This spirit of curiosity and not knowing exactly what the end result would be is still at the heart of how we work today. Three friends from drama school, Mark, Phil and Tara, set out to make theatre that felt playful and adventurous. They wandered up dale and down hill, testing ideas, gathering stories and discovering what it means to make work that brings people together.
We all believe that theatre should be accessible, engaging and open to everyone.
Based in the heart of the Peak District, we began exploring how theatre could reach rural audiences, taking stories beyond traditional venues and into the places people already gathered. It was a time of curiosity, experimentation and joyful risk-taking.
As our ideas grew, so did our work. We expanded our offer to include educational projects and community arts events, touring eight small-scale shows to village halls and shared spaces across the East Midlands, while also creating larger promenade performances in places of beauty and wonder.
Along the way, we kept learning, training with other theatre-makers and developing new skills in mask work, fire sculpture and giant puppets. Each new technique opened up fresh ways to tell stories and invite people into the experience.
