Little Angel Theatre launches Reading Through Play school workshops
Hattie Fisk
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
The workshops will encourage primary school students to connect with the production of Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’s main character and motivate them to read.
Macmillan Children’s Books
Accompanying the world premiere of a new musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book, Little Angel Theatre are launching a series of school workshops to help primary students ‘read through play’.
Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book is a co-production with The Lowry. It is set to tour the UK between February and September 2024, and is designed for ages 3 to 8.
Introducing the season, the artistic director Samantha Lane and executive director Peta Swindall say they are ‘thrilled to present so many enchanting, literary inspired productions this season, culminating in a show all about reading for pleasure’ with Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book.
‘We believe that puppets are a wonderful, interactive way to introduce narrative to young children, supporting literacy learning and providing a creative route into books,’ they add.
They say that the Reading Through Play workshop programme has been launched in response to recent evidence published in the journal Psychological Medicine that states that reading for pleasure in early childhood can help children perform better at school and boost their mental health.
Other season highlights include The Bed, a production based on the poem written by Sylvia Plath, and WOW! It’s Night-Time based on Tim Hopgood’s book.
They will also be working with local children from refugee, asylum seeker and/or migrant backgrounds to create a touring suitcase show exploring the world ‘Welcome’.
