History & Accolades

"Story Pocket Theatre... producing some of the best children's theatre we have seen" ThreeWeeks Magazine, Edinburgh

We have:
    • the Children's Laureate of 2013, Michael Morpurgo, supporting us as our Principal Patron
    • collaborated with top UK writers including; David Baddiel, Michael Morpurgo and Allan Ahlberg
    • employed 45 actors plus over 20 creatives and technicians
    • a 90% track record of 4 and 5 stars for all our press reviews
    • visited over 200 theatres and performed over 500 shows
    • been supported by Arts Council England for some of our tours
    • won two awards at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
    • produced over 20 successful tours nationally and internationally

BRIEF HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Story Pocket Theatre was formed in 2013 by experienced theatre professionals Alison Beattie, Julia Black and Adam Fletcher-Forde.

The company's first production, Arabian Nights, received 5-star reviews across the board and won the Primary Times Children's Choice Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014. That success was followed by A Pocketful of Grimms and Storyteller, Storyteller in 2015. In only its second year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Story Pocket won a coveted ThreeWeeks Editors' Choice Award for consistently creating superb entertainment for children and families.

The Nutcracker has been playing to delighted Christmas audiences every year since 2014. Michael Morpurgo's King Arthur thrilled audiences at Edinburgh in 2016 and around the UK since then. Our Pub Quiz for Kids was launched at Edinburgh in 2016 and has been picked up by comedy festivals and venues across the UK since then. Our next show premiered in June 2018 and was an adaptation of David Baddiel's popular book, ANiMALCOLM. It toured extensively throughout spring 2019 to mid to large-scale theatres across the UK.

Our most recent show is an adaptation of Allan and Janet Ahlberg's classic The Jolly Christmas Postman. It is in residence at the Oxford Playhouse (Burton Taylor Studio) this Christmas.

Since the first short tour of Arabian Nights in spring and summer of 2014, Story Pocket has toured to well over 200 venues across the UK including the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank. It has also taken shows to Warsaw, Dubai, Zurich and Geneva.

AUDIENCE ACCOLADES

"We recently saw Story Pocket Theatre's production of 'King Arthur' at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. It was fantastic and the first show my daughter (7) - who happens to have Aspergers - has been able to sit through. The acting is of an incredibly high calibre and she walked home feeling 10ft tall, not just because it was the first show she has ever managed to stay and see the end of, but because we made a request for the actor who worked the dog puppet to come out and say hello and they obliged - she was ecstatic. She was still grinning in her sleep that night. Thank you."

"Thank you so much for making my 11 month old son Auden's first theatrical experience so magical! He was spellbound throughout. Beautiful!"

"Fabulous! My daughter got up this morning and asked if she could go and see A Pocketful of Grimms again. She's only just 4, but it made a huge impression on her, and she's gone back to the big book of Grimm Fairytales she was given for Christmas and has been asking for them as bedtime stories. So much talent at the Fringe, but this show really stood out - so creative and engaging, and the only one, out of the 20 or so which we saw that we went to twice. Thank you!"

PRESS ACCOLADES

"This is the first production from newly formed Story Pocket Theatre, and on this evidence, the UK has just accrued a fantastic addition to the children's theatre family." SCOTSMAN (Arabian Nights - Read full review )

"...a gloriously uncluttered example of how engaging, funny and dynamic storytelling can be." SCOTSMAN (Arabian Nights - Read full review )

"Very special... a rare piece of children's theatre" WHAT'S ON STAGE (Arabian Nights - Read full review )

"Story Pocket Theatre's production... is finely crafted and totally enthralling... a masterclass in serious theatre for older children." THE STAGE (King Arthur - Read full review )

"The absolute pinnacle of theatrical storytelling." ARTS AWARD VOICE (King Arthur - Read full review )