Escape with Madame Kalamazoo! National Theatre launches children's story service
The National Theatre has launched an online story service that will create customised interactive adventures for children around the UK. Madame Kalamazoo’s Magical Mail is designed as an escapist treat for primary school pupils whose summer holidays will this year unfold amid the disruption and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Parents and guardians are invited to register online and children will then receive an email from Madame Kalamazoo. The mysterious storyteller will send 19 email stories in total and they can be received daily or just at weekends. The tales are personalised, with children as the heroes of adventures set in their own homes. Children can contribute artwork to help move the stories along in what the National calls “an act of collective storytelling with other children across the country”.
Toby Coffey, head of the NT’s Immersive Storytelling Studio, said: “Together with Madame Kalamazoo, we have created an innovative storytelling form that uses a little bit of internet and a lot of imagination to help young people get through the unusual times we are living in.”
The London South Bank venue’s popular streaming service, National Theatre at Home, concludes with Michael Longhurst’s production of Amadeus, which is available to watch until 7pm on Thursday.
More activities from children’s theatre companies
Passport to Polka
The Wimbledon theatre is running online workshops in puppetry, singing, dance and drama, exploring the cultural traditions of countries around the world.
#TakeUsThere
A video series from Single Shoe theatre company, with crafty tips on how to create models of favourite places – from mountains to oceans – using household objects.
Young Playwrights
Theatr Iolo have plenty of tips for children on how to write a play – and a competition where the winner will have their work performed at Cardiff’s Sherman theatre.
Bedtime stories
Tessa Bide’s Bristol-based company have a range of storytime videos, including Bide reading from her own book, The Tap-Dancing Mermaid
Little Angel puppets
The Islington theatre has created innovative lockdown children’s theatre online, including a popular version of I Want My Hat Back. It also has plenty of tips for making your own puppets.
Everything’s a Moving Picture
In the National Theatre of Scotland’s online series for over-10s, video designer Lewis den Hertog shows how to create videos – and use pre-existing ones – to tell stories.
