The New Wolsey Theatre
Ipswich
"Just 5 days to make the play, 5 days to change the future of theatre for young people, by young people, with young people - forever "
Commissioned by the New Wolsey Theatre for “Big Ideas” - Nigel and Louise collaborated with the New Wolsey Young Company over a week to create a sleepover show for 18 local children from 6-12
The children arrive at 7.30pm to be greeted by a surprised cleaning lady who welcomes them in. They help her finish her cleaning.
The cloakroom attendant wakes up when he hears the noise and is so pleased to see everyone. He checks in the childrens things and gives their parents a ticket to collect them in the morning
Then Faye and Ray, who have been asleep in the box office, wake up and usher them to the stage.
They travel backstage through the wardrobe depatment where they meet the bearded wardrobe mistress who loves to dress them up.
They find themselves under the stage where they find the caretaker. He is very shy and never comes out in the day. He only knows the other people who work there by the sound of their feet overhead. He teaches the children to play all the instruments he has made out of pots and pipes and screwdrivers
They seem to be going round and round in circles. And as they walk through the theatre they keep noticing people in balaclavas trying to get in.
The security guard, Brian, tries to shoo them away. He says they are the actors who are always trying to get people to play with them instead of going back to the pub where they live.
Faye and Raye are sure they are going the right way now but they are stopped in their tracks by the Health and Safety officer. She sleeps in a cupboard with her eyes open and sees danger everywhere. She gives them a talk about the DANGER OF DEATH.
They manage to get away when she sees the actors outside and goes to risk assess them. 
Faye and Ray are sure they know the way now, but find themselves in the fly tower above the stage.
Here they discover the technicians who lead them back to the technical department where they are hatching a plan to get rid of the actors.
The teacnicians tell them the way to the stage and they pass the ice cream seller who is experimenting with new flavours and he asks them to help him with a taste test to chose the best one.
They are interrupted by an incredible noise- when they run out into the offices the actors are causing mayhem by pretending they are on a ship in a storm being attacked by pirates. They try to get the children to join in but Brian arrives and moves them on.
Faye and Raye take the children back to the lobby where they began and are crestfallen. While they try to decide what to do the actors manage to sneak the children away to the toilets- which they have turned into a nightclub.
The Heath and Safety Officer comes to get the children because they should not be playing in the toilet and it is time for their tea. She makes them wash their hands multiple times as she reads out all of the hazards they have to avoid when eating.
Faye and Raye take the childrenupstairs where they dress up in pantomime costumes and sit together for a feast.
Each of the characters they have met on their travels brings a course ....the cleaner brings them scouring pads with washing up liquid sauce and mop water to drink..
The cloakroom attendant brings mouldy sandwiches someone left behind three years ago
The wardrobe lady brings them pin cushions
The caretaker brings chocolate pot plants
the technicians bring plugs and wires
the ice cream seller brings mashed potato flavoured ice cream
and brian brings us some keys to eat
Then Brian, Faye and Ray hear actors in the distance and run off
The actors pop up behind the bar and feed the children drinks through the grating with long straws
Then they lead the children down to the dressing rooms to do some acting
Brian is asleep on guard and the children climb through his legs without waking him
In the 3 dressing rooms there are 3 scenes the actors want the children to join in with ...
a speakeasy...
...a battlefield...
and a crime scene...
When all the children have played all the games the theatre admin arrive. They have been searching for the lost children. They lead everyone to the stage where the poets are asleep round the fire.
There are camp beds and stars in the sky.
The childrens’ things are by their beds and they get ready and climb into bed.
Under the twinkling stars each character tells a story in turn and then they sing the children to sleep
In the morning the sun slowly comes up and fills the stage with warm light, the birds start to sing and the big curtains open to reveal our characters sitting in the auditorium.
They come down and serve breakfast and the childrens’ mums and dads join them and hear about the adventure of the night before
