No understanding of English, or indeed any other language, is needed to enjoy Oily Cart’s latest theatre show The Lost Feather.
You might recall the company, which began life 40 years ago creating puppet shows in parks, from its recent show Jamboree, which was performed on doorsteps across the borough of Greenwich during lockdown.
The Lost Feather has been conceived by learning-disabled creative Mark (who uses only his first name), a long-term collaborator of Oily Cart, together with writer Amani Naphtali, and is performed by storyteller Usifu Jalloh.
Pitched as a ‘sensory storytelling adventure’, the 45-minute show is coming to Greenwich Theatre next week in a series of relaxed performances, so little ones are invited to roam around as much as they please.
We spoke to Ellie Griffiths, artistic director of Oily Cart, to find out more about the show and the company’s mission to make work that’s inclusive of all children…
Holly O’Mahony (HOM): Firstly, could you tell us a bit about Oily Cart’s mission as the theatre company?
Ellie Griffiths (EG): Oily Cart’s mission is to make world class theatre that can work for all children. This includes babies, toddlers and disabled children who have the most barriers to access.
Our sensory approach speaks to all the senses (if you break it down, we actually have 33 senses, not five!).
In our shows we incorporate movement, light, shadow, temperature, smells, touch and taste, meaning that you don’t need to understand words to fully enjoy our shows, or to collaborate with us to make them.
We rip up the rule book of standard theatre to make it work for everyone, to make it something that can really connect people who have very different ways of being in the world. We believe that the sensory is as close as you can get to a universal language and are excited about the potential of working this way to bring people together.
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HOM: Tell us about the show you’re currently touring, The Lost Feather.
EG: We first created the story of The Lost Feather in lockdown. With no live theatre, we knew that many disabled children were at risk of becoming more isolated during this time, so we made sensory shows that could travel to people’s homes and schools, to be brought to life by teachers and their classes.
We made a colourful, musical cart, which can literally be played like an instrument, to arrive in schools full of beautifully crafted props, puppets and everything the school would need to tell the story in their classrooms.
HOM: How did the idea for the show come about?
EG: The Lost Feather was created by our associate director Mark, who is a learning disabled artist who has worked with Oily Cart for many years and is a real expert in sensory theatre.
Mark collaborated with the writer Amani Nephtali and designer Amanda Mascarenhas to bring his ideas to life.
Now that we are able to tour with performers again, we wanted to take this project to the next level and share the story more widely.
We have got the incredible storyteller Usifu Jalloh onboard to add in live music and take the story to all different settings over the next few months.
HOM: What can audiences expect from it?
EG: Audiences can expect a really welcoming, colourful, fun experience where they are all part of the adventure.
The show is a mixture of live music, interactive sensory stimuli, puppetry, shadow making, storytelling and opportunities to play and get involved.
The show features recorded music from Uganda, called embaire music, played for us on the soundtrack by the Nakibembe Embaire Group.
This is music that really makes you want to move. Our performer Usifu is from Sierra Leone, and brings his country’s rich heritage of storytelling into the show.
HOM: What about the show makes it accessible?
EG: We stage the show in a relaxed atmosphere where you can make noise and move around as much as you like.
As with every Oily Cart show, we have made it as sensory and accessible as possible, so all children and families feel welcome.
Although this show uses some language, we are incorporating Makaton signing [a communication system using signs and signals], and it’s really not necessary to understand the words to enjoy the experience.
HOM: You often stage your shows in unconventional spaces like parks, libraries and even hospitals. How come?
EG: We know that theatres aren’t places that everyone feels welcome or comfortable to come to.
We also know they can be expensive, especially when times are hard, and that not everyone lives close to a local theatre.
We wanted to make sure that none of these things got in the way of families getting the chance to enjoy an Oily Cart show.
When the company was first formed 40 years ago, it staged its shows in parks and community centres, so for us, this show is getting back to where it all began.
We love performing in places where theatre can feel very live, informal and welcoming, where the audience can take the lead. It means each show will be completely different and will feel unique. For the performers, this is a really fun way to work, which can lead to lots of spontaneous and unexpected moments.
HOM: Lastly, what do you hope your young audiences take away from seeing The Lost Feather, which may well be their first experience of live theatre?
EG: I think so much theatre struggles to really connect with audiences that reflect the wide breadth of people living in the UK.
For disabled children and their families in particular, there is such a lack of places outside of school to enjoy together. I hope that by seeing this show, which comes from a diverse range of perspectives, that young viewers feel inspired to tell their own stories, if they want.
The main thing I hope though is that the whole family, no matter what their age, or if they are disabled or not, can have fun together. I think this show and its cart packed full of colour, creativity, sounds and feels has a lovely energy. I want The Lost Feather to be like a celebration of the stories we share and the people we are. Each and every one of us.
The Lost Feather is showing at Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8ES.
June 2, 11am & 1:30pm.
Admission: £12.50/£7.50 concessions.
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/the-lost-feather/
