Two sisters at war suddenly find their world turned upside down.
Jumping Puddles
In collaboration with Frantic Assembly
Written by Catrina McHugh
Directed by Rosie Kellagher
Movement Direction by Krista Vuoria for Frantic Assembly
As the autumn nights draw in and the rain falls Grace and Anna find themselves trying to stay afloat as they jump from one puddle of emotion to another. Now the puddle is in danger of becoming a river and Anna fears Grace will be taken by the tide.
Jumping Puddles is a funny and moving story about two sisters fast-tracked to adulthood as they discover it’s hard being a girl but harder still when faced with the harsh reality and fragility of life.
The play was developed in collaboration with Frantic Assembly who worked with us and the young women throughout the project. Jumping Puddles was directly informed by 162 young women from the North East of England and Liverpool.
Jumping Puddles was directly informed by young women from the North East and Liverpool:
Barnardos SECOS Outreach Group
Central Correctors – Hartlepool
Life Skills Girls Group at Clubmoor Youth Centre
Depaul Centre UK, Excelsior School
Gateshead Young Women’s Outreach Project
Girls & Young Women from Trinity Youth LGBT Group
Girls Group at Spennymoor Youth and Community Centre
Linhope Pupil Referral Unit
Newcastle College
Older Girls at West End Women & Girls Centre
SPLICE at Clubmoor Youth Centre
The Modern Maidens – Meadowell
Throsten Youth Project
Tyneside Young Lesbian Project
Young Persons’ Opportunities Project – Liverpool
Youthpoint – Liverpool
Holly Reed Macrae and Newcastle Young Carers at Barnados
Many thanks to them and all of the individuals who told their stories.
The following schools and groups have developed this resource with us:
Benfield School
Cramlington Learning Village
West End Women and Girls Centre Older Girls Group
Tyneside Young Lesbian Project
Youth and Play service, Liverpool
Linhope Pupil referral unit
Gosforth Academy
Thank you to Lewis Leng and Robson Scott at Cramlington Learning Village for lending their voices to this resource.
You can read an interview with Artistic Director, Catrina McHugh HERE
It was important for the company to make space for the voice of young women. Even though I understood some of the issues they were experiencing from research, it wasn’t until the consultation sessions that I really began to understand (and remember) the complexities of being a teenager. Now I know why that voice is important, because it’s holding up a mirror to the world we live in, the here and now, and reflecting issues that are impacting, not only young women’s lives, but on humanity itself. Catrina McHugh, Artistic Director and Writer
