Visual Story: Your Visit to Curve
Curve is a large, round building with a glass front, as shown below. The outside of Curve looks like this:
Halford Street Entrance
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Rutland Street Entrance what3words: ///driver.other.ideal
There are two main entrances into the building – Halford Street, by our Green Room Café, and Rutland Street, by our Box Office. Both entrances have a set of glass double doors.
Street Rutland Street
The doors can be opened by pressing the silver button on the wall or rail, but the Rutland Street doors will open outwards automatically as you move towards them. There is level access into the building from both entrances.
Halford
When you enter the building, you will be in the Foyer. Our Foyer is one big circle which wraps around two of our performance spaces – the Theatre and the Studio Theatre.
As you make your way around the Foyer, you will notice lots of large pictures on the big red walls. This is our production gallery, and features pictures from our previous productions.
A number of automatic hand sanitiser points are available around the building. To use these points, simply hold your hand beneath the dispenser.
Push dispensers are also available around the building.
Before the show, there will be some loud announcements in the Foyer telling you how long it is until the show begins, and other useful information about your visit. These will be at a quieter level during this performance.
It may also be noisy in the Foyer as other audience members will be arriving to see the show. You might like to cover your ears or wear a pair of ear defenders during this time.
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Here is a map of the Ground Floor of Curve.
In the Foyer inside the Rutland Street doors, you will find our Box Office. If you need to collect physical versions of your tickets, this is where you need to go.
There may be a small queue at the Box Office, so you might need to wait a few minutes.
In the Foyer you will also find our Green Room Café.
Here you can buy a drink, snack or ice cream to enjoy before the performance.
There may be a small queue at the Café, so you might need to wait a few minutes.
If you need to use the toilet before you take your seats, there are male, female and accessible toilets near the Green Room Café and Box Office. There is an additional accessible toilet outside Theatre Door 3. There are also genderneutral toilets on the Mezzanine floor. The hand dryers in the toilets will be switched off, and paper towels will be provided.
The toilets look like this:
There is a Changing Places Facility with adult hoist on the Ground Floor next to Theatre Door 4. Please note you will need to bring your own hoist straps to use this facility.
You will be watching the performance in our Studio Theatre. Here is a picture of the seats in the Studio Theatre. This is where you will sit to watch the performance.
Your ticket will tell you which door to enter through – Studio Theatre Door 1 or 6 - and where to sit, based on a row letter and seat number.
A member of our Visitor Experience Team can help you find the right door and your seat by looking at the letters and numbers on your ticket.
They will be wearing black shirts and/or fleeces with a colourful Curve logo.
When you enter the Studio Theatre, the lights will be on and it will be noisy as the audience will be getting ready to watch the show. You might like to cover your ears or wear your ear defenders to soften the noise, or bring a comfort toy to play with before the performance starts.
To access most rows in the Studio Theatre, you will need to take a number of steps.
When entering at the Stage Level via Studio Theatre Doors 1 or 6, there are 28 steps from the stage to Row P at the back of the theatre, with two steps between each row.
You will need to pull the bottom of your seat down to sit on it.
Booster seats are available if you can’t see the stage comfortably, and a member of our Visitor Experience Team can get one for you.
They will also be happy to help you with anything else you may need to enjoy the performance.
When the show is about to start, the lights in the Theatre will be dimmed but it will never go completely dark. They will remain on at a lowlevel throughout the performance.
The space will become quiet, so the audience can listen to the story and music.
If you would like a break from the performance, you might like to visit our designated Chill Space on the Mezzanine (Level M).
Everyone is welcome to visit our Chill Space before, during or after the performance.
When the show has finished, the cast will come back onto the stage and bow. The audience will clap to show the cast they enjoyed the performance.
At the end of the show, the lights will get brighter. You can leave the Studio Theatre when you are ready to.
Useful Information
The running time for the performance is 55 minutes with no interval, meaning there isn’t a break during the performance.
This performance is suitable for people ages 18 months+ and their grown-ups.
Tales From Acorn Wood is based on the book series of the same name by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. You might have read this at home!
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Tales From Acorn Wood - The Story and Sensory moments
Spoiler Alert!
Below is a summary of the story, which means we tell you what will happen during the show. This might be helpful to know before you come to the theatre, but if you want the story to be a surprise then we suggest you don’t read these pages. Please don’t share these with other people as they might want the surprise too.
If you do not want to read the full story but would like to see the key sensory moments during the show, please see the green boxes
As you enter the Studio Theatre, there will be sounds of the woods such as insects and bird song. The stage is dappled with sunlight peeking through the trees.
The show begins and we meet Rabbit, Fox, Pig and Bear.
They sing a song called Acorn Wood Song.
Bear introduces the stories you are going to see and asks the audience if they like stories. Everyone might shout out during this bit, you can too if you’d like!
The scene changes to reveal a bedroom, this story is called Rabbit’s Nap.
Rabbit is struggling to push a chair onto the stage; they even fall over! A funny sound effect will play here.
Rabbit is feeling sleepy, so tries to take a nap in the chair, but isn’t very comfortable.
Some jingly lullaby music will play while they try to get comfy.
A buzzing fly will come in and Rabbit tries to swat it away.
Then there’s a knock at the door. It’s Bear! Bear will pop his head through the window to say hello.
Rabbit tries to have a nap on the window seat and quickly eats a snack. They do a big burp!
Then the cupboard opens to reveal a band of mice playing tiny instruments and making noise with their music!
The band of mice then play a lullaby, so Rabbit tries to sleep.
They then start playing loud music again! This annoys Rabbit.
The scene changes to the garden. Rabbit tries to set up a deck chair but struggles to get it open.
Some jingly music will play here.
A butterfly flies in and lands on Rabbit’s head, waking them up.
Rabbit then falls back to sleep before there’s more knocking. Can you tell where the noise is coming from?
It’s Fox chopping wood! Rabbit heads to a shady tree and settles down for a nap, before Tortoise drives past on a loud motorbike!
Rabbit goes back home and there’s a knock at the door. It’s Fox and Bear!
Rabbit finally gets to sleep in bed and Fox and Bear sing them a lullaby.
Rabbit then sings Rabbit’s Song.
A Narrator will then come on stage and ask if you enjoyed the story. You can answer them if you want to.
The Narrator will then ask everyone to stand up and do a big stretch!
The next story is called Fox’s Socks. Fox is fast asleep in bed, snoring away. The alarm clock starts ringing and Mouse comes in to turn it off, but it keeps ringing. Mouse throws the alarm clock away and we hear a big crash.
Mouse tries to wake Fox up but he’s fast asleep. Mouse jumps on the bed, but he’s still asleep.
Mouse then brings in a cup of tea and Fox finally wakes up and drinks the tea. Fox jumps up and does some stretches. But where are Fox’s socks?
Mouse, Narrator and Fox have a look around the bedroom to find them.
They head to the living room to try and find them, some jingly music will play.
Mouse is enjoying some cheese that’s been heated up on the fire, Fox tries to take it but drops it on the floor. No sign of the socks in here!
They then go under the stairs to find the socks, but instead Fox finds a shirt to wear, still no socks.
Mouse checks the drawers but instead finds some pretty flowers. Fox gives them a sniff then does a loud sneeze! A drum will beat while Fox sneezes.
Fox blows his nose and the Narrator throws the tissue away, a boing sound will play here.
In the cupboard, Fox finds his bow tie but still no socks.
In the bathroom, Fox finds his rubber duck and Mouse trips over something under the mat! What do you think it is?
By the front door, Fox gets upset that he can’t find his socks.
The clock begins to chime. Inside the clock, Fox finds one sock! But where could the other one be?
Mouse gets a ladder and climbs up to the attic. Fox climbs up too and has a look for his other sock.
Fox looks inside a box… but it’s a jack-in-a-box and it jumps him!
The other sock was also hiding in the jack-in-a-box, we have a pair!
They then all sing Fox’s Song.
A Narrator comes on stage and asks if you’re ready for the next story. This one is called Hide and Seek Pig.
Pig does a loud fart!
Hen then asks if Pig wants to play Hide and Seek. Can you help Pig count to ten?
Narrator joins in the game and they both try and find Hen while some jingly music plays.
There’s something behind the gate, but it’s not Hen, it’s Blackbird! Blackbird joins the game.
Look, a tent! A long brown ear is poking it, but it’s Rabbit! Rabbit joins the game.
Over by the washing line, something is hiding behind the spotted sheet. Who could it be?
It’s Squirrel! Jingly music plays and Squirrel joins the game.
By the apple trees and behind a pail, we see a furry tail. It’s Dormouse! Dormouse joins the game.
Behind a rose bush, the gang find Badger, who then joins the game after the promise of a picnic tea.
Over at the picnic, someone is hiding in the basket… can you tell who it is? It might get quite loud here as the audience shout who they think it is.
It’s Hen, you found her! Everyone sings Pig’s Song.
A Narrator will come on stage and ask you to shout out your favourite hiding space, it might get loud as everyone shouts out.
Narrator will ask everyone to make themselves as small as they can, can you be as small as Mouse?
Narrator then asks everyone to jump up and shout surprise! The next story is Postman Bear.
Bear walks into the study and writes some letters. Bear’s feather quill tickles his nose and he sneezes! Some light piano keys will play here.
Can you count how many letters Bear is writing?
Bear goes to post the letters. He comes across a tree, who might be living there?
An acorn falls from the tree and bonks Bear on the head. We find Squirrel living in the tree.
Bear gives Squirrel their letter and heads to post the next letters.
Over at the pond, we find Frog! Bear posts Frog’s letter and heads to post the last letter.
In a heap of earth, we find Mole! Bear gives Mole his letter. That’s all the letters posted!
Squirrel, Frog and Mole all come back on stage and read out their letters. Bear has invited them all to his party.
Back at Bear’s house, Bear is baking a cake for the party.
Jingly music plays here and Bear hums along.
Ding! The cake is ready. Do you like cake?
There’s a knock at the door. It’s Squirrel, Frog and Mole arriving for the party.
They’ve all brought presents and wish Bear a Happy Birthday!
Will you join them in singing Happy Birthday to Bear?
Narrator comes back on stage and asks if you’ve enjoyed all of the stories.
Bear, Rabbit, Pig and Fox all come on stage and take a bow while singing
Goodbye Acorn Wood Song.
That’s the end of the show.
We hope you enjoyed Tales from Acorn Wood!
