Trailblazing theatre company launch UK premiere of immersive family show in Coventry

This October Coventry’s newly-refurbished Draper’s Hall is to host the UK premiere of an immersive family theatre show set in a travelling library for City of Culture celebrating a love of books and the journeys they take us on.

Arriving in the city from Monday 25 October to Saturday 6 November is The Lost Lending Library, created by Punchdrunk Enrichment for children aged six to eleven.

Peter Higgin, Artistic Director of Punchdrunk Enrichment and Director of The Lost Lending Library, said: “This will be our first time sharing family theatre since 2019, but this is no ordinary show! We can’t wait to get to Coventry and welcome audiences young and old to The Lost Lending Library - and spark a new passion for reading and writing stories.”

Children, their families/carers and school groups are invited inside a theatrical world exploring The Lost Lending Library’s many fantastical departments filled with books and curiosities. A fictional librarian and library guardian are searching for imaginative young writers to create new stories before embarking on their next adventure.

The Lost Lending Library has been travelling across continents from London to Australia since 2016 - mysteriously popping up overnight to the delight of surprised and intrigued audiences along the way. For Coventry City of Culture, The Lost Lending Library will be performed for the first time for UK family audiences. Performances for primary schools are also available to book.

Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of Coventry City of Culture 2021, said: “Punchdrunk Enrichment are an extraordinary company. They create magical worlds that engage and stir the imagination.  You will be transported into new worlds and kingdoms and meet a range of wonderful characters and be inspired to read and share stories for a long time after.  

“All I can say is make sure you take the opportunity to see this wonderful production. This is theatre at its most exciting and imaginative.”

Landing for two weeks, children will be invited inside The Lost Lending Library for an unforgettable 50-minute immersive performance and given the chance to start writing stories before it disappears without a trace.

Past visitors to the library have enthused about the sheer excitement, awe and wonder the project has produced in young audiences giving them the confidence to write their own stories.

One child, after experiencing, The Lost Lending Library, said: "Now everybody reads more. My sister reads more, I read more and even my parents read more. My mum saw The Lost Lending Library and now she reads to my baby brother at dinner."

Another child described the experience as: “The best thing ever!”

It is hoped The Lost Lending Library will inspire a lifetime of reading and writing.

Punchdrunk Enrichment is a charity that creates transformational theatre for education, community and family audiences. Their work makes a powerful impact and takes you on an unforgettable journey.

Originally founded in 2000 by Felix Barrett, Punchdrunk are celebrated as pioneers of a new form of theatre in which roaming audiences experience epic storytelling inside sensory theatrical worlds. The company created award-winning shows including Sleep No More, Masque of the Red Death and Faust.

In 2008 a founding company member, Peter Higgin established Punchdrunk Enrichment to take the company’s innovative practice into communities and schools, creating performances and workshops with and for children, young people, families and communities.

Today Punchdrunk Enrichment is an independent charity dedicated to creating experiences for as wide an audience as possible.

For further information, times and tickets visit https://coventry2021.co.uk/what-s-on/the-lost-lending-library/

To book for a school, please call The Ticket Factory's Schools and Groups team on 0800 358 0058 or email groups@theticketfactory.com.

If you require BSL Interpretation or other access adjustments for your school, please email access@coventry2021.co.uk to discuss your requirements.