Animals are amazing! There are big ones, little ones, scaly ones, furry ones, friendly ones and scary ones! There are over 8 million different species of animal on earth today and in this show we're going to meet all of them!

Welcome to the Curious Creatures wildlife park, established by Jeremiah Johnson: world-renowned explorer, zoologist and animal collector. Nobody knows more about animals than him. Unfortunately, Jeremiah Johnson is currently lost somewhere in the jungles of Africa, so he has handed the running of the park over to his inexperienced nephew Craig, and things don’t quite go as planned.

Expect to meet curious creatures of all shapes and sizes: from performing fleas, skateboarding snails and gymnastic gerbils to irritable alligators, over-excited elephants, and a very intelligent orang-utan! Learn about how animals evolved, how their amazing adaptations help them survive in the wild, and how animals can help us learn more about ourselves.

Using puppets, comedy and live music, plus lots of amazing natural history facts, Squashbox Theatre will uncover the mysteries of the animal kingdom. No animals were harmed in the making of this show, but several puppets were mildly traumatised!

Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the counties touring arts charity.Suitable 5+

“an absolute celebration of all that is good about theatre for children.” Petra Schofield, Whatsonstage.com

Post-show Puppet Making Workshop
3:45pm. Places £3 per child.
Come and make puppets with Squashbox Theatre! Using simple materials and card templates, create a moving, articulated puppet to take home. Children can make one of the animals from 'Curious Creatures' or invent a new, never-seen-before, mixed-up crazy creature! This workshop develops design skills, use of different tools and materials, and encourages thinking about shape, texture, size and scale. Places limited – booking advised. Children must be accompanied.