Introduction

My Uncle Arly was made through a very collaborative process. Everything happened at the same time. Inspired by the life and work of Edward Lear, we all entered the rehearsal room ready to improvise.

The music, the songs, the design and the scenes arrived through continuous improvisation between the actors, the musician and the designer.

One idea led to another and the more we played with the poems and illustrations the more the theatrical possibilities arrived.

The story of The Jumblies and The Pelican Chorus and the story of Lear's own life led us to use the idea of leaving somewhere to never return as the central narrative for the show.

I hope the show inspires you to dip into his work and discover the joy of escaping to worlds of fantasy, bringing back great colour to your everyday.

Shôn Dale-Jones