Calling all those who dare to dream!

Span Arts teams up with Taking Flight and LAS theatre to reintroduce families to theatre, indulge their imaginations and get kids and their grown-ups working together to solve a mystery in the great outdoors.

Lockdown has been, at best, a long hard slog for everyone. We’ve had no access to the things we love- restaurants, cafes, museums… and of course theatre and family events. As the world begins to open back up, with light at the end of the tunnel for theatres and theatre fans alike, two theatre companies have teamed up with their venue counterparts to create The Curious Case of Aberlliw, an accessible outdoor digital adventure in three parts – to get those creative juices flowing as we prepare to get back into our beloved venues.

Elise Davison, Artistic Director of Taking Flight explains “We really wanted to create something for families to enjoy together, to get outside and to problem solve.  Over the last year, we have continued to work on productions using various digital platforms.

We used the time as an opportunity to be able to explore ways of providing an equality of experience that isn’t just streaming, that goes some way to create immersive events that can be enjoyed on a physical or digital platform or through a mixture of both.”

The Department of Strange Events is a concept for creating outdoor Covid-safe adventures for families with digital twists and turns. In The Curious Case of Aberlliw, a site specific adventure trail in Narberth over the August Bank holiday; families take on the role of new recruits to the Department, thrown in the deep end with the troubling news that a small town in Wales is suffering from a catastrophic, complete loss of colour.

The three-part adventure begins with digital performance watched at home before the trail, where audiences are introduced to Huw and Nia, the only people in Aberlliw who haven’t completely given up due to the lack of colour and aren’t working from bed.

We discover that they have developed a machine that they hope can restore the colour to Aberlliw, but that they need help from The Department of Strange Events to send the machine data to process samples of colours and texture found in nature to enable the plan to work. Participants use an app to complete puzzles and challenges, sending their answers and results to DOT, the machine back in Aberlliw.

To keep the adventure Covid-safe, families will be given their own starting point and time slot meaning they can stay in their own bubble (up to six people from up to two families, children included). Adventurers are encouraged to dress up as their favourite detective, although it’s not compulsory. Adventure completed, families head home for a final digital de-brief with Huw & Nia where they find out if they have been successful and if the colour has returned to Aberlliw.