I started working with early years children when I had my own children – Ruby & Iona. Having children reminded me how much I love to play, sing, dance, dress-up, read, explore and make up and act out stories! Play is so important. Its how we learn to become ourselves. Play is how we discover the world around us and what we think about it. And play is how we get to know each other and build strong relationships.
When we play we can relax and open up our imaginations. Anything is possible! We can be anyone, go anywhere, do anything! Grown-ups can get so busy with work that we sometimes forget the serious business of play! Everyone needs what children need – to be seen, heard, valued and included; to be LOVED! to have somewhere to live; enough to eat and enough sleep; to feel safe and respected and to have time to relax and PLAY!
Grown-ups who know children are so lucky because children are the WORLD’S PLAY EXPERTS.
Actors are ‘Players’. We are experts at playing too, and Licketyspit actors are experts at playing and talking with children and families. Licketyspit asks children to be our experts when we create our shows and all the other things we do. Children have so many amazing ideas that Licketyspit has to run to keep up with all the things we want to do with them!
Theatre is just a way of sharing a story – which we all do every day. Stories in theatre are called PLAYS – I have written lots of plays for children – The Hare & the Tortoise, Molly Whuppie, Quangle Wangle, Magic Spaghetti, Wee Witches, Green Whale, Heelie-go-Leerie A Piece of Cake and LicketyLeap (the story of Margaret & Margaret). A theatre is called a ‘House’ but theatre can happen everywhere. Licketyspit wants all the children and families who play with us and come to our shows to feel at home and very welcome!
My Mum Bridget, was a teacher who sang and played the piano and my Dad, John, taught me lots of songs to play on the guitar! I grew up in London with lots of stories, rhymes and songs and grown-ups who read and played with me and my brother and sister. I grew up with lovely grannies too and one Scottish grandad! (And Aunts and uncles, cousins and friends who were interested in what I thought!) But I have learned how to do my job running Licketyspit by playing and talking with children, mostly in Scotland, where my Mum came from and where I live now with my own family.
Theatre has always been part of my life – in acting, producing amateur shows and working in theatre itself. I am fascinated by how theatre and drama can transform the everyday life, inspire and empower children and adults alike to create, explore and play.
At Licketyspit, I look after the Children and Families Network which aims to share knowledge, imagination and ideas between the families, and I would like to warmly invite you to join the network and unlock the endless possibilities of drama and play!
Shona joined Licketyspit in 2018, before which she managed Hopscotch Theatre Company and Scottish Youth Theatre’s Venue. She was Creative Producer at Birds of Paradise Theatre for 10 years and Company Manager for Suspect Culture for 7 years. In December 2013, she was Stellar Quine’s ‘Quine of the month’ a celebration of influential women working in Scottish Theatre. Quine is a Scots word for ‘woman’ – and Shona loves all the Scots words and songs in LicketyPlay, especially Ickerickeroo!
Hiya! I’m Taz and when I LicketyPlay I have great fun becoming ‘The Funky Chicken’ and meeting all the other exuberant creatures in the circle. Everyone makes up most exciting animals you’ve ever imagined!
Hi, my name is Effie and when I work with Licketyspit I love to sing songs – especially if they have lots of actions! When I was wee I was always making up songs and playing with my sisters.
Hello! I’m Ruby and one of my favourite things about Picnic & Play is getting to sit down with everyone together and have a good blether about the games we’ve played and the things we’ve seen! When I was little, I loved dressing up and making mud pies in the garden!
Hello, I’m Iona and I live in Glasgow. I love working with Licketyspit because I love to play, especially with other people. It is so great to be able to use your imagination and create whole new worlds! Hooray for play!