Once Upon A Whispering Wood
Have you ever been to the whispering woods and heard the rustle and chatter in the trees? If you listen very closely, you’ll discover these trees can talk and they have stories to share.
Once Upon A Whispering Wood opened in Dec 2023 at Theatre Royal, Brighton with many of the 48 shows selling out to young family audiences.
A tale of belonging, audiences embark on a magical journey far into the Whispering Wood, where musical storytelling awaits the whole family. Immerse yourself in a heartwarming treat filled with joy, hope, and enchanting tales under the trees.
This 50 minute storytelling show invites audiences to venture round the theatre and then far into the woodland where music, puppetry await.
”A super special trip through the woods, at the theatre. Wonderful stuff!”
”my 3yo was entranced by the story and my baby loved the lights.”
”We absolutely loved it”
Listen up.
Want to relive some of the magic at home? The original music from Once Upon A Whispering Woods is available to purchase here.
Meet the Cast
Laura Mugridge
Rebecca Rayne
Credits
Creative Team
Story by Emma Higham
Writer: Laura Mugridge
Dramaturgy, Lyrics, Composition and Vocals by Freya Wynn-Jones
Sound Design, instrumentalist, Additional Vocals and Composition support: Cate Ferris
Designer: Sophia Lovell-Smith
Artistic team
Once Upon A Whispering Woods was co-created in a rehearsal room through a series of ensemble rehearsals with the following company
Director and Music Director: Freya Wynn-Jones
Actor : Laura Mugridge
Actor: Rebecca Rayne
Production team
Produced by Flock Theatre Makers and ATG
Flock PR by Ettive Design
Partners
With a proven track record of making exceptional work for children and families, Flock Theatre is a Brighton based company with a mission to centre marginalised communities (in Sussex) at the heart of our making process. Every new show we make is rooted in empowering and enabling audiences who may experience barriers in participating in traditional theatre experiences in the UK and celebrating their creative expression and instincts. We also strive to provide safe and playful ways for families to bond following difficult times. Our first work Tiger in The Garden was created to find ways for intergenerational families to bond following the pandemic. We have also been developing our next MidScale show alongside young patients on The Bluefin Ward at Worthing Hospital.
The origins of this story was devised alongside adults (and some preschoolers) involved with Voices in Exile and their Migrant Welcome and Green Spaces project. In the Autumn of 2022 and thanks to support from the Enjoolata foundation, Flock were able to run 12 sessions with ViE exploring theatre, composition, writing, character development, puppetry and design work. Many of the ideas from this work have helped inform the final piece of work you are about to see.
R&D Artists: Emma Higham, Bern O’Donoghue, Francesca Moulds and Freya Wynn-Jones
The work was funded by The Enjoolata Foundation UK and The Chalk Cliff Trust
