Spike! a dinosaur caper awaits North Ayrshire’s young audiences this Spring.

Starcatchers, Scotland’s arts and early years organisation, and Andy Cannon, one of Scotland’s leading storytellers is bringing the magic of live performance to Ayrshire’s brand-new performance venue, CentreStage this Spring, with SPIKE! - a dinosaur caper for 3-5-year-olds and their grown-ups. 

This exciting dinosaur adventure arrives at CentreStage on Wednesday 25 May, ready to delight its young audiences with a wonderful tale of a little girl, her grandmother, and her favourite dinosaur, powerfully told through theatrical storytelling and dance. This magical story about the passing of time and the tales that bring families together is complete with David Trouton’s inspiring original music, and performers Jennifer Steele, Monica De Ioanni and Louise Montgomery. 

“Absolutely outstanding acting and effects. Inclusive and relaxed. Could not have asked for more.

Our sometimes hard to please little boy was captivated by the quality.” 

Audience member, 2021 tour

Starcatchers has been working in North Ayrshire communities in partnership with Children 1^st over the past year as part of Creative Kin, a three-year project bringing together artists and kinship families in the community through art and imaginative play.

Having celebrated a milestone 15^th birthday in 2021, with their mission to ensure all Scotland’s youngest children have access to artistic experiences, Starcatchers is delighted to be presenting a unique performance of Spike for the families who have been attending Creative Kin’s weekly creative play sessions.

Creator, Andy Cannon, said, “Spike is an intergenerational tale perfect for families of all ages to enjoy together, this time a little bigger and more adventurous. A dinosaur caper sees an evolution in the lifecycle of Spike from a dinosaur tale back in 2021, with a third performer on stage, plus a slightly evolved set. This is an exciting moment for us to share the next stage of Spike’s journey with our young audiences and immerse ourselves in the world of Mary Anne and her favourite dinosaur.”

Leana Grant, Children 1^st North Ayrshire Family Wellbeing Hub Team Leader said, “Offering these opportunities for whole families to be exposed to the world of arts which may not have been a place they would have ventured before or felt comfortable attending, with the relationships families now have with Starcatchers they feel safe and comfortable to try these things. The escapism that these creative sessions and family trips brings, we hear from families, helps reduce feelings of stress and anxiety for carers, brings whole families together spending quality time together connecting and being attuned to one another and also promotes development, play and learning for children using art. Families are being challenged in some ways to channel their creativity and imagination which is building self confidence, improving emotional health and wellbeing and also improving resilience, all of which we believe are so valuable for Kinship families.” 

Spike begins its seven-stop tour at The Regal in Bathgate, enjoying two days of performances from Wednesday 18 May. From there the show heads to brand new venue, Centre Stage in Ayrshire before two days performing at the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival. Next up is two days at The Traverse, and into June visiting Cumbernauld Studio, The Byre in St Andrews, finishing up with 2 days in the Joan Knight Studio at Perth Theatre with the final performance on Saturday 11 June.

Fiona McKenzie, Founder of CentreStage said:

“We are so excited to be welcoming Starcatchers to CentreStage and we hope that this will be the first of many visits. I have long admired the work of this vibrant and exciting company and I know that our wee people and their grown-ups will have a truly magical and unforgettable experience with SPIKE.”

Rhona Matheson, Starcatchers’ Chief Executive said:

“Starcatchers is delighted to be presenting this wonderful production in Ayrshire’s new performance venue, CentreStage. Spike’s capers are ideal for your 3–5-year-old adventurers, and the beauty of this show is the unforgettable moments for the grown-ups in the audience to take away; seeing your children’s imaginations come to life with the power of live, in-person theatre.”

For more information and to book tickets for SPIKE! – a dinosaur caper, visit Starcatchers’ website www.starcatchers.org.uk/work/spike.