“Charming and humorous, The Girl and the Giraffe proves that what we need when helping one another is exactly what our long-necked friend already has: a big heart.”
Exeunt Magazine

“It is so very important to ensure that children’s earliest experiences of live theatre are positive.  The Girl And The Giraffe certainly succeeds in that regard, and Mums and Dads will be charmed too.”
Stage Talk Magazine

“Very little noise was made as little bodies leaned forward to catch every sound and see it all. On the way out of the theatre they all rushed to say goodbye as they happily clambered out of the magical space created for them.”
Live Theatre UK

“A lovely show with wonderful puppetry. There are giggles, compassion, and a catchy ditty about mixing and baking a cake, along with a sweet example of the value of writing and reading in friendships. My little one loved it and we both loved the magical space that had been created… Perfect theatre for little ones.”
Super Weston Mum

“I just wanted to say how brilliant The Girl and the Giraffe was today. I struggle to explain to my kids why mummy is down and cries sometimes and this was just spot on. I really identified with some of the emotions that the giraffe felt, especially when he starts to feel better and comes out to play but is still a bit unsure. I’ve got something to use to explain bad days to my son now; I can say that I feel sad like giraffe. I think a lot of adults would have learnt from the play as well. Thank you for putting it on.”
Audience Member, Tobacco Factory Theatre

“When I broke my leg, people wanted to help me, but when I had depression no one cared because they couldn’t see it, your show has a really important message behind it.”
Audience Member, Quarterhouse Theatre

“The play was wonderful, creative, funny and interesting. I am a father who suffers from chronic depression. One day I will talk to the kids about it. Until (and on) that day I will always have your show to refer to.”
Audience Member, Wise Words Festival

“Dear Giraffe, We love you no matter if you’re happy or sad – you’re the best.”
Audience Member, The Lowry

“A delightfully imaginative and wonderfully acted play that both involves and educates. Utterly charming.”
Venue Programmer, London

“A magical, adventurous approach to a sensitive subject. A delightful journey for adults and children alike.”
KS1 teacher, Bexley

Actor Amber-Rose May plays the Girl in The Girl and the Giraffe, an uplifting show about wellbeing and friendship by Floods of Ink, a theatre company she co-founded with Laurence Alliston-Greiner, who plays Giraffe in the production. We caught up with Amber to find out more about the show, the challenges of creating a giraffe, and exploring issues of mental health onstage!

What is The Girl and the Giraffe about?

The Girl and The Giraffe is a story about making friends and learning to understand that sometimes people can be poorly in ways that aren’t always obvious, and it can be the little things in life that can make a big difference.

What was your inspiration for the story?

We listened and shared personal stories with friends and family, and began talking to people whose lives had been affected by mental illness. We realised that these things can be really daunting for adults to talk to children about, so we decided to create a show that, starts to explore these issues in a sensitive and age-appropriate way.

How did the piece come to fruition?

We started with our title, and a very rough outline of a story, and then spent time exploring different stories, sounds and imagery in rehearsal with our director, designer and composer. We brought in objects and different materials to play with and through improvisation, writing and drawing pictures (and a lot of creative brain power) we created our adventure together.

What would you say are the challenges of The Girl and the Giraffe?

One of the biggest challenges was probably creating the Giraffe! We experimented with lots of different necks, heads, hooves and ways to make to make Giraffe move, until we found one that spoke to us – what we created turned out to be somewhere in-between a costume, a mask and a puppet.

Describe the show in three words.

Magical, musical and mischievous.

What would you like audiences to take with them after seeing the show?

We would like audiences to feel that they too can make a difference. Mental health can be a difficult topic to address, and we would like audiences to know that sometimes we need a different kind of plaster for things we don’t see. By talking to a friend, giving somebody a hug or sharing a smile, we can change lives for the better.

And finally, if you were an animal, what would you be?

That’s really hard. I think I’d like to be a monkey and swing through the treetops!