Draw  me  a  BIRD

1. Directed by: Daphna Attias
2. Dramaturgy and writing by: Rachel Barnett
3. Designed by: Amy Jackson
4. Music by: Yaniv Fridel & Lemez Lovas
5. Cast: Maya Politaki, Christian From, Igor Urzelai & Isabelle Cressy
6. Aerial Choreography: Vicky Amedume

This production was originally performed with following creative team: Morag Cross, Maxime Yelle, Charlie Hendren and Maya Politaki.

In Draw me a Bird we aimed to blur the boundaries between drawing and movement. We have been inspired by the way our young children become involved with their drawings. We explored how drawing can create movement, in turn creating sound and music. Flitting between different media we encourage children to recognise the activities as both distinct and interwoven and to follow the story told in a visual language.

The title is a direct invitation to the audience to draw a picture of a bird. This manifested through integrated participation in the performance at a key moment in the story, pushing the narrative further.

We continued to explore ways of dancing and moving using flight and height, to engage with our audience- taking them on a flight to the clouds with the birds. To do this we used contact improvisation, acro-balance and choreography that uses elevation and partnering work.When we reimagined the work for the Roundhouse in 2016 we invited Vicky Amedume from Upswing Circus to add aerial movement to the show so the dancers really took flight!

In our research we worked with with the RSPB, to increase our knowledge of birds. We woke up very early and headed out equipped with binoculars and an expert ornithologist (Urban Birder, David Lindo) to watch different birds on sunrise. We used our scientific findings to create the different bird characters in the show.

This show eventually evolved into a show titled "The Little Bird Who Stayed for Winter," which premiered at the Roundhouse Theatre the winter of 2016. 

We would like to thank: Arts Council England, Brighton Festival, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Polka Theatre, Arts Depot, Unicorn Theatre, RSPB, Big Draw and Kerry Lemon.

Read what others have to say about Draw me a Bird

Draw me a Bird is a “charming and loveable production”- A Younger Theatre

This production is no longer touring. You can view an archive of Draw Me a Bird's performance history below, and see the What's On page for other productions which may be touring now.