Go on a thrilling ride full of wonder and excitement this spring, as the world premiere of Ready, Steady, GO! races into Polka’s Adventure Theatre. Written and directed by Polka’s Artistic Director Peter Glanville, this production takes audiences on a journey of the natural world by bike, whilst exploring the precious bond between a mother and her young daughter.
This adventurous tale follows the real route of the Navad 1000, a cycling race across the Alps. Through wind and rain, highs and lows, this production celebrates the people our parents were before we were born, with a musical soundtrack inspired by electronica pioneers Kraftwerk.
The production is created as a coproduction in the frame of Mapping, a European project supported by the Creative Europe programme exploring the aesthetics of Performing Arts for early childhood, working alongside theatre partners in 16 other countries.
The production includes Jennie Eggleton (Wonder Woman, Warner Bros; After the Heat We Battle for the Heart, VAULT Festival) as Daughter and Marta Carvalho (Os Conselhos da Noite, Daniel Pereira; Sweet Survival, StrangerRivers Production) as Mother. Verity Quinn (Foxes, Theatre503; Chocolate Cake, Polka Theatre) brings exceptional design, alongside moving tracks by composer Rex Horan (Cinema Prague, Mama’s Gun) and atmospheric lighting design by Joe Hornsby (Kerry Ellis – On The Edge, UK tour; The Wedding, Gecko Theatre).
Polka’s Artistic Director Peter Glanville comments, Ready, Steady, GO! is a production that highlights Polka’s commitment to creating pioneering work for Early Years audiences. Visually inspired by the Navad 1000 Cycling race across the Swiss Alps, with musical nods to the music of Kraftwerk, it gently tells the story of how a young child, Sofia, discovers her Mother’s adventurous past as a semi-professional Mountain Bike rider. Children and adults alike will be drawn into the re-creation of the sensuous landscapes of mountain tops, lakes and Alpine villages as they cycle towards the finishing line in Montreaux, whilst never leaving the bike shed at the bottom of their garden.
Ready, Steady, GO! Is at Polka Theatre Saturday 29th January – Sunday 27th March 2022.
