A critically acclaimed puppetry performance depicting a wartime escape is being staged at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum.
Smoking Apples Theatre presents Kinder, which recounts the journey of a young Czech-Jewish child who fled Europe aboard a Kindertransport during the 1930s.
The production targets audiences aged nine to 18 and employs innovative table-top puppetry alongside shadow theatre techniques.
Performances are scheduled for today (October 20) and tomorrow (October 21), with a public evening showing at 7pm today and additional slots reserved for educational institutions and community organisations.
The narrative follows Babi, a young Czech-Jewish girl, as she makes her way across the continent.
During her journey, she learns how seemingly insignificant gestures of compassion can dramatically alter an individual’s future.
The performance aligns thematically with the narratives presented throughout the museum’s permanent exhibitions.
Tickets for all scheduled performances can be obtained through the museum’s official website.
Kinder has received public funding from the National Lottery via Arts Council England and the Enterprise Arts Trust.
The production secured two OFFIE awards in 2023 within the Theatre for Young Audiences category, specifically for Original Music/Sound and Production.
It also reached the final stage for the writing prize in that same category.
Smoking Apples Theatre, recognised for their visually striking and ambitious stage productions, maintains an active touring schedule across both domestic and international venues.
Their work has been showcased in Germany, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Situated in Oxfordshire, the museum opened its doors in 2014 and presents accounts of courage, warfare, and reconciliation spanning different eras and locations worldwide.