
The Voyagers have recently enjoyed trips to see two plays. In December they travelled to the Old Vic Theatre to see a production of The Four Seasons.
With use of music from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, interspersed with modern day seasonal pop songs such as Cliff Richard’s Summer Holiday, the small cast wove various stories set throughout the course of a natural year. The vivid image of an acorn growing and changing each season was central, amidst the high energy acting and astounding amount of props that allowed for a constant flow of transformation.
There was a lovely humorous atmosphere that invited audience participation (most of whom were children) in just the right amount, inspiring wonder of the natural world as well as engaging excitement. At the end of the performance, each child was given an activity sheet and wildflower seed paper, to continue the natural cycle of seed to full grown plant.



The second theatre trip was to see a production of Oliver Twist at The Tobacco Factory. This adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic was reimagined from Victorian London and instead set in a somewhat modern day Bristol. All the cast and production crew are specifically from the South West and there were many local cultural and geographical Bristolian references interspersed throughout.
The audience were kept on their toes by the 7 player cast playing multiple character roles (and sometimes providing musical accompaniment). The Voyagers were certainly gripped by the storytelling, most of whom were experiencing this classic tale for the first time.