Flit, Flap & Fly
by FINE CHISELmusic-and-opera, children-and-family
Squawking music theatre for young children.
about the production
Flit, Flap & Fly is a squawking adventure that follows a young chick's frantic and funny journey towards independence, and his relationship with his fine-singing father. Suitable for all ages (but particularly aimed at 4-7 year olds) the audience is invited to join the pair inside the nest, where they find themselves part of the daily life of a unique bird family. The show is non-verbal, music-driven, and built around audience participation. It is performed inside a pop-up nest that is flexible to indoor and outdoor venues, schools and festivals.
about the artist
FINE CHISEL are a multi award-winning theatre company and band based in Bristol, led by director Tom Spencer. The company make playful theatre with live music at its heart. Sometimes they can be found in theatres (their latest show Beneath The Blizzard was the Bike Shed Theatre's Christmas production, for instance), but just as often you'll meet them out busking, or performing at a festival, or in a school, village hall or small pub.
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stage dimensions
width: 5 metres
height: 2 metres
depth: 5 metres
The 'nest' can pop up in almost any space, indoors or outside. As well as the space for the nest, it works best when there's additional room nearby (for 'flying'!)
There are no lighting or sound requirements - the music is all unamplified and the show uses natural light.
The target audience for the show is children between 4-7 years, and in schools it is offered to reception, year 1 and year 2. However, in festival settings we have found it appeals to a much broader range, with older and younger children joining the fun (and a few teary-eyed adults!)
'The children showed a very high level of engagement in the show and were completely mesmerised in the world. We were moved by the participation of the children and response the performers gave to the children's comments and actions, weaving them into the story. The children have been full of talk about the show and speculating about the nature of the birds. Our children with English as an additional language particularly enjoyed the show.'
'A joy to watch... as were the audience's reactions!'
'Thank you for the gorgeous, charming Flit, Flap & Fly today at the farm. I am still grinning. Total magic.'
The nest can be built on any flat floor, with room for wheelchairs etc. to be pushed inside so that any audiences with access requirements can be right at the heart of the performance.
Theatre-making workshops and/or producing workshops led by company director Tom Spencer (available at certain times). Pop-up gigs from the band/busking sets available alongside any performances.
£450 per day for up to 4 performances, plus basic contribution for fuel from Bristol and overnight accommodation if needed. Reduced for runs of 3 days or longer.
