Oily Cart encapsulates what theatre is – a brief, transient visit to another world – while constantly redefining what it can mean. The company was ahead of its time in 1981, creating work for under-5s when most theatres and theatre makers had little respect for young audiences. It was pioneering in its efforts, beginning in 1988, to deliver meaningful arts experiences to children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. And now, 35 years after it was first formed, Oily Cart is still leading the way, though thankfully more and more artists and venues are creating work for children and young people with disabilities, many of whom have been inspired by Oily Cart’s work.
Oily Cart shows need to be felt to be believed: you can’t pocket the atmosphere or bottle the mood, and you definitely can’t write a review (or a foreword!) that does them justice. But for the audiences who wish they could revisit the worlds Oily Cart creates, and for the theatre makers who recognise and admire the genius at work in each production, here are six scripts – six tangible pieces of Oily Cart magic to hold on to.
Flossie Waite
Freelance theatre critic and editor of ChildrensTheatreReviews.com.
