THE PIRATE CRUNCHER Will Embark on UK Tour

A rollicking adventure, told through thrilling action, daft nonsense, stirring shanties, the weirdest of mechanical contraptions and a healthy dose of good old-fashioned audience involvement - adapted from the best-selling book by Jonny Duddle, with music and songs by multi award winning folk musician Jon Boden.

Overlooking the harbour lies the Thirsty Parrot tavern, run single-handedly by plucky and clever seven year old Emily, child inventor extraordinaire. When her tavern is raided by Captain Purplebeard and his dastardly cut-throat crew, Emily determines to take revenge, by sending the pirates on a wild goose chase for treasure. Little do they suspect that their ridiculous quest will lead them straight into the tentacles of the terrifying Pirate Cruncher, a monster who likes nothing better than to devour pirates for lunch!

Joel Scott, Director said "We've read all of Jonny Duddle's fantastic books to our children - stories of heroism, adventure and imagination and can't wait to bring The Pirate Cruncher alive on stage. We've assembled an incredible creative team, cast an array of wonderful and piratical actors and created a beautiful range of songs - everything is ship-shape to set sail in September."

Jonny Duddle is a bestselling author who has written and illustrated several picture books and chapter books, including the Waterstones Prize-winning bestseller The Pirates Next Door. In fact, it was a year spent working on a square-rigger vessel, combined with his work as a concept artist on the Pirates of the Caribbean computer game, that inspired Jonny to create his highly successful debut picture book, The Pirate Cruncher. He illustrated the latest Harry Potter book covers and was a concept artist for the Aardman film The Pirates! An Adventure With Scientists. He lives in Wales with his family.

Songs and music for The Pirate Cruncher are written by multi award winning folk artist Jon Boden. Jon has become the standout performer of his generation of traditional folk artists. Most recognisably he was the lead signer and principle arranger of the multi-award winning Bellowhead. Additionally, he is a solo artist and plays in a traditional folk duo with Jon Spiers. He has a master's degree in Composition for Musical Theatre and has composed music for both theatre and film including for the RSC and Bristol Old Vic. To date, Jon Boden has been the recipient of 11 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, more than any other musician.

Goat and Monkey has been around since 2003, making work that pushes the boundaries of audience interaction and engagement, enabling as wide a variety of audience members to enjoy performances as possible and to encourage participation in new experiences. Current projects include; The Unforgettable Mr Fog (an interactive clown show for children about the experience of dementia), We Rest (a digital game and community project exploring love, sacrifice and loneliness through the lens of folklore WW1) and the ongoing touring of The Devil Speaks True (a binaural audio adventure combining Shakespeare's Macbeth and verbatim accounts of modern veterans to explore Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Previous projects for families include; Pirate Pepperbeard and the Great Spice Heist (installation performance trail for Kew Gardens), The Perils of Poisonous Plants (installation performance trail for Kew Gardens), Playdays (a series of interactive performance games for 6 to 12 year olds), The Knucker (an audio adventure) and Jack and the Beanstalk (for Southwark Playhouse with Toby Hulse).

21-22 September
Connaught theatre, Worthing
Union Place, Worthing BN11 1LG
21st at 2.30pm and 22nd at 11am and 2.30pm/ From £12.50
www.worthingtheatres.co.uk | 01903 206 206

28 September
Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot
25 Station Road, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 7NE
11.30am and 3.30pm I Tickets from £10
www.cornerstone-arts.org | 01235 515144

6 October
Arts Depot, London
5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 0GA
11am and 2pm I Tickets from £9. Dynamic Pricing
www.artsdepot.co.uk | 020 8369 5454

21 October
Millfield Theatre, London
Silver Street, Edmonton, London N18 1PJ
2.30pm | Tickets from £11
www.millfieldtheatre.co.uk | 0208 807 6680

22-23 October
The New Wolsey Theatre, Suffolk
Civic Drive, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2AS
22nd at 2.30pm and 23rd at 11.30am and 2.30pm | Tickets from £5
www.wolseytheatre.co.uk | 01473 295900

24-25 October
The Marlowe, Kent
The Friars, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2AS
24 at 2.30pm and 25 at 11.30am (RP) and 2.30pm | Tickets from £11.50
marlowetheatre.com | 01227 787787

26-27 October
MAC, Birmingham
Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH
3pm (plus 11am relaxed and BSL performance on Sunday)
Dynamic pricing tickets from £10
macbirmingham.co.uk | 0121 446 3232

30-31 October
The Berry Theatre, Southampton
Wildern Lane, Hedge End, Southampton SO30 4EJ
30th at 4.30pm and 31st at 11am and 2pm I Tickets from £9
www.theberrytheatre.co.uk | 023 8065 2333

2-3 November
The Old Market, Brighton
11A Upper Market St, Brighton BN3 1AS
2nd at 4pm and 3rd at 10am and 2pm I Tickets from £10
theoldmarket.com | 01273 201 801

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