Extant, the UK’s leading theatre company of visually impaired performers, are collaborating with pantomime touring company, Simply Smiley to present Super Power Panto, an interactive one-hour show for families and schools.
The tour will start in Wolverhampton on Tuesday 2 March and include theatres in Hereford, Salford, Newcastle, and London before the final date in Brighton on Tuesday 28 March.
Promising an innovative panto-style production, with a tactile comic book set, artistic directors Maria Oshodi and Shannon McNab have been joined by British actor and comedy star Kiell Smith-Bynoe in development. They have created an empowering story which encourages audiences to celebrate their own superpowers. The interactive show aims to champion disability and power within the arts and to redress the invisibility of disabled artists.
Written by Simply Smiley actor, Kelly Griffiths and Paula Connolly from Extant’s Pathway Writers programme, the script integrates access for all and will be performed by a cast of Extant’s visually impaired actors and Simply Smiley’s pantomime stars.
Director Maria Oshodi commented: “I’m delighted that the galactic giants of Extant and Simply Smiley have finally joined forces to bring to the nation’s family audiences salvation in the form of the first inclusive Super Power Panto!”
Director Shannon McNab said their dream was to educate, inspire and empower young people and the show will ask young audiences “what is a real Superpower?”
Further information about Super Power Panto can be found on both Extant and Simply Smiley’s websites.
Words by Alexis Wolfe
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