by Joe Bromley and Willow Nash
Take a large handful of nutrition, a healthy helping of physical education and a hearty portion of PSHE, and mix them together with (clean) green fingers. Bake for 55 minutes against the glittering backdrop of a dance competition. Add a dollop of peer pressure, serve with some celebrity culture and a garnish of gender equality – et voilà! Plant a seed and see what grows…
A show about being different
Being wonky
Being YOU
WONKY tackles bullying, encourages kindness, and helps children celebrate their differences.
“Incredible, very inspirational for me let alone the kids. Keep it up, ladies”
Mum, Watermill Theatre
“I’m rating it five stars. I loved the characters, they were very funny and the acting was amazing. I love how you got everyone a part of the show”
Coral, Y5, Bourton Meadow Academy
Created for Y1-6
Running time 55 minutes
Messy Jesse loves dancing. He’s not necessarily that good at it, but he always tries his best. There’s a dance competition at Kids Club but no-one will partner him. Enter Olive. She doesn’t love dancing. She loves cooking. And the prize is dinner at celebrity chef Monsieur Nincompoop’s new restaurant…
Will they work together as a team?
What will happen if the restaurant staff all get food poisoning, thanks to poor hygiene? Who will be able to save the day and cook a delicious nutritious meal, sourcing tasty fresh seasonal vegetables from the garden (that aren’t necessarily the ‘perfect’ shape), for the celebrity guests – enigmatic pop star Solar Pa’nelle and Rapper Scool Yo, who thinks vegetables come out of his nan’s freezer?
And what will Trixie say – supposedly Olive’s best friend, and keen to win the dance competition herself?
Should we always read the label? Using PSHE and relationships education to help youngsters tackle bullying and peer pressure, and cultivate a healthy body image and self-esteem, whilst learning more about nutrition and where their food comes from.
There will be cooking! There will be dancing! There will be rapping! Not all at the same time.
- Pre-show activity
- Olive faces a huge challenge in Monsieur Nincompoop’s restaurant and needs YOUR help. Can you learn this chant and encourage her to believe in herself when Messy Jesse asks you to?
Girls can be chefs and boys can dance
We’ve got to believe and take a big chance
Just try, don’t be shy; I’m sure that you’ll fly
Especially if you wear some really big pants!
This show is a springboard into learning for the new primary curriculum, focusing on relationships education, and has an extensive accompanying resource pack for teachers, brimming with discussion points and activities in art, physical education, music and food growing. We’ve been shown round some incredible edible playgrounds in schools and it’s wonderful to see children connecting with nature and learning how to grow food and develop a healthy attitude to nutrition. Gardening also links to the mental and physical benefits of being outdoors and exercising.
There is an accompanying volume of poems, written in the voices of the characters from the show, and covering many different styles. POETRY VERSUS POTTERY is illustrated throughout by Rosie Alabaster and is stocked in the Chicken & Frog bookshop, can be ordered through Waterstones or bought from us at events. The book also encourages children to write their own poetry.
For the live show, please may we have:
A parking space for our car
Access to a plug socket
Two tables that can be sat at and two chairs
An hour in the space beforehand to set up, and at least 30 minutes afterwards to pack away
Lots of brilliant kids in the audience!
We also have an online version of this show – head to our ONLINE SHOWS page for all the details!
“Fantastic performance. Brilliant themes and messages – kids loved it and were totally engaged. Will definitely be back!”
Family, Courtyard Arts Centre
“Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed watching WONKY. Not only was the entire assembly completely engaged, the pupils learned so many valuable lessons linked to the PSHE, science, and literacy curriculum about friendships, bullying, living things and cycles, and poetry.
It’s also really kind of the performers to meet pupils before and after the show. The children love purchasing their beautifully illustrated books which continues to promote reading for pleasure.
A huge thank you to Joe and Willow for another great storytelling performance – we can’t wait to watch another creative invention of theirs!”
Miss Sopta, UKS2 phase leader, Belmont School
“Great performance which teaches children lots of concepts in a fun and engaging way, empowering and inspiring them to follow their strengths and aspirations. It touches on hygiene, bullying, respect, mental health and life choices. Should be in all schools”
Mother, Old Oak Centre
“Loved the acting, you’re the best!!!”
Aylis, age 10, Old Oak Centre
“I loved it, can you make more shows, it’s amazing!”
Khloe, age 6, Old Oak Centre
“A heady mix for a young audience, but Joe and Willow embraced the subject matter with playfulness and bags of fun in a captivating tale… clever well thought out audience participation that had the kids enthralled and eager to join in. This highly entertaining production has a strong uplifting message. Delightful!”
FULL REVIEW
Newbury Weekly News
“It was awesome. Loved the dancing and rapping! Loved the morals. Made us happy and laughed a lot”
Family, Watermill Theatre
“Loved it. Very talented duo”
Family, Watermill Theatre
“Thank you so much – it was just what the KS2 children needed! They absolutely loved the play and couldn’t stop talking about it all day long! My class have read the poetry books from cover to cover already”
Miss Morley, Y4 teacher, Old Oak Primary
“The best show yet! We love Really Big Pants Theatre Company. Such an important message, so much fun, and two amazing ladies!”
Cody, age 8; Casey, age 10; and Mummy, Brentwood Theatre
“It was a really good show. Better than a puppy”
Hannah, age 7, Brentwood Theatre
“Thank you SO much for yet another WOW of a show! You had them rapt from beginning to end. We’ve had some lovely feedback from the schools, so of course you went down a treat”
Artistic director, Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival
“That was so cool!”
Y5 pupil, Leigh Primary at Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival
“Thank you, I really loved the show”
Y4 pupil, Ightham Primary at Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival
“An astonishing show and I love it that much that I bought the book! I love the morals that run through it: friendship, respect, and standing up for yourself. The show is very interactive. Joe and Willow are awesome!”
Greta, Y5, Bourton Meadow Academy
“It was an amazing play. I really liked the fact they added a moral – it doesn’t matter what your gender is, you can do whatever you want. Also the theme of friendship ran through the entire thing. Both kids and adults would find it hilarious. I would recommend this to everyone: it is incredible”
Eloise, Y5, Bourton Meadow Academy
“The children were buzzing in class afterwards – they loved it!”
Y3 teacher, Melcombe Primary
“Absolutely amazing!!!!”
10yo, Courtyard Arts Centre
“Brilliant show, they had all the children immersed”
Steward, Courtyard Arts Centre
“It was fantastic!!!”
Max, age 9, The Cockpit
“Excellent! We laughed a lot. Big thumbs up from us”
Nicola, parent, The Cockpit
“It gave us belly laughs and much more!! A great family show that is interactive and educational. Highly recommended!”
Lucy, parent, The Cockpit
“I LOVED IT!”
Y4 pupil, Lowther Primary
“Joe and Willow’s boundless energy and engaging style will keep children of all ages hooked. The clever way they weave different themes into their show really give the performance an added dimension”
Headteacher, Lowther Primary
“Wonderful. Great messages for children”
Director, Castelnau Community Centre, Barnes
