For Parents & Carers

Our performances are made to be enjoyed not just by children, but by their families too. We encourage you to accompany your children to the Tashi shows and to share the experience as a family.

You don't necessarily have to do anything special to prepare your children to see the shows, but it can often make a difference if you have read one or more of the stories to them beforehand. This provides an element of familiarity that makes the live theatre experience more enjoyable - this applies particularly in the case of young children (5 and under) or children who have never been to a theatre before.

Another important part of this experience comes through talking about the performances and stories after the show has finished. This encourages children to express themselves, and to consolidate their memories of the story and of the theatrical experience. Simple open-ended questions like 'what do you remember? or 'what was your favourite part?' can lead to more detailed questions like 'can you remember what he/she did next?' If you feel your child is ready for deeper thinking ask questions such as 'can you think why he/she did that?' or 'do you think there were other things he or she could have done?'

If you are keen to encourage reading skills then follow up the theatre visit by reading your child the stories at home. For some children seeing the performances helps them to more vividly imagine Tashi's world when the stories are being read to them, helping to make the act of reading a pleasure they will want to return to again and again.