There are some stories that arrive fully formed. Then there are the stories that only come into existence because somebody in the audience decides a dragon has toothache, a Hottle-Spottle is afraid of thunderstorms, or the best cure for a grumpy ogre is a particularly excellent bedtime story.
That’s what happens when Here Be Dragons! sets up camp.
The brave (and delightfully silly) Monster Menders unpack their maps, monster medicine and emergency biscuits before introducing you to a world full of wonderfully wonky creatures with curious complaints.
Together we’ll solve monstrous mishaps, calm bewildered beasties and create a brand-new adventure for The Monster Mender’s Story Bank that simply couldn’t exist without the people who happen to be there that day.
It’s a story that has never been told before, and one that will never be told in quite the same way again. No two dragons are ever the same, and neither are the stories.
Step into the Monster Menders’ camp
Here Be Dragons! is a magical outdoor adventure for families that love to laugh, play and imagine together. It’s part theatre, part story-making adventure, and wholly powered by imagination. Audiences become part of the tale, beasties are befriended, and every performance takes on a life of its own.
One thing we’ve noticed over the years is that children rarely need permission to imagine. Adults sometimes do. But there’s something rather lovely that happens once everyone steps into the Monster Menders’ camp.
Children spot possibilities nobody else has thought of. Grown-ups begin adding ideas of their own and, before long, they’re having just as much fun. The Monster Menders do their very best to remain professional, and somewhere between the monster medicine, wonderfully wonky creatures and frankly bonkers suggestions, a brand-new story begins to take shape.
It grows from the people in front of us, their ideas, their curiosity and the unexpected directions they take us in. We never quite know where an adventure will end until we arrive there together, and that’s exactly how we like it.
Come and join the adventure
If your family enjoys making things up, following curious clues and helping mysterious creatures with unusual ailments, we’d love you to join us this August.
We’re setting up our camp at:
- Padfield Community Field, 16th August at 11am
- Rock Centre, New Mills, 17th August at 11am and 2pm
- Serpentine Gardens, Buxton, 18th August at 11am and 2pm
Pack your socks, bundle up your imagination, and join the madness! We’ll bring the dragons. Head to our Here Be Dragons Page for more information on how to book.
Take the adventure home
Some stories don’t end when everyone goes home. If you’ve enjoyed meeting the Monster Menders, calming bewildered beasties and making up stories together, we’d love the adventure to continue a little longer.
We’ve created a Here Be Dragons journal, filled with activities, curious creatures and plenty of space for your own ideas to grow. There’s also an accompanying audio story, perfect for listening to together at bedtime, on rainy afternoons or whenever your imagination feels like stretching its legs.
Both are available to download here. (Just go to the bottom of the page)
If you’d like to help us create more stories like this, we’d be incredibly grateful for a donation. Every contribution helps us keep creating adventures and opportunities for more children, families and communities to laugh, play and imagine together.
But whether you make a donation or simply take another story home with you, we hope the dragons stay with you for a little while longer!