Big Red Bath Flyer (Front)
Rubba-Dubba-Giggle, Rubba-Dubba-Laugh, there’s magic to be found in the Big Red Bath
Its the end of a busy day and it is almost time for bed, and Ben and Bella are in the bath.
Splish! Splosh! Splash! Bubbles burst and bubbles rise and a frothy feast of animals jump right in to join in the fun. Come with us on a bubbly, barmy bath time adventure around the world and home again celebrating all things bath time.
Adapted from Julia Jarman and Adrian Reynolds’ popular children’s picture book, this new take on this well-loved book featured music by We Were Evergreen, an alternative French indie-electro-pop trio who brought a blend of folk melodies, electro beats and vocal harmonies.
Big Red Bath was an exciting co-production with Full House Theatre.
The show premiered at Half Moon Theatre on 19 September 2013, before touring the UK, including a residency at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014. The production was remounted and undertook two further tours (January – April, 2014 and April – July, 2015). A further tour in 2020 was postponed because of COVID-19, but was re-scheduled and toured in Autumn 2021.
This production was professionally filmed in 2021 for Half Moon’s On Demand platform where it remained for digital audiences to enjoy until the end of 2022.
You can access the script of this play via the British Library’s MPS Modern Playscripts Collection.
“I just wanted to say thank you sooooo much for the performance today. The children ABSOLUTELY loved it! They watched in total awe! It’s amazing to have been able to give them that experience. They’ve never been to a theatre before, so it was just so special!”
Teacher from a local school
“Went today with work and the kids had an amazing time watching The Big Red Bath. The kids loved it and found it so funny. The staff were amazing and talented and I purchased the book for the class. Well done and thank you for our invite.”
Kerry, Google review
Friday 22 May 2020 should have been the opening of a new tour of Big Red Bath, at Half Moon Theatre, before it undertook a UK tour. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans. Not wanting to disappoint audiences, the book’s fabulous author, Julia Jarman (illustrations by Adrian Reynolds), treated everyone to a reading from her own big bath!
The original 2013 promotional trailer for Big Red Bath.
Why did you decide to write Big Red Bath?
I didn’t decide to write Big Red Bath. It grew from watching my grandchildren in my bath – I really do have a big red bath – and joining in with their games. Some of the fun words kept going round in my head till I had to write them down.
Do you test your stories out?
Yes. I want all my stories to be good read-alouds so I test them on readers – now in schools as much as at home. My grandchildren were familiar with the language of this story long before it was a published book. We did a lot of splish splash sploshing!
How did you first feel when you first saw the show on stage?
Trepidation for a few moments – till the stage lit up to reveal a big red bath just like mine and the rippling rhythms of the band transported me to a magical bathroom and forty five minutes of sheer delight.
Was it how you had pictured it in your mind when you were writing it?
It was different, but better. It was like when I saw pictures for the picture- book for the first time. Adrian Reynolds, the illustrator, re-imagined my text but captured the spirit of the story. The theatre company re-imagine it again, in a multi-sensory way in a glorious celebration of children’s imagination, energy and playfulness.
Are you looking forward to seeing it on stage?
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the Big Red Bath and I can’t wait to see it again. The joy of live theatre is that it’s slightly different each time.
Which part of it are you most looking forward to seeing?
That’s a very hard question. Is it Hippopotamus doing her wobbly bottom dance? Or Dog catching bubbles? Or the much too full bath suddenly taking off to the . . .? No I can’t tell you!
What do you think about Kindles and e-books?
There’s no denying the appeal of screens of various sizes but reading is a unique engagement of the reader and the writer’s imaginations. A book requires the reader to use empathy, the most important kind of imagination, and the result is lasting, sometimes changing feelings and ideas. I don’t think many computer games have this transforming effect.
Young children especially love the intimacy of being read to. Turning pages is exciting! But I’m not against e-books. I want stories to be in as many formats as ever.
“The young audience were rapt from the moment the show started. A fun, energetic and delightful production”
***** Broadway Baby
“Every detail is perfect: this is a lovely introduction to the theatre”
**** Three Weeks
“A quality show for this age group, excellent”
Salisbury Playhouse
“A very well conceived show with high production values”
The Stables, Wavendon
Its the end of a busy day and it is almost time for bed, and Ben and Bella are in the bath. Splish! Splosh! Splash!
Its the end of a busy day and it is almost time for bed, and Ben and Bella are in the bath. Splish! Splosh! Splash!
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