Their inventive family shows have covered the climate crisis, the brain and, now, the Covid-19 pandemic. The mischievous trio discuss their story so far
When they began staging shows for children, the all-female Filskit theatre company commonly heard two questions. But what will happen when you have babies? And wouldn’t you rather be making proper theatre? Ten years on, the award-winning trio are busy presenting two new productions this month: an interactive online jamboree, Margot’s Magical Winter Wonder Party, and a new film adapted from their penguin tale, Huddle. With one Filskit baby born already, and two more due next year, the company is adapting to their changing lives, but that’s always been part of the process for this nimble operation co-run by best friends Victoria Dyson, Sarah Shephard and Katy Costigan.
The “proper theatre” charge still rankles. “We’ve heard that phrase more times than we’d care to remember,” says Shephard, when we all meet on Zoom. “I think it’s a lack of understanding of the sector.” In the last decade, the quality and status of work for young audiences has significantly improved, but many still base their assumptions on their own childhood experiences of theatre. That might have been a trip to the panto or a “theatre-in-education company coming to your school to do a show about highway safety”.