Althea Burey stars in the new production of Anna Hibiscus’ Song, the theatrical adaptation of the much-loved children’s book by Atinuke.
Staged in the intimate and flexible Playhouse, the story of Anna Hibiscus is directed and adapted by Utopia Theatre Founder, CEO and Artistic Director Mojisola Kareem-Elufowoju.
Told through music, dance, puppetry and traditional African storytelling, this theatrical adaptation of Atinuke’s much-loved children’s book promises to have audiences beaming from ear to ear. Suitable for children aged 3+ and their families, the performances will be interactive and colourful throughout to bring the stage and story to life.
Althea Burey will play the roles of Narrator, Angel, Mama. Althea has multiple children’s productions stage credits to her name including The Smeds and the Smoos, The Gruffalo’s Child and Paw Patrol Live.
Anna Hibiscus’ Song is at Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield Friday 7 – Saturday 15 July 2023
You’re starring in Anna Hibiscus’ Song at Sheffield’s Playhouse and then touring, what can you tell us about the play?
The Creative Director of Utopia Theatre, Mojisola Kareem-Elufowoju, has done an incredible job of adapting a much-loved children’s book to the stage in such an interactive way. It is not often that you read a children’s storybook with a little girl at the centre of it which has such a beautiful celebration of the culture and heritage of a modern African family. The story vividly represents a part of Africa in an animated and non-stereotypical way and that has the ability to capture imaginations for all families watching.
Anna Hibiscus’ Song production is African theatrical style at its best. It combines story, dance, song, music, and use of traditional musical instruments and beautiful puppetry. There is a strong element of co-performance. The audiences participate in certain moments by clapping hands, joining the singing, shouting directions to the performer, laughing and talking with the performers. The audience is not just a spectator, but forms part of the performance. There is often no barrier between the audience and us as performers and that’s an exciting prospect which I’m really looking forward to.
Anna Hibiscus is a puppet. My understanding is that at first this was a practical decision at first because of the difficulty of finding a child actor and not wanting an adult actor pretending to be a child. During the research and development phase of the project undertaken by Utopia Theatre with local schools and community groups, the exploration of Anna was both as puppet and human. The children were fascinated by the puppets and so the creative team decided to explore that further and brought her to life in this way. The puppet of Anna is both animated and manipulated throughout the show by the whole ensemble, making it a really unique experience for audiences.
What do you enjoy most about performing in theatre aimed at families?
I feel like family theatre often gets swept to the side, so the thing that I enjoy the most is having the rare opportunity to be a part of a child’s exposure to theatre for the first time. To see them witness the magic of storytelling live and inches away, as opposed to watching stories from behind a screen, is spectacular and therefore having the chance to see their eyes light up has been some of the biggest highlights of my career so far.
It’s rare to get an opportunity to attract young, new audiences to the theatre and grow the next generation of theatre lovers in this organic way. Not only is this about creating work for young audiences, but it’s also a chance to bring families, communities and schools together – creating wonderful moments for learning about culture in a safe, supportive and fun setting. We will have groups of children attending with their schools, some of whom may not have had the chance to experience live theatre yet and being part of this journey feels a privilege. It’ll be a noisy and heart-warming few weeks on stage for sure!
In terms of the production itself – I enjoy being able to bring a sense of playfulness to the stage, which comes through in our comedic and playful performance style. It’s a real pleasure to bring the colourful life of the extended family of Anna to life using puppetry, music, audience interaction and sound of the world of Anna.
The story is a beautiful way to see a world through the eyes of a child, which is a unique perspective to be able to play out and I hope families really get involved and invested in her as a character. It is a positive way of framing Africa and it feels an honour to be part of the process of bringing it to the stage in this new stage adaptation.
How well do you think Anna Hibiscus’ Song translates the much-loved children’s book by Atinuke, for the stage?
Exceptionally well! Our rehearsals have been filled with so much joy and laughter, which I am sure will be contagious on the performance days. The main difference between the book and the stage version of the story is the use of puppetry, dance and music to bring the world of Anna Hibiscus to life. All the songs are original and we will all be singing live on stage throughout. Also, unlike in the book where there is no tension or conflict, the adaptation for stage plays slightly with anticipation.
You’re playing a few roles in the production, what can you tell us about them and what are you enjoying about multirolling?
All of us storytellers transition to play different characters as an ensemble throughout the hour-long show. It’s a fascinating way to showcase a variety of strong characters and use different interaction techniques with the various puppets, as well as the audience. Being able to snap between these characters is exhilarating and gives a new dimension to live theatre for me. I’m loving being able to transform between different characters in the space of a few minutes.
Following its run in Sheffield, it will tour community venues across Yorkshire, what are you most looking forward to about that?
Opening up this wonderful story to new audiences who may otherwise find traditional theatre settings too daunting or cost prohibitive. These community venues bring us even closer to our audience members, who we hope will see some of themselves in our characters. Being able to introduce younger and new audiences to live African theatre is something I’m extremely passionate about.
What’s more, the community tour will be ‘pay as you can’ to make sure it’s inclusive and accessible to all. Working to break down barriers is crucial and only with investment in community performances such as this will we inspire the next generation of creatives.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Anna Hibiscus’ Song?
Anna Hibiscus’ Song is a family show full of surprises at every turn and a good opportunity for a family day out. This is a show with a difference, which can be enjoyed by a diverse audience, especially those aged 3+ and their grown-ups! Essentially people of any age who enjoy a good story, wherever it may be, will get something from seeing this in person and interacting with us on stage.
There will be a wonderful atmosphere from the outset, with a beautiful set design that immediately draws the audience in. There will be great use of non-instrument for sound, creating a feeling of authenticity, plus all characters are hugely relatable.
This is a multi-sensory, inclusive show where it is okay for children to talk and be themselves – we will be celebrating the everyday and hope that audiences will enjoy having the opportunity to do that with us!
Tickets are proving popular, so we encourage people to secure their tickets soon and when you do – tag us in on social media – as we’re really keen to interact with audiences throughout this brilliant experience.
Anna Hibiscus’ Song is at Sheffield’s Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse from 7-15 July and then touring community spaces around Yorkshire www.utopiatheatre.co.uk
