Mini Moon’s Children’s Show Lifts Off – To Mars!
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Camden Fringe is in full swing, but if you were thinking of attending with the family, there’s not a whole lot to choose from. Indeed, the only show that is created specifically for young people seems to be To Mars by Mini Moon Theatre. We were intrigued by this state of affairs and reached out to Megan Holman, writer and director of the show, to find out what is going.
Hi Megan. Thanks so much for talking to us today. We’re really excited that Camden Fringe includes children’s shows in the programme, but this year you guys seem to be on your lonesome! Before we get to that, can you tell us a bit about the plot of To Mars?
To Mars follows the journey of eleven-year-old Maddy, who has been denied her application to be an Astronaut because she’s ‘just a kid’. She brings her brother Jack along with her to Mars to prove to the adults that she can be just as good as them! However, when they get there, they find danger, adventure, and a real-life Martian! The show is all about balancing family relationships, dealing with failure, and having a bunch-load of fun!
How did you come up with the idea for the show initially?
I work in an immersive theatre environment, and as a part of my job, I ask people ‘So have you done everything you want to do in life?’ A bright-eyed child exclaimed that she wanted to go to space, and I thought that would be an excellent idea for a theatre show. Mars was the best choice because, as Maddy says in the show, Mars is the closest to Earth, so it’s the most likely to have aliens, right?!
Who are the team, and do you all have a background in children’s theatre?
We are Mini Moon Theatre, a children’s theatre company. The show has been produced by myself and my two colleagues, Johanna Baldurs and Fionnuala O’Gorman. The three of us met during a collaborative project at Wimbledon College of Arts, where we’ve just graduated from, where we had to devise a piece of children’s theatre, including life-sized puppets.
We wrote To Mars and started Mini Moon Theatre because we had so much fun on that collaborative project, and found we worked really well together. With me as writer and director, Johanna as costume designer and sound designer, and Fionnuala as prop/puppet maker, set designer and illustrator, we cover almost every role (except acting!). This is actually our debut show as a theatre company, and we’re really looking forward to it! We have a great cast of actors: Erin Nash, Lexi Quintana and Will Harrison, who have all been invaluable in bringing our vision to life. Everyone is so passionate, and we’ve had loads of fun putting it together.
What are you hoping the audience will go away with at the end of the show?
Predominantly, we want the audience to have loads of fun! Alongside that, we want our shows to help facilitate difficult conversations about emotion between children and the adults in their lives. The emotional focus of To Mars is the feeling of failure, and trying to find your place in the world.
We have a free activity pack that goes along with the show that includes questions for children and their guardians to work through together, as well as other activities such as creative writing and word searches!
So, coming full circle, why do you think it might be that you are the only show specifically crafted for children at Camden Fringe?
I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of children’s theatre, and the sheer power of it. The Camden Fringe is all about testing bold, innovative ideas, and some people don’t see children’s theatre fitting into that mould. We disagree. There is so much opportunity for experimentation and original ideas in the family space. In making To Mars, we’ve felt like we’ve had a lot of freedom to take risks and have fun, as audiences of young people are often incredibly open and imaginative. We hope that by being part of the Fringe this year, we can help shift perceptions and encourage more adults to take their children to see theatre!
And finally, what’s the future for To Mars? Do you plan to play it again?
Yes absolutely! We actually have a run at the Arches Lane Theatre in Battersea next month! We have a show scheduled for every Saturday for four weeks and hope to take that even further in the future. The ultimate goal would be a UK tour!
Thanks very much to Megan and the team for taking the time to tell us about this amazing new addition to the Camden Fringe programme.
To Mars is aimed at ages 6+ and runs at the Bridewell Theatre from 16-17 August as part of Camden Fringe.
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