10 Minutes With Toby Mitchell, Artistic Director of Tall Stories Theatre Company
Toby Mitchell is the Artistic Director of Tall Stories, the legendary theatre company he co-founded in 1997. He has spent nearly three decades co-creating magical experiences for families, from wildly popular adaptations of classic children’s books (The Gruffalo, The Elmer Adventure, Olivier Award-nominated Room on the Broom) to fairytales and original stories. As Artistic Director, he has helped bring the company’s unique style of storytelling theatre to millions of audience members in eighteen countries around the world, dedicated to inspiring imaginations and creativity in children everywhere.
You have mentioned before that your own son grew up loving these stories. How has watching him experience Tall Stories shows shaped the way you think about what children actually need from a story?
When my son was very very young he watched Tall Stories shows and was fully engaged by them - even if he didn’t necessarily understand everything. He was gripped because our performers talk directly to our audience and engage them in all sorts of ways - songs, humour, puppetry - and because (even in the silliest moments of our shows) we take our audience seriously. Most importantly - my son was never bored in Tall Stories shows. Very young children are always grasping for meaning - but they don’t mind not understanding everything. Importantly, every 10-15 minutes in our shows, there’s an opportunity for some gentle joining-in - which also keeps them on board.
Credit Charles Flint Photography
How and why have you made accessibility such a core part of Tall Stories mission?
Tall Stories is a charity and we believe that every child should be given the opportunity to experience live theatre, live storytelling and associated activities. That’s why we offer cheap or free tickets to families and schools - locally in Islington, London, and further afield. Ever since the pandemic, live-streaming to those who can’t make it to a theatre has also been important to us. And getting children out into nature is vital - whether accompanied by a story or not! We also provide all sorts of accessible performances - from BSL-interpreted to audio described to relaxed. We remove as many potential barriers as possible, in order to allow as many families as possible to enjoy our shows.
What would you say to parents and guardians who default to screen time and feel that theatre seems out of reach, or a once-a-year occasion? How can live performances become a more regular part of family life?
First of all, occasional shared screen time is really fun: a bit of CBeebies, a multi-player game on a tablet - or going to see a good family-friendly film at the cinema. In terms of going to the theatre - if money is an issue, keep an eye out for special offers, discounts and preview prices. Some venues do cheaper tickets for low-income families - and nearly all do group discounts. (So if you’re an organising type of person, you could get a few families together and make a group booking.) It’s true that going to the theatre does require doing something out of the ordinary - but what’s what makes it special. And those memories of experiencing a brilliant live event together will last a lifetime.
Credit Charles Flint Photography
For parents who have never taken children to the theatre before and aren’t sure it’s worth it, how might you convince them to give it a try?
If your child hasn’t been to the theatre before, see if there’s a smaller theatre within reach of you (or a studio space within a bigger theatre) - especially if your child is a little nervous about new activities. These days all theatres are as welcoming as they can be to family audiences - but often these smaller spaces can feel less overwhelming. The child should expect their first visit to be something different - and something special. After that first visit, you could then mix and match between smaller spaces and bigger venues. Personally, I love the atmosphere of a small theatre space - and I love the event-type feeling of a big impressive auditorium too.
Looking ahead to the next 25 years, what’s your vision for Tall Stories and the role that theatre can play in children’s lives?
My vision for Tall Stories is that we continue touring our Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler shows, adapting them all the time, as we learn from changing audience reactions and expectations - while at the same time creating brand new original theatrical and storytelling experiences. These could be in smaller theatres, community venues, schools and elsewhere. We want to open up the magic of storytelling theatre for even more children and families - wherever we can. For those who are unable to attend in person (for whatever reason), we want to further explore live-streaming - because we believe that on-screen theatre is still theatre, as long as it’s genuinely live.
Credit Charles Flint Photography
Tall Stories is touring Room on the Broom Live On Stage across the UK, what is it about this particular story that makes it a good fit for family audiences this time of year?
Room on the Broom is a story with a very autumnal/wintry feel to it. The pictures show a lot of wind and rain and stormy skies. In autumn and winter it’s great to experience all this from the comfort of a warm, dry theatre! And of course the story itself is about a witch and her cat riding around on a broomstick and having adventures - so it’s the perfect show around Halloween time. Although to be honest, Julia and Axel have created such a strong story that audiences enjoy it at all times of the year.
Credit Charles Flint Photography