Creating "beautiful live performances for the very youngest audiences"

HurlyBurly Theatre celebrates its tenth anniversary this September with the launch of After Party, a brand-new immersive musical experience for babies, toddlers and their grown-ups.

It will be at Chichester Festival Theatre on Friday, September 25 at 10am and 1pm.

Spokeswoman Rebecca Fenton said: “Founded in 2016 by classical singers and co-artistic directors Sarah Forbes and Catherine Carter, HurlyBurly was born when both women were new mothers themselves. Their idea was simple but radical: to create ambitious and beautiful live performances for the very youngest audiences. To produce welcoming and involving shows that don’t require babies to sit still, be quiet or behave like adults.

“A decade later, HurlyBurly has taken its distinctive approach to a wide range of venues including theatres, village halls, festivals, local libraries and even major cultural landmarks across the UK and internationally, including the Sydney Opera House. Productions You Are The Sun and Meet Me a Tree have been programmed at venues including the Royal Opera House and the Southbank Centre, reaching tens of thousands of children and families along the way.”

Sarah said: “HurlyBurly was born when we both had tiny babies ourselves so it’s hard to believe that we’ve now been making shows for ten years… as long as our children have been alive. Over that time, our work has taken us all over the world and has introduced us to thousands of families. It’s extraordinary to look back now at how far we’ve come, and we’re so excited to be celebrating our tenth birthday with After Party and to be welcoming a whole new generation of families into the HurlyBurly world.”

HurlyBurly's tenth birthday year marks the beginning of its next chapter with the new production After Party, touring nationally from autumn 2026.

“Step into a world where your baby can be exactly as they are, not as the world expects them to be. Crying, crawling, feeding, giggling, napping: it’s all welcome. In fact, it’s at the heart of the show.

“After Party is a 90-minute immersive ritual of music and storytelling created for this first, wild chapter of life. The production transforms the everyday experiences of early parenthood into a shared world of music, movement and discovery. Rather than asking babies and toddlers to watch from the sidelines, After Party invites them to explore, respond, move and make music alongside the performers.”

Catherine added: “After Party is an immersive musical space where new parents and their babies can come together to celebrate, connect and support one another.”