TEATIME WITH GALE

Tair Rafiq
2 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 20 hours ago

ROTHERHAM SCHOOLS TOUR - MAY - JUNE 2026

While my colleague Neath and I were relaxing during the remainder of our lunch break, and preparing for the Q&A session following the morning performance of our new touring Anti-bullying play 'Teatime With Gale', two friends rushed into the hall where we were, out of breath and full of excitement. The girls barely paused to introduce themselves before they went straight to the storage cupboard and without being asked, started setting out the chairs for the Q&A. One of the friends confided that they were so excited to be here that they had rushed their lunch and her friend had made her skip dessert - which on that day was jelly - just so they could be here early to ask extra questions before the rest of the pupils arrived. This was at St. Ann's Primary in Eastwood, Rotherham, my old school. This was the place where my passion for story making had started. Returning after 48 years, I was delighted to find a new generation brimming with enthusiasm for theatre and story making.

Neath (left), and Kat (right), enduring the traditional start of project crisps ceremony.

Amara Latchford, aka Flynn the Fox, preparing for their epic quest in search of friendship.

At East Dene, one child was so moved by the sad plight of Flynn the Fox and his search for friendship, that she spoke up and offered to be his friend, and then with another pupil, spontaneously got up on stage and joined the actors in the middle of a dance routine. At Rockingham, a group of year 6 girls approached us before the start of our workshops to tell us about their own play they were working on and to ask our advice on the best way to carry it forward. We were happy to share all the advice we could.

These were just a few of the magical memories from my third year as an Arts Council Project Grant supported artist, touring my new Anti-bullying theatre project to Rotherham schools. Last year with 'The Haunting of Lenny Maggot' we brought our story to eight schools. This year was even better, with a total of ten schools on our tour, and the reaction we got just went to reinforce the core belief of my practice, that children in deprived areas such as Rotherham want and deserve to be part of creativity, performance and art. There continue to be very few opportunities for them to pursue creative ambitions. But I am happy to have had the opportunity to play a part in helping to open doors for them to be part of a wider world of imagination and play.

One comment from my colleague, Neath, really hit home for me. She has been with me since the beginning of my Anti-bullying creative journey, and she remarked that this year the process of creating the play has felt much more like being part of a theatre company. This meant a lot to me personally, as my long-term ambition is set up my own theatre company, not only to produce my own work, but also to help young people from under represented backgrounds to create and produce their own stories, by exploring themes of empathy, friendship, kindness, and collaboration. This project, the support from The Arts Council, from the schools and my colleagues has helped to bring me one big step closer to realising that ambition.

REVIEWS

"I really enjoyed seeing Teatime With Gale at a school in Rotherham. The entire school was at the performance, and it was impressive to see the way it engaged children (and teachers!) of all ages. The play itself is beautifully structured and its gentle message around kindness was handled so well that it almost felt like we were watching an adaption of a classic children’s story or fairy tale. The performers were great, the songs were great and the costumes were fantastic. Overall, a lovely piece!"

Madeleine Thorne

Relationship Manager - Children, Young People and Learning (Yorkshire and the Humber)

Arts Council England

"I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a very special performance of 'Teatime with Gale' at St. Anne's School in Rotherham.

The play was perfectly pitched for a KS1 primary audience in introducing concepts of strangers, migration, new neighbours in an accessible, fun and captivating way. The storytelling was really clear, the written text showcased Tair's trademark style of poetic language combined with colourful imagery and a good deal of humour. The songs/music brought that additional theatricality, that I felt really captured the audience. At one stage all the children around me stood up to dance and sing along, and this interactivity in the direction of the production, made the audience really feel part of the drama.

Thananya Kaewsanthia's design was bold and simple. The costumes were truly amazing - a real standout success in the piece. Each of the characters was portrayed with such detail and finesse, with a sumptuous use of textures and colours providing a real visual treat for us. I absolutely loved the splendour of Dame Evelyn the drama sheep, and the grunge of Syyddd the rock'n'roll hedgehog.

What was particularly special about this performance was that it took place in Tair's old school, and he was there at the performance. It was important for the children to see what a former pupil could achieve.

As a South Asian writer/producer Tair represented an inspirational role model for all of the children, who too often do not see themselves represented on stages and in our cultural sector. A great achievement all round. Congratulations to Tair and the team!"

Suzanne Gorman, Artistic Director, Maya Productions

FROM THE WEBSITE OF ROCKINGHAM JUNIOR & INFANTS

https://rockinghamji.co.uk/2026/05/20/teatime-with-gale/