THE EVERYWHERE BEAR Playing At Polka Theatre 27 May - 13 August

The Everywhere Bear - a show for 3 - 7 year olds - will play at Polka Theatre from Saturday 27 May - Sunday 13 August. This captivating and beautiful story from best-selling author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Rebecca Cobb, springs to life with rhyme, original music and delightfully expressive puppets in Polka's fun and exciting stage adaptation, returning to the theatre after a hugely successful run in 2019.

Adapted for the stage by Peter Glanville and Julian Butler, The Everywhere Bear will star Lottie Johnson and Calum Bruce. Directed by Peter Glanville and with music and lyrics by Julian Butler, The Everywhere Bear has puppets designed and made by Jan Zalud, lighting design by David Duffy and with Maia Kirkman Richards as associate director.

The Everywhere Bear has a wonderful time with the children in Class One, but one day he gets more than he bargained for when he falls unnoticed from a backpack and embarks on his own big adventure! He's washed down a drain and whooshed out to sea, rescued by a fishing boat, loaded onto a lorry, carried off by a seagull... how will he ever make it back to Class One?

Helen Matravers, Artistic Director of Polka Theatre, said, "I am thrilled that Polka are able to bring back this much-loved family show, originally co-produced with Little Angel Theatre and Royal & Derngate, Northampton. It's such a charming, funny and musically packed piece of puppetry joy, that audiences are going to fall in love with it all over again! Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb's inspiring book holds such a special place for so many families, and they won't be disappointed with this magical staging".

Polka Theatre is one of just a handful of dedicated children's venues in the UK. Polka underwent a major renovation, re-opening in 2021, and continues to present a year-round programme of shows produced by Polka and from visiting companies, and a full programme of creative learning activities for ages 0 - 12. The redevelopment meant Polka enjoys flexible rehearsal and workshop spaces along with two performance spaces: the Main Theatre has a 300-seat capacity, and the Adventure Theatre can seat up to 90 depending on the show format.

The space is also fully accessible with a large, friendly café, free-to-access play areas, a shop, a book corner and comfy places to sit.