The Bohemians are an actor-musician theatre company formed by Rose Bruford graduates in 2018 including their Artistic Director, Llanelli born Benji Mowbray. Having performed all over the country from Cornwall to Liverpool and across their former London base, they are delighted to now be bringing their politically charged shows with live music at the heart of their story telling to Wales.
The Misadventures of Pinocchio: The Radical Robot Girl! is a folk-rock fairy-tale for the Greta Thunberg generation set in a post-apocalyptic Wales. Audiences will still get noses that grow, puppet-masters and all the dazzling magic, but are warned not to expect a typical happily ever after! Written by Joel Nash, it is an anarchic adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’. The piece started out as a lockdown writing project between two founding members of The Bohemians, Benji Mowbray and Joel Nash.
Director Benji explains “This isn’t any old version of Pinocchio. We’ve completely reimagined the original story to say something about the world we live in today- We are exploring how climate change might affect the future of young people in Wales. It’s an 80-minute actor-muso extravaganza exploring the challenges of following your dream and how to navigate the ever-changing world we live in. We’ve also written a completely original score with punk rock songs, classic musical theatre moments and some fun folk melodies.”
Joel added “We are extremely passionate about reimagining fairytales in completely new ways and saying something about the world we live in now. Most people associate Pinocchio with the classic Disney animation, but Carlo Collodi’s original book is a much darker tale. Benji and I spent a lot of time figuring out why and how we should reimagine this strangely dark tale and I think we’ve created something equally as unusual as the original book.”
Originally born in Swansea, Benji grew up in Llanelli South Wales where he is delighted The Bohemians will now be based thanks to support from Theatr Sir Gar whose collaboration has enabled the inclusion of a pay what you can afford scheme in Llanelli to make tickets accessible to all families.
A spokesperson from Theatr Sir Gar said “Here at Theatrau Sir Gâr, we have a strong commitment to nurturing local talent and fostering the growth of emerging creative individuals. The Bohemians Theatre Co has origins in Llanelli, we are pleased to support their ambition to return to the town, and to establish themselves in our artistic community, which in turn will enrich the cultural landscape of Carmarthenshire.”
Benjy said “I fell in love with theatre from a young age putting on shows in the back garden with my sister. I was a proud member of Llanelli Youth Theatre where I cut my teeth before going to Rose Bruford College in London to study Actor-Musicianship. Bringing The Bohemians back home to Wales is a full circle moment for me personally. I hope that this is the beginning of our work in Wales and that we can inspire the next generation of theatre makers and actor-musicians to dream big.
The Misadventures of Pinocchio: The Radical Robot Girl! is a show that is bright and bold for ages 7+ and family audiences but also deals with following your dreams and navigating a broken world as an adolescent teenager.
The Misadventures of Pinocchio: The Radical Robot Girl! Performance dates: 28th May – 8th June
Stiwdio Stepney, Ffwrnes, Llanelli : 28th May (6:00pm), 29th May (11:00am and 2:30pm), 30th May (11:00am)
https://www.theatrausirgar.co.uk/en/shows/the-misadventures-of-pinocchio-the-radical-robot-girl
Aberystwyth Arts Centre : 31st May (2:30pm)
https://aberystwythartscentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173646196
Theatr Brycheiniog : 4th June (1:00pm)
https://theatrbrycheiniog.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873645076/events/128530047
Grand Theatre (Studio), Swansea : 5th June (10:30am and 6:00pm) – 6th June (10:30am) (on sale soon)
Sherman Theatre (Studio) : 7th June (10:00am and 1:30pm) and 8th June (10:00am and 2:30pm)
https://www.shermantheatre.co.uk/event/the-misadventures-of-pinocchio-the-radical-robot-girl
- Tickets available via: www.thebohemianstheatre.com
Age guidance
For ages 7+ and family audiences. Also suitable for teenagers.