Our Neighbour Thor: A Sibling Saga Play Success

Jun 21, 2024

Congratulations to all on an outstanding performance of ‘Our Neighbour Thor: A Sibling Saga‘, a multidisciplinary production, at The Chrysalis MK Theatre.

The collaborative project was a huge undertaking, and seeing the fruits of everyone’s labour was lovely. The puppets and props were charming, even the scary ones. The actors exuded confidence, and it was a joy to witness them enjoying it so much. The lighting, special effects, and music complemented the professional performance and provided the glue for such a special audience experience.

Our Neighbour Thor: A Sibling Saga’ is not just a puppet play; it is a unique visual art performance crafted by the talented residents of Camphill MK. This collaborative masterpiece results from three diverse workshops: Performing Arts, Arts and Crafts, and Tools Workshops. The special evening included an exhibition, a touch tour and a live performance.

Reviews

Visit Milton Keynes: “This event showed great creativity and imagination, quirky moments ( a bit of ACDC Thunderstruck if you will ! ) and fantastic synergy of all on stage. With the live band as part of the set, music and motion blended beautifully.”

Julia: “It was such an enjoyable show; the puppets and proper looked amazing, and the actors and musicians’ talents shone!”

Ena: “The show was amazing! My friends LOVED it. Well done to everyone!”

Anke: “Lovely to see all the props so many residents and staff have been involved in making, and (of course) our fantastic performers. Not forgetting all the people behind the scenes we didn’t get to see but knew were there!”

Jane: “Another absolutely brilliant performance from the talented team at Camphill theatre group.”

Lou: “It was an amazing show. Wonderful performances. Well done to everyone involved!”

About The Project

Camphill MK has many workshops to engage adults with support needs and learning disabilities, including Arts & Crafts, Performing Arts, and Tools workshops; these three workshops have collaborated to bring Our Neighbour Thor: A Sibling Saga to the stage. The original play is written and devised by the Performing Arts Workshop and combines puppets created by the Arts & Crafts and Tools workshops with live acting, weaving a story based on Norse Mythology. This production is inspired by a recent visit to see the RSC’s My Neighbour Totoro in February 2024, which included a touch tour where members of the RSC showed us around the set and let us operate the puppets used in the show. The touch tour was handy and interesting and inspired us to include a touch tour of our own to share our production journey.

The Performance

When two young Norse children wander into the forest, they discover Thor and Freya looking for Thor’s lost hammer. The children are drawn into a world of magic and mayhem, where the Frost Giants capture Freya and bring a winter set to destroy everything the children hold dear. Can the children and Thor overcome the many challenges, or will the Frost Giants succeed in their dastardly plans? The performance is a one-act play by actors and puppeteers from the Centre Stage Performing Arts Workshop from Camphill MK, with live music from the Asgard Band.

The Touch Tour

Experience the magic of our production up close with our exclusive touch tour. This interactive backstage sneak peek allows you to explore the set, costumes, and puppets themselves. Our cast and crew will be there to guide you and share the behind-the-scenes stories of how the production came together.

The Exhibition

This interactive exhibition explores how we took inspiration from our trip to see My Neighbour Totoro, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at the Barbican, to create our performance of Our Neighbour Thor: A Sibling Saga. Get the chance to find out how the play, puppets, and set were produced and discover the world of Norse Mythology, which forms the basis for the world of our story. There will also be the chance to play the Viking game Cubb on the green in front of the Chrysalis Theatre.