Plymouth Performance will showcase 3 shows as part of a multi-site festival in June 2024!

Our Secret’s Safe

Pilot’s Thumb Theatre, known for their edgy social drama combined with strong narratives, organic characters and pithy humor, have been creating work since the company formed in 2009. Dealing with issues such as gender identity, press intrusion, euthanasia, insomnia, dissociative identity disorder, and much more, the company explores issues very much of the time whilst being thought provoking and leaving audiences to make up their own minds. Their latest production Our Secret’s Safe written by Beth Scott Hewlett addresses, amongst other things, what it is that makes us human, that binds us and connects us in ways that we may not realize. The play explores this topic in a way that may be surprising to some. Set in an old hall where we meet a small therapeutic group and learn of their hopes and fears as they reveal their innermost selves under the guidance of Jen. Jen has been there and knows she will have to encourage, lead, cajole and sometimes warn as they navigate their way towards their resolutions. Our Secret’s Safe is a humane play of our times inviting us to share the turmoil of these characters as they face the ever present complexities of their lives, complexities much relieved by the ever-present Jim, caretaker of the hall with an endless supply of tea.

The Tale of Trista ‘Heb Skovam’

The Tale of Trista ‘Heb Skovam’ is based on a Japanese ghost story, but relocated to Medieval Cornwall. The play is a spectacular blend of shadow puppetry, hand drawn animation, film calligraphy, live actors and haunting music. Filled with colourful characters and captivating effects, our show will enthrall, entertain and even, finally, terrify its audiences. This show is perfect for any and all performance fans aged 12+, but especially fans of puppetry, folk music/art, ritual theatre and history. Although the story is fictional, it references actual events carefully researched from Cornish history.

The Improvised Shakespeare Show

Shakespeare hasn’t written anything new for an age, so we thought we would give him a hand…Using his language, your audience suggestions, and our overactive imaginations, ShakeItUp create a brand-new Shakespeare play live on stage, complete with live music, songs, and plenty of laughs. Pick your authentic Shakespearean genre: Epic History, Romantic Comedy, or Gruesome Tragedy! Pen your wittiest Shakespearean line for our brave actors to pull from their suitably-Shakespearean breeches when they need a helping hand – the twist? They’ll have no idea what the line will be before they say it! Then sit back and watch the hilarity unfold in a totally bonkers play that Willy Shakes himself would be proud of. Expect big laughs, high drama, and plenty of Bard-based Bedlam!