Thursday 16 December 2021 at The Mill Arts Centre
A scientific spectacle for all the family comes to Banbury!
‘The Snow Beast’ is a new collaboration between critically acclaimed Scratchworks Theatre Company & award-winning writer Jack Dean. This family friendly theatre show (ages 6+) brings live science experiments to the stage as we follow a female scientist, Faina, who sets out on a quest to find the mystical Snow Beast. In the snowy town of Seldomberg test tubes bubble, experiments explode and new inventions whirr for the Science Academy’s Final Exams. But Faina’s got a problem… her project has unexpectedly burst into flames!
Desperate to pass her Final Exams, Faina sets off on a perilous expedition to find the legendary Snow Beast. With help from her owl assistant Maude, they encounter extraordinary spectacles and mountainous obstacles as they battle through the wild, wintry wilderness in search of the truth.
Can you help Faina and Maude overcome the scientific puzzles along the way? Does The Snow Beast even exist?
The show is interactive allowing the children to get involved with the science experiments. It’s also packed full of inventive storytelling, puppetry and beautiful Scandi-inspired live music by Lucie Treacher. ‘Witness the example of a teacher who invited students at her primary school to draw a ‘scientist’. They nearly all drew a white man in a lab coat.’
From STEM to STEAM: the need for the arts in the technology industry
This article, published by Women in STEM, highlights the need for children to see more diverse role models in science. Female-led theatre company, Scratchworks, are committed to inspiring all budding young scientists in a fun, educational and interactive way. ‘Originally we’d planned to share ‘The Snow Beast’ with audiences in Christmas 2020, but of course our plans were curtailed by the pandemic. Instead, during this time, we created an audiobook version of the show.’ Laura Doble, Co-Artistic Director
Whilst theatres were closed for 18 months due to the pandemic, Scratchworks created and released their audiobook, ‘Faina and the Snow Beast’ which includes a science activity pack for children to try out from home. ‘Now live events are back, we’re more excited than ever to bring ‘The Snow Beast’ to lives audiences in Banbury and Corsham this Christmas time’ Alice Higginson-Clarke, Co-Artistic Director
After the premier performance in Banbury on 16 December 2021, ‘The Snow Beast’ transfers to The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham, Wiltshire 18-24 December 2021, followed by a tour in Spring 2022.