The Flying Machine, a new play by children’s playwright Phil Porter, premieres at the Unicorn on 2 May, running until 1 June.
Written for theatregoers aged seven and over, The Flying Machine is a comedy adventure story centring on two children trapped on Ward One of St Ruth’s Hospital. The decaying ward is ruled over by the iron fist of Nurse Cakebread, who doesn’t like fun and certainly doesn’t like children. When a new boy, Boniek Strangleman, arrives at the hospital he soon leads a revolt against Cakebread’s hard regime. Armed with a set of blueprints and a cunning escape plan, he turns everything on the ward upside down and leads the children on a daredevil break-out.
Playwright Porter’s many plays include Broken, Stealing Sweets And Punching People (Theatre503), Starseeker, Isolated Children In Faraway Places and Smashed Eggs, which won him the Arts Council England Children’s Award in 2003. Porter also adapted the story of Pinocchio for Will Tuckett’s production at the Royal Opera House Linbury Studio in 2006 and 2007.
The Flying Machine is directed by Associate Artistic Director Rosamunde Hutt, who also directed the Unicorn’s well-received Christmas show Duck! The cast comprises: Maggie O’Brien (Nurse Cakebread), Beverley Denim (Peeka), Toyin Omari-Kinch (Boniek) and Daniel Naddafy (Munib).
During the run of the show, the Unicorn is holding a series of family days on 3, 10, 11, 17, 18 and 24 May. Costing £24 per person, a family day includes a pre-show theatre workshop, a ticket to The Flying Machine and a chance to meet the cast afterwards. To book a place on a family day call the box office on 020 7645 0560.
CB