What happens when the traditions of a British pantomime meet the storytelling world of an African folktale?
Seven Magic Birds: An African Panto brings these two traditions together in an imaginative family production presented by Roots Mbili as part of Sheffield Theatres’ Open Works Festival.
Taking place at Montgomery Theatre, the work-in-progress performance combines familiar pantomime conventions with African storytelling, creating a lively theatrical experience for children and families.
British pantomime has its own recognisable traditions of comedy, audience participation and larger-than-life characters, while African oral storytelling draws upon centuries of stories passed between generations.
By bringing these worlds together, Seven Magic Birds explores what contemporary British family theatre can look and sound like when different cultural traditions share the same stage.
The production is presented by Roots Mbili Theatre, a company committed to placing African stories, histories and cultures at the centre of British theatre.
Because the show is being presented as a work in progress, audiences are also being invited into the creative journey of a new piece of theatre rather than simply seeing a finished production.
Suitable for children aged five and over, Seven Magic Birds: An African Panto offers families an engaging way to encounter African storytelling during Black History Month while celebrating imagination, theatre and cultural exchange.
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