Akimbo Theatre are presenting two shows at the Tolmen Centre in Constantine later this month.

The internationally renowned theatre company will present their children’s show Little Lotte on Sunday, February 9 as an afternoon matinee for families.

This short, charming show – also about animator Lotte Reineger – is followed by a workshop in which children (and grown-ups!) can make their own shadow puppets.

Little Lotte tells the story of a young woman “bitten” by the magic of early ‘moving pictures and inspired by the fairytales she read. Audiences will follow Lotte as she goes on a fantastical journey with animal friends, magic and dragons.

All taking part were trained at the Lecoq institute in Paris from where so many wonderful physical theatre groups have emerged. The physical theatre they become expert at is perfectly suited to small spaces when an audience is right up close to the performers.

Akimbo will also be premiering their new show The Animator on Sunday, February 14 before going off on a tour across the country.

Hailing from all over Europe, the new show is expecting to be fast moving, physical, funny and absorbing as they bring the story of Lotte Reineger to life with performance, shadow puppetry, acrobatics and technical wizardry.

This is the story of the ‘Queen of Silhouettes’, who created the oldest surviving feature length animation, and devised technology that paved the way for the pre-digital animation that followed.

Within this flickering world of shadows and light, Akimbo presents a high energy physical theatre biopic with dark political themes.

Their first show, NO-ONE, based on HG Wells’ Invisible Man, won awards and plaudits wherever it played – from Brighton Fringe to Edinburgh and as far away as Norway.

To book tickets, visit tolmencentre.co.uk