Shipley Little Theatre: Saltaire Round the World Safari

Theatre & Performance

Shipley Little Theatre: Saltaire Round the World Safari

9 September, Roberts Park, Saltaire

Have you ever fancied going on safari and meeting fascinating animals from around the world? What if you could do this without having to go further than, say, Roberts Park?

You can do just that as part of the Saltaire Festival, which will bring animals from every continent to the park. And there are no safety concerns with these wild animals, as they’re all puppets!

I asked safari director Peter Jeffrey-Bourne to tell me a little more about it.

“It’s a show I’ve done before,” he tells me, “and it works very well. I’ve done it in stately homes’ grounds, in National Trust forests… all sorts of places! We’re going on an expedition with Professor Davina Attleburrell and her assistant, Mike ‘Snakebite’ Irwine, expert wildlife tracker. They will take safari-goers around Roberts Park and they’re going to encounter animals from all over the world – but they’re all puppets! However, the wildlife information is all accurate: it’s as if they’re on the safari – a safari adventure and it’s a family show.”

I ask him about the animals and Peter continues, “There’ll be everything from meerkats on the African plains through to orangutans from Borneo

and animals from Madagascar. There’s the giant panda from China and the Canadian lynx.

“The animals might feel a little bit out of place and startled by the audience, so we’ll have to keep our distance. The audience will have binoculars, so they’ll be able to watch from a distance. Some of the animals are quite shy, so you’ve got to be cautious, but I think they’ll get along well with Saltaire!”

A team of puppeteers will be in place and the safari will stop in various places for the animals to emerge from the undergrowth.

Following last year’s Saltaire Festival performance of Making Light by local legend Eddie Lawler, Peter comments, “We aim to bring something different to the Festival every time. Last time there was a proper theatre piece indoors in the Caroline Club, whereas this is a bit different – a promenade performance. We’re going to try to bring something new to the table every year.”

The Saltaire Round the World Safari will be heading out in Roberts Park at 11am and 2:30pm on Saturday 8 September and at the same times on Sunday 9 September. The safari is free but pay-as-you-feel contributions would be welcome.

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