alex, a deaf girl with a vivid imagination – and an impressive collection of dinosaurs.  

Bonding over boring packed lunches and their favourite fierce T-Rex, the pair form an unlikely friendship. When things at home become too difficult for Sam, Alex whisks him away on an astonishing adventure to meet the almighty STAN, the gigantic T-Rex at Manchester Museum.  

Think Pixar’s Inside Out meets Night at the Museum, STAN is well worth a visit this Winter!   

A powerful and poignant new play by Sarah Emmott, STAN celebrates the power of play, the joy of communication and the positive force of friendship. Featuring awesome animated dinosaurs, STAN is written and performed in English and British Sign Language and embeds creative captions within the set.  

You can catch STAN at: 

• Z-arts between 10th-12th February  
• The Met between 17th-18th February 

If you’re all booked up in February, there will also be a chance to catch STAN at The Dukes between 9th-10th March.  

The Hug 

The Hug presented by Long Nose Puppets. 

Based on the heart-warming and funny book ‘The Hug’ by Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar. Starring a Hedgehog and a Tortoise both in search of a restorative hug. 

Facing many rejections along the way, they meet a rather scary badger, an obsessive squirrel who knows A LOT about nuts, a fabulous fox and an owl who is trying hard to be wise. A tale of hope, empathy and acceptance. 

Set to Tom Gray’s beautiful and witty music, the audience are invited on a journey full of fun, laughter and love…and at the end, a very special hug from our puppets. 

“We are absolutely delighted that Long Nose Puppets are coming to Stalybridge with their amazing show THE HUG,” says Ben Irwin from Tameside Culture. “Long Nose make some really unique, entertaining and engaging puppet based theatre for children and families. We have wanted to get them to Tameside for many years and with the help of Big Imaginations we have finally managed to do it and we cannot wait!”  

You can catch The Hug at: 

• Astley Cheetham Gallery on 19th February 
• Wonder Arts on 17th February 
• Square Chapel on 20th February 
• The Old Courts on 21st February 

If you’re all booked up in February, there will also be a chance to catch The Hug at Z-arts on 12th March.  

Dommy B’s Best Adventure Ever 

When Dom and his Mum move home, Dom has to go to a new school. Leaving behind friends and familiarity, he arrives ready to share his exciting rhymes about meeting a magical goblin, and what happened at the lake when he attempted the greatest bike stunt in the world. 

What will his new classmates make of these tall tales? How far will Dom go to gain acceptance from the coolest kids in this new school? 

Creating a whole fantastical world on stage with only his words and imagination, Dommy B explores the challenges and triumphs of making new friends when everything around you is different and strange. 

A fun and magical story about compassion and living with change. 

You can catch Dommy B’s Best Adventure Ever at:  

• Waterside on 5th February 
• Kirkgate between 10-14th February 
• Wonder Arts on 15th February 
• Touchstones on 23rd February 
• The Old Courts on 25th February 

If you’re all booked up in February, there will also be a chance to catch Dommy B’s Best Adventure Ever at Bury Met and The Boo in April (dates TBC).  

Curious Investigators  

Scribble and Clipboard have a job to do: sort the recycling. But Scribble keeps finding new things to investigate. When she discovers a mysterious egg hidden in the rubbish, the pair need the audience’s help to rescue an unborn chick. Can we save a mysterious egg from a smashing? And what will we discover along the way? 

CURIOUS INVESTIGATORS is a cracking adventure created in collaboration with engineering experts from Lancaster University: a delightfully surprising, highly visual show for 3-7 year olds and their grown-ups. 

You can catch Curious Investigators at:  

• Waterside on 13th February 
• Oldham Library on 19th February 
• Z-arts on 26th February 

If you’re all booked up in February, there will also be a chance to catch Curious Investigators at Burnley Youth Theatre on 5th March, Wonder Arts on 14th April, and Tameside on 19th April  

Josephine 

Josephine Baker. The little girl from Missouri who became an original 20th Century icon. Dancer, actor, activist, campaigner, spy and mother to the multicultural Rainbow Tribe, Josephine broke the mould and high-kicked the pieces to the kerb. But, almost 50 years after her death, Café Josephine, a down-at-heel New York diner dedicated to her memory, faces closure. Nobody remembers Josephine, who she was, what she did, what she stood for. And she just can’t allow that. 

With a sultry, Harlem Renaissance-inspired score, spring-heeled Charleston dancing and a hatful of historical figures, Josephine blurs the real with the imagined as we follow one woman’s incredible journey from the slums of St Louis via the bright lights of Paris and into the hearts of the world. 

“We are thrilled to welcome ‘Josephine’ to our stage,” says Karen O’Neill from The Dukes. “This high energy innovative production tells the captivating story of Josephine Baker, a 20th century icon who broke the mould. We think this is a story that can inspire our young people to create positive change and strive for their goals, with a fantastic online learning portal this is a must for schools, families and all those in search of wonderful storytelling.” 

You can catch Josephine at: 

• The Dukes, Lancaster on 19th February.  

If you’re all booked up in February, there will also be a chance to catch Josephine at Z-arts on 19th March.  

To book any of the shows, please visit our shows page. You will be directed to book directly via your chosen’s venue’s page.