Pirates Love Underpants Relaxed Performance Information Pack 2024
Hello!
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Curve for our Relaxed Performance of Pirates Love Underpants. We hope you are excited to see the show!
This pack is designed to give you a bit more information about the performance and our theatre ahead of your visit.
What is a Relaxed Performance?
Relaxed Performances are open to everyone but are especially tailored to support audiences who may benefit from a more relaxed performance environment. This may include individuals with neurodivergence, such as autism, learning difficulties and other sensory or communication needs.
At this performance, we will be keeping the house lights on at a low level, and the Studio Theatre doors will remain open should you wish to leave the performance at any time. We have a designated, pirate-themed Chill Space on our Mezzanine, where you will also be able to enjoy a live stream of the performance until you are ready to return to your seat.
Although this is described as a Relaxed performance for the reasons mentioned above, throughout the show there will be moments of audience interaction with some surprises, and the noise levels will be moderate including songs and
amplified voices. For more information about the sensory aspects of this performance, please see pages 17 – 22 of this pack.
Our address is Curve, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1SB.
Here is a map of where Curve is in the Cultural Quarter, and the surrounding area.
Due to some ongoing building maintenance work at Curve, there are currently road closures in place around our theatre – these are indicated by the red triangles on the map.
Getting here by Car
There are a number of car parks close to Curve, with the multi-storey NCP Rutland Centre Car Park being the closest to our Theatre. Customers are advised that none of the car parks detailed on this page are owned or managed by Curve or Leicester Theatre Trust Ltd.
NCP Rutland Centre Car Park (Multi-storey)
56 Halford Street, Leicester, LE1 1TQ
Access Spaces: 7 | Max Height: 1.93m
Curve visitors can park in the NCP Rutland Centre adjacent to Curve for £7.95 when validated at Box Office, Green Room Café or Stage Door Bar during your visit.
If parking at NCP Rutland Centre between the hours of 5pm and 2am, you can access a cheaper rate of £5.95 if you pay via the NCP ParkPass App, or £6.95 if you pay your parking at the machines located in the NCP on the day.
Southampton Street
Leicester, LE1 1TG
Access Spaces: 4
Hourly charges from £1*
NCP Lee Circle Car Park
Leicester, LE1 3RE
Access Spaces: 4 | Max Height: 1.93m
Hourly charges from £1.95*
Dover Street
Leicester, LE1 6PW
Access Spaces: 14 | Max Height 1.98m
Hourly charges from £2*
Haymarket
Leicester, LE1 3YT
Access Spaces: 5
Hourly charges from £2*
Newarke Street
Leicester, LE1 5SN
Access Spaces: 1
Hourly charges from £2*
Highcross John Lewis Car Park
Leicester, LE1 4QJ
Access Spaces: 109 | Family Spaces:
56 | Max Height, 1.98m
Hourly charges from £3.50*, plus flat evening rate of £2.50* between 5pm and 6am.
There is also a drop-off point outside our theatre. *Prices subject to change.
Getting here by Bus
All Leicestershire bus services have stops within a three to 10-minute walk of Curve, with services terminating on Humberstone Gate, Haymarket Bus Station or St Margaret’s Bus Station.
For more information about travelling by bus in the city, visit www.leicester.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/travelling-by-bus, or call Traveline on 0871 200 2233.
Hop! Free City Centre Circular Bus Service
Hop! shuttle buses are free to use and serve Leicester City Centre, looping in an anti-clockwise between Haymarket Bus Station, Highcross, Jubilee Square, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Railway Station and the Market.
Part of the greenlines electric network, the service also links with the Hospital Hopper service at Royal Infirmary and St Nicholas Circle, Meynell’s Gorse and Enderby Park & Ride at St Nicholas Circle, and Birstall Park & Ride at Savoy Street.
The nearest Hop! stop to Curve is Stand CK on Charles Street, circled in red on the map overleaf. The service operates every 10 minutes, Monday – Saturday between 8am and 6pm.
For more information about Hop!, including a service leaflet and larger route map, visit leicesterbuses.co.uk/hop. A route map is also provided on the next page.
Hop! Route Map
Getting here by Train
Leicester Train Station is less than a 10-minute walk away via Charles Street. For the latest service information, please visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Visual
Story: Your Visit to Curve
Curve is a large, round building with a glass front, as shown below. The outside of Curve usually looks like this:
Halford Street Entrance
what3words: ///wide.wiping.dared
Rutland Street Entrance
what3words: ///driver.other.ideal
As we are currently undertaking some building work at the front of our theatre, there is a mixture of fencing and scaffolding creating partially covered walkways to our two entrances. This is what the area looks like:-
There are two main entrances into the building – Halford Street, by our Green Room Café, and Rutland Street, by our Box Office. Both entrances have a set of glass double doors.
Halford Street Rutland Street
The doors will open outwards automatically as you move towards them. There is level access into the building from both entrances.
When you enter the building, you will be in the Foyer. Our Foyer is one big circle which wraps around two of our performance spaces – the Theatre and the Studio Theatre. As you make your way around the Foyer, you will notice lots of large pictures on the big red walls. This is our production gallery, and features pictures from our previous productions.
In addition, there are large digital screens displaying upcoming shows and events throughout the building.
Our Foyer is also filled with Christmas cheer, ready for the festive season!
There are several artificial trees and garlands placed around the Foyer, each decorated with static, warm fairy lights, shiny red and gold baubles and a sparkly
star on the top. We also have our model box and flower cart installations by Door 4 that are based on our Christmas show in the Theatre, My Fair Lady.
There is also one larger, real Christmas tree close to our Stage Door Bar.
A number of automatic hand sanitiser points are available around the building. To use these points, simply hold your hand beneath the dispenser.
Push dispensers are also available around the building.
Before the show, there will be some loud announcements in the Foyer telling you how long it is until the show begins, and other useful information about your visit.
It may also be noisy in the Foyer as other audience members will be arriving to see the show. You might like to cover your ears or wear a pair of ear defenders during this time. A limited number of ear defenders are available at Reception, if you would like to borrow some.
In the Foyer inside the Rutland Street doors, you will find our Box Office.
Car parking tickets for cars parked in the NCP Rutland Centre Multistorey Car Park next door to Curve can be validated at the Box Office for £7.95. Ticket enquiries for this performance and future shows at Curve can also be made here.
In the Foyer you will also find our Green Room Café.
Here you can buy a drink, snack or ice cream to enjoy before the performance.
There may be a small queue at the Café.
If you need to use the toilet before you take your seats, there are male, female and accessible toilets near the Green Room Café and Box Office. There are also gender-neutral toilets on the Mezzanine floor.
There is a Changing Places Facility with adult hoist on the Ground Floor next to Theatre Door 4. Please note you will need to bring your own hoist straps to use this facility.
All ground floor accessible toilets including our Changing Places facility, as well as our male and female toilets close to the Green Room Café will be sensory adapted, meaning the hand dryers will be switched off and paper towels will be provided.
You will be watching Pirates Love Underpants in our Studio Theatre, which has new red seating as shown in the picture below. This is where you will sit to watch the performance.
Your ticket will tell you which door to enter through – Studio Theatre Door 1 or 6 - and where to sit, based on a row letter and seat number.
A member of our Visitor Experience Team can help you find the right door and your seat by looking at the letters and numbers on your ticket. They will be wearing black shirts and/or fleeces with a colourful Curve logo.
When you enter the Studio Theatre, the lights will be on and it will be noisy as the audience will be getting ready to watch the show. You might like to cover your ears or wear your ear defenders to soften the noise, or bring a comfort toy to play with before the performance starts.
To access most rows in the Studio Theatre, you will need to take a number of steps.
When entering at the Stage Level via Studio Theatre Doors 1 or 6, there are 28 steps from the stage to Row P at the back of the theatre, with two steps between each row.
You will need to pull the bottom of your seat down to sit on it.
Booster seats are available if you can’t see the stage comfortably, and a member of our Visitor Experience Team can get one for you.
They will also be happy to help you with anything else you may need to enjoy the performance.
Once seated, you will be able to see the set for the show, which looks like the picture to the left. The set is placed on the stage and is where the story will take place.
You will be able to see the Beach, where the Pirates live. There are palm trees, bushes, barrels and boxes around the stage among heaps of sand. Two long washing lines are hung from the top of the stage, displaying underpants of all shapes, colours and sizes!
When the show is about to start, the lights in the Theatre will be dimmed but it will never go completely dark. They will remain on at a low-level throughout the performance.
The space will become quiet, so the audience can listen to the story and music.
Whilst the inner doors to the Theatre will close, the outer doors will remain open throughout so you can leave the space if you need to use the toilet or take a break from the show. You can re-enter when you’re ready.
If you would like a break from the performance, you might like to visit our Quiet Deck on the Mezzanine (Level M).
You will need to take the stairs between Studio Theatre Doors 5 and 6 to access the Mezzanine, and a member of our Visitor Experience Team can help you find it.
At the Quiet Deck, you will find:-
• A television screen showing a live-stream of the show.
• Two bright teepees, and two darkened sensory pods, to lay down and relax in.
• A variety of sensory toys to play with (which you’re also welcome to take back into the Studio Theatre with you!)
• Copies of this show information pack.
• Colouring sheets, plain paper and crayons.
• Pictures of the show.
Everyone is welcome to visit our Quiet Deck before, during or after the performance. Please look out for your fellow crewmates while using the space, and return any sensory toys you have been using during the show.
When the show has finished, the cast will come back onto the stage and bow. The audience will clap to show the cast they enjoyed the performance. It may be quite loud during this moment.
At the end of the show, the lights will get brighter again. You can leave the Theatre when you are ready.
There is a special surprise to enjoy after the show – see the Useful Information on pages 21 – 22 for more details!
Pirates Love Underpants is based on the book of the same name by author Claire Freedman and illustrator Ben Cort. You might have read this at home!
The running time for Pirates Love Underpants is 50 minutes with no interval, meaning there isn’t a break in the middle.
The performance is recommended for children aged 3+ and their grown-ups.
There will be different lighting throughout the show, with some moments in bright lighting and others in darker lighting.
During moments of audience interaction, the lights will become brighter so the characters can see you!
After the show, you will have an opportunity to see the fabled Pants of Gold in our Treasure Cabin, in a magical space beneath the seats where you will watch the show!
If you would like to see the Pants of Gold after the show, turn left when you get down to the stage. Other audience members may also like to see the Pants of Gold too, so there will be a small queue.
If you would not like to see the Pants of Gold and want to leave the Studio Theatre straight after the show, turn right when you get down to the stage and you will exit the space.
When it is your turn to see the Pants of Gold, you will be lead through the corridor filled with different Pirate items that you can look at while you’re waiting. What can you see?
There will also be some sound effects playing in the space, including the creaking of a ship and waves from the sea.
When you get to the Pants of Gold, there will even more Pirate items including treasure, ropes and underpants! There’s even a parrot sitting in a cage who might try to talk to you!
Members of our Visitor Experience Team will be there to help you if you need anything and can take a photo of you and the Pants of Gold. The Treasure Cabin looks like this.
You can then journey down the path to leave the Treasure Cabin. When you leave, you will find yourself back in the Foyer near the café.
If there’s anything we can do to support you and your party during this part of your visit, or if you have any concerns about waiting inside the Studio Theatre after the performance, please call the Box Office on 0116 242 3595 before your visit or speak to a member of the Visitor Experience Team on the day.
Pirates Love Underpants - The Story and Sensory moments
Spoiler Alert!
Below is a summary of the story, which means we tell you what will happen during the show. This might be helpful to know before you come to the theatre, but if you want the story to be a surprise, don’t read these pages. Please don’t share these with other people as they might want the surprise too.
If you do not want to read the full story but would like to see the key sensory moments during the show, please see the green boxes
As you are taking your seats, you’ll see the five actors are already on stage. You can hear sounds of the bustling dock and some quiet, jaunty music. The screen in the middle of the stage will project illustrations from the book that gently move.
Two seagulls, Barnaby and Gulliver, swoop into the audience to say hello. They’re on the hunt for popcorn and sweets, so hold onto your snacks!
The seagulls are a little bit cheeky - listen carefully to hear what funny things they have to say. Meanwhile, all three pirates are busy loading barrels and boxes aboard their ship called The Black Bloomer. The pirates are also a little silly, and they sometimes get the barrels stuck on their heads!
Before the show begins, you will hear an announcement that will ask everyone to switch off their phones and not take photos!
Some pirate-y music will begin to play when the show is about to begin. Barnaby and Gulliver will give up looking for sweets and fly away.
The three pirates, Plank, Bucko and Hornswoggle will notice the audience and say hello!
The pirates will ask you if you’re part of today’s Pirate crew. You can reply if you’d like to!
Every time they ask, “why are we pirates?”, they ask you to respond with “because we arrrgh!” in your best pirate voice!
The pirates will then think about all of the things they love, including delicious jammy toast - and underpants! So much so, they sometimes steal them. Don’t worry though, they won’t steal yours!
A horn is sounded that takes the pirates by surprise. They’re not sure where it came from, and ask if you made that sound…
Plank realises it’s the pirate call! The horn is sounded again. It’s Captain Eyepatch on his way! Can you shout ‘Aye Aye Eyepatch’ with the crew?
Plank and Bucko will sing a song called Captain Eyepatch.
Patricia the Parrot flies in to signal that Captain Eyepatch is nearby.
The Captain appears. He is a small puppet attached to the puppeteer who makes him move and talk.
Captain Eyepatch greets Patricia and then says hello to the audience, but he’s facing the wrong way!
Plank tells him to turn around. Captain Eyepatch gets annoyed and tells him off.
Bucko taps Captain on the shoulder which scares him. Captain Eyepatch screams and calls for his mummy!
Once the Captain has calmed down, he asks the pirates if they have found a new crew – that’s you!
The pirates will again ask “why are we pirates?” and the audience will shout “because we arrrgh!”. Patricia will also join in with a squawk.
Captain Eyepatch tells the pirates of their next treasure hunt. He asks them to gather round and listen carefully.
As soon as the Captain mentions underpants, the pirates shout for joy! Captain Eyepatch tells them to lower their voices.
The pirates learn that the treasure to be found are the fabled Pants of Gold.
The Pants appear on the screen, and there is a sound effect of a heavenly choir.
The pirates are excited about this new adventure. They again ask “why are we pirates?” and the audience will shout “because we arrrgh!”. They will then sing
a song called Pirates Love
Underpants
.
Captain Eyepatch asks Patricia to fly up high and search out land. She squawks and flies off with Bucko.
Plank gives the Captain a telescope to look out to sea. Can you join them by making a telescope with your hands?
Patricia flies back and sits on the end of the Captain’s telescope. He thinks he can see a giant parrot! Plank and Patricia find this funny and giggle at him.
Captain Eyepatch looks through the telescope again and this time, he sees sharks! Hornswoggle returns with a treasure map.
The pirates work out their journey and some music begins to play.
The pirates arrive at Big Knickers Bay and sing a bouncy song about it. We see sharks in fancy underpants dancing and singing along. Bubbles will fall from the ceiling down into the audience during this moment.
A member of the cast will also come on stage with a water pistol, spraying small amounts of water at the audience!
The sharks are puppets that sit on the actor’s heads and are controlled by the actor with a stick.
The pirates find they need to get over to the island. Hornswoggle sits in a small boat and rows around the stage, with Captain Eyepatch.
They make their way across to shore and begin looking for clues to find the Pants of Gold. It looks as if there are some footprints, can you help Captain Eyepatch count them?
The pirates realise the next place on the map leads them across Three Pants Ridge where the crocodiles live. Plank is afraid of crocodiles. The Captain tells him there’s nothing to worry about.
The pirates spot a sign that leads the way. They’ll ask the audience “why are we pirates?”, get ready to say, “because we arrrgh!”
♫ Music will begin to play, and a bridge will appear on stage. The pirates become small puppets that cross the bridge.
The crocodiles appear on stage and snap towards the audience while singing a song called ♫ Snap, Snap, Rap.
The crocodiles are actors with crocodile puppets.
The pirates make it across the bridge and escape the singing crocodiles. The pirates become shadow puppets that hop along the bridge.
The next stop is the Scary Caves. They travel to the caves, and it looks very dark. The pirates are scared and don’t want to go inside. Captain Eyepatch tells them they need to be brave. Some spooky eyes will even appear on the underpants at the top of the stage and around the pirates.
They sing a song called ♫ We’re Not Scared. During this song, we see spiders, snakes and a skull and crossbones appear on the screen, but don’t worry, they aren’t real!
The pirates make it through the cave, and we hear a gentle snoring and a loud grumble. The pirates come into the audience to make sure nobody is sleeping. Can you see anything on the screen that’s making that sound?
Aha! The pirates discover some sleeping pirates and the glowing Pants of Gold! We hear the heavenly sound effect again.
The pirates think about what they should do. Should they leave the pants or steal them?
Captain Eyepatch has an idea for the pirates to cut through the elastic of the other pirates’ fancy underpants, and steal the Pants of Gold! The pirates grab the Pants of Gold – success!
The pirates whisper “why are we pirates?” can you quietly answer with “because we arrrgh!”?
Uh oh! Patricia joins in and squawks, which wakes the other pirates up! The Captain, Plank, Bucko, Hornswoggle and Patricia run back past the crocodiles, through Big Knickers Bay and back to the Black Bloomer.
All whilst singing a song called ♫ The Journey Home. They did it! The pirates return home with the glittering Pants of Gold and celebrate with some ♫music.
The pirates say goodbye to the audience and head off to their party to eat some jammy toast.
We hear a voice calling ‘Charlie, Charlie!’ and the actor puppeteering Captain Eyepatch answers. It’s his Mum calling him downstairs, while he’s been imagining this exciting adventure!
The stage transforms into a bedroom, and he is now a little boy playing with his pirate toys. He lays Captain Eyepatch, now his puppet, down before running downstairs to Mum.
Captain Eyepatch comes alive as if by magic, talks to the audience and says, “why are we pirates” and the audience answer “because we arrrgh!”.
The pirates will come back on stage to sing ♫ We Wish You a Merry Christmas. You can join in if you’d like! At the end of the song, shiny gold confetti will fall all over the stage.
The cast will take their bows and the audience will clap, you can clap as well if you’d like to show the cast you enjoyed the performance.
That’s the end of the show! Now it is time to visit the Treasure Cabin, or to go home.
We hope you enjoyed Pirates Love Underpants!
Meet the Cast
James Blake-Butler plays Captain Eyepatch, Gulliver and Ensemble
Find out more about James’ characters by scanning the QR code:
plays Bucko and Ensemble
Find out more about Evie’s characters by scanning the QR code:
Stephanie Lysé plays Plank and Ensemble
Find out more about Stephanie’s characters by scanning the QR code:
Evie James
Yasmin Parekh plays Hornswoggle and Ensemble
Find out more about Yasmin’s characters by scanning the QR code:
Nat Speight plays Patricia, Barnaby and Onstage Swing
Find out more about Nat’s characters by scanning the QR code:
You can find out more about the company and their roles in our show programme, available to buy on the door to the Studio Theatre, Reception, Green Room Cafe or Stage Door Bar.
