Presented by The Blanket Fort Club Three teacher-clowns – a science teacher, a PE teacher and an English teacher – find themselves mysteriously locked inside the school hall of Athens Academy with their class: the audience. As they try to escape and catch the coach for their summer theatre trip, they stumble into a world of games, invisible monsters and the magical chaos of A Midsummer Night’s Dream . As the forest bursts through the walls, the hall is transformed into an immersive woodland of shifting rainbows, scents, tactile textures and spatial sound – the most impossible, most beautiful thing any of them have ever seen. Playful, comic and full of live music and song, this spirited reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic blends original text with contemporary storytelling. Clowning, puppetry, sensory theatre and accessible technologies – haptics, 360° spatial audio and projection – come together, before the audience is invited on a guided walk through a sensory forest. A perfect first taste of Shakespeare for 5–11s, from award-winning sensory immersive theatre company The Blanket Fort Club, designed so that every child, including those with complex needs, disabilities and PMLD, can join the adventure. ★★★★ “A delightful immersive experience to stimulate all the senses and successfully introduce the magic of Shakespeare to children aged 5–11 and all children with complex needs and disabilities.” Everything Theatre, July 2026 “This is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare… There is enough of the original dialogue to keep the authenticity, but also an abundance of interaction to create a stimulating first experience.” Everything Theatre, July 2026 “…the children were the quietest and most engaged I have ever seen them.” Carl Haag, Deputy Head, Kelford School, Rotherham “It was a fantastic performance! The awe and wonder on the children’s faces was truly magical and it was lovely to see how engaged they were.” Jessica Wilson, Teacher, Hilltop Academy, Doncaster “The cast did a wonderful job of bringing A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life for a younger audience… a great introduction to Shakespeare in a way that was fun and accessible.” Ruzina Islam, Chair of the Board of Trustees, 71st Doncaster Scout Group Created by: The Blanket Fort Club. Directed by: George Stone. Set & Costume Design: Kevin Jenkins. Immersive Technology & Sound Design: Kingsley Ash. Props & Puppets: India Smith. Set built by: Jack Poole. Cast: Isabella Hart, Charlie Lim, Jared More Supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Created and part-funded in partnership with Nexus Multi-Academy Trust. Developed at Cast, Doncaster, and co-created with students at Kelford School, Rotherham. Duration: approx. 50 minutes (no interval) Ages 5–11, and all children with complex needs and disabilities (SEND). A playful first introduction to Shakespeare: comic clowning, games and interaction keep younger children engaged, with enough original text for older KS2 audiences. The show was co-created with children with SEND and its sensory, predominantly non-verbal storytelling is designed to be fully accessible, including for children with PMLD. Accessibility The storytelling is highly visual and incorporates non-verbal sensory storytelling, so the show is well suited to D/deaf and hard of hearing audiences. Audio description is embedded in the performance, and a touch and familiarisation tour is offered. The show is designed to be relaxed and sensory-friendly, with a tactile sensory worksheet for every child, a guided sensory forest walkway, and Easy Read resources and a social story available in advance. Please let us know about any individual access needs before the performance. The show uses scent, gentle haptics, projection and immersive 360° sound, and performers move into the audience area to interact with children. A light haze (smoke machine) is used briefly at the end of the show. photo credit: Sean Sees No booking fees when you become a Member – save from £2.50 per ticket!

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