Delve into our trunk of tremendous tales and join Really Big Pants Theatre Company on amazing adventures!
Presenting theatre with serious messages in a playful way
Our awesome shows use the primary curriculum (and some really big pants) to inspire, educate, and entertain children aged 3-11 in your school, arts centre or community venue
“Absolutely brilliant – wonderful, original, fun and touching performance. So lovely – please come back soon!”
Family, Brentwood Theatre
“Thank you again for such a magical performance. The entire audience, from Year 1 through to Year 6, was totally gripped by the wonderful world you created. We will definitely be inviting you back”
Y4 teacher, Old Oak Primary
HELLO!
We are Joe and Willow, proud wearers of really big pants, and we believe children’s theatre is absolutely vital. Our shows are unique interactive happenings that help build empathy, offer enrichment, boost mental health and wellbeing, inspire creativity, and bring joy. We know how tight budgets are but our children need these experiences more than ever – the play’s the thing! For primary schools, our live and online shows support learning and provide sheer entertainment on occasions such as World Book Day, Science Week, World Environment Day, Anti-Bullying Week, Poetry Day, Halloween, Christmas, or as an end of term treat, and for theatres, arts centres, libraries, museums, bookshops, lit fests – you name it! – we’d love to share our stories with your audiences! Oh, and we have books too! Read on to find out more about each show and news of what our really big pants are up to…
HO HO HO (A REALLY BIG NON-PANTO SHOW): our magical festive offering for the whole primary age range – with the Christmas spirit live and online!
SUDDENLY…!: a fast, fun twist on traditional tales for KS1 and KS2 (ages 6-11) with live and online versions and an accompanying illustrated chapter book
PLUNDERED!: a live environmental quest battling a dastardly litterbug pirate for Reception, KS1 and KS2 (ages 5-11)
WONKY: tackling bullying and self-esteem via rap (and wonky vegetables) for Y2-6 (ages 7-11) with live and online versions and an accompanying illustrated poetry book
CLARE AND CORY SHARE A (GLORIOUS) STORY: a live (and glorious) story about sharing, exploring, and daring for EYFS/KS1 (ages 3-7) with a matching picture book
THE REALLY BIG LOVE BOOK DAY PLAY: a short show packed with puppets, tempting children to pick up a book for EYFS/KS1 (ages 3-7) with live and online versions
ISN’T SCIENCE AMAZING!: a highly visual online treat encouraging children to be curious about the world for EYFS/KS1 (ages 3-7)
THE RHYMES AND CRIMES OF NAUGHTY JACK: an online extravaganza using puppets and rhymes to support phonics and play for EYFS/KS1 (ages 3-7)
A GHOST STORY: a spooky short online show with a creative writing challenge for Y5-6 (ages 9-11)… if you’re brave enough…
NEWS!
Ready for a wild sledge ride this Christmas in our heartwarming interactive festive offering: HO HO HO (A REALLY BIG NON-PANTO SHOW)? Alf is an elf on the edge. He’s stuck selling trees on Christmas Eve and thinks his sister won’t want him to spend Christmas with her as he can’t afford a gift. Can a kind (but slightly chaotic) really big fairy help him realise the season of goodwill is more about presence than presents…? Join us as we explore family values and Yuletide traditions in this twenty-minute show (and sing Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas with us), and then get crafty afterwards with our fun activities for the whole primary age range.
During the show, Alf makes a simple picture frame from card. Children can make their own frames afterwards to give as homemade gifts. There’s also an optional pre-show activity for everyone to make paper chains to adorn the playing space beforehand. They can decorate their own strips of paper before linking them, to get everyone involved and encourage anticipation for the event.
HO HO HO is available both as a LIVE show and ONLINE. A live performance is £400 per school including our time spent visiting children in their classrooms afterwards to help with the frame-making, and answering any questions. The online version is £40 per school and you can share it with different classes over a week, and still get crafty afterwards! Watch the trailer here and book now by emailing childrenstheatre@reallybigpants.co.uk – we ho ho hope ‘yule’ love our show!
And why not kick off the festive season with some free family fun and join us for HO HO HO on Saturday 2 December at 2.30 and 3.30pm at Shepherd’s Bush Market in west London!
We’re so happy to have partnered with the Mayor’s Fund for London this year as part of the Kitchen Social entertainment programme for children’s provision during the school holidays. We’ve been performing our shows in hubs around the city and know just how vital it is that children have access to enrichment experiences alongside nourishing food.
2024 will be a really big year for our really big pants as we turn TEN! And there’s still plenty of life in the elastic – book a show for your school or venue for our Turning Ten Tour and join the party! Especially as we’re busy creating a brand new interactive (and intergalactic) show called HELP! – stay tuned for more news coming soon…
ADVENTURERS ASSEMBLE! We are v(&a) excited to have worked with the Young V&A Museum for a story-making project! We performed our time-travelling adventure in primary schools in Tower Hamlets, encouraging children to imagine and create stories inspired by objects from the vast collection, and visit the fabulous museum. Here’s what Cayley Primary had to say: “So joyful! A perfect interactive assembly – everyone really engaged and excited – very good detail on props and very good for wellbeing. Imaginative and challenging – perfect springboard for storytelling!” And Mowlem Primary said: “The show was amazing and enjoyed thoroughly by all staff and children.”
We’ve been sharing news about our really big pants on Twitter (or is it now Twix?) and Facebook for ages, but we’re now on Instagram too. The question is – are we too old for TikTok…?
And check out our YouTube channel – as well as all the trailers for our online shows, we’ve recorded some readings of our stories and poems and bits and bobs. Watch a taste of our theatre shows below! Love from Joe and Willow and our really big pants xx
- Thrilling theatre! Stupendous stories! Exciting education!
And some really big pants