February and March theatre show dates for your diary

We’re excited to share with you some amazing shows coming up over the next few months, with information about disabled access and accessible performances. From a kids’ festival to a silent film festival, and a circus in between, there’s lots to see over the coming weeks, as well as some events taking place online too. 

Take a look at more details below, and please leave a review on Euan’s Guide if you decide to go along! 

Imagine Children’s Festival, 8-18 Feb, Southbank Centre  

The Imagine Children’s Festival is suitable for ages 0-11, and some shows are also suitable for older children/teenagers. Taking place over 11 days, the festival is jam-packed with more than 100 events, and over 50% are completely free!  

All performances have a relaxed approach to noise and movement in the space. A chill-out space and noise-cancelling headphones are available for adults and children, and the festival includes a wide range of inclusive and accessible events and activities. Find more information in the Southbank Centre’s accessible events document and on their blog. 

Southbank has a promo code for an £8 discount which can be applied to the following shows with BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter.  The discount is available in person, by calling the Ticket Office on 020 3879 9555, or by emailing them at hello@southbankcentre.co.uk. Use IMAGINE BSL. 

Event highlights: 

Thu 9 Feb, 11am: Tales from Acorn Wood

Sun 12 Feb, 11am: Magic and Dragons with Cressida Cowell

Mon 13 Feb, 2pm: Ashley & Jordan Banjo: The Day We Saved the Future

Fri 17 Feb, 11.30am: Everything Has Changed 

All events are listed on Southbank’s website.

Raw Material Arts and Vanishing Point, 10-11 Feb at Traverse Theatre and 17-18 Feb at Tron Theatre  

Raw Material Arts is an award-winning, independent production company based in Glasgow, and they’ve co-produced their new show with Vanishing Point, a Scottish world-renowned and artist-led theatre company.  

Their new show is a production of Ramesh Meyyappan's Love Beyond (Act of Remembrance). It’s a love story, but not a typical one – it’s a tender and visually creative show that explores the themes of love and loss in the context of dementia, while incorporating BSL and spoken text. 

Event details: 

10-11 Feb at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

17-18 Feb at Tron Theatre, Glasgow 

Hippodrome Silent Film Festival, 22 – 26 March, Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness

The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival takes place this March for the 13^th year. Scotland's only festival dedicated to silent film takes place in the country's oldest purpose-built cinema, the Hippodrome in Bo'ness. The festival is affectionately referred to as HippFest and is renowned for its varied programme celebrating silent film with live musical accompaniment.  

The venue has level access from the main entrance to the ground floor, which encompasses the catering pod, the bar, the box office and the accessible toilet. There’s a hearing loop in all public areas and all staff are trained in disability awareness. The Hippodrome Bo’ness also note in their accessibility guide that some parts of the building have low lighting, and headsets are available for audio descriptive screenings. The menu/price display board is in large print, and tickets for personal assistants are complimentary. The venue also uses the Neatebox WelcoME app. 

This year's films include golden oldies from the 20s and 30s, as well as the regular HippFest events at the Hippodrome, around Bo'ness and beyond including compositions from young local musicians, as well as an online programme for those looking to join in from afar. All film events in the Hippodrome and online will be BSL-English supported, and all recorded online content will feature English subtitles. Pre-festival talks will have closed captions and BSL interpretation. 

The festival is served by a daily shuttle bus between Linlithgow station and the Hippodrome, bookable in advance.

Take a look at the Digital Brochure. 

Find out what’s on and when. 

Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror, 20 March – 10 June, various locations 

The cast for the new show Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror has been announced and is now available to book across various locations in the south. The cast includes disabled actors, and all shows are described as ‘chilled performances’, as well as being BSL interpreted, captioned and audio described.  

The show is set at a time when Hitler's dictatorship is strengthening and oppression is growing, yet this circus troupe's daring humanity and courage stay hidden beneath their big top. Their way of life balances on the tightwire as the world outside becomes darker and more dangerous. 

Extraordinary Bodies is a collaboration between Cirque Bijou and Diverse City, who have worked together for the last decade creating multi-disciplinary circus shows with D/deaf, disabled and non-disabled artists. Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror is co-produced with Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Royal Plymouth. 

The full list of tour dates are online. 

11 Mar – 1 Apr, Bristol Old Vic
20-22 Apr, The Lowry Salford Quays
4-6 May, MAST Mayflower Studios Southampton
20 May, Lighthouse Poole
26-29 Apr, Theatre Royal Plymouth
7 Jun, Brighton Dome

Tags: shows, theatres, disabled access