Did you know that bees only have a life span of 6 weeks and yet still manage to travel over 500 miles? No, because you only think of yourself.
This Egg presents Me and My Bee, a bite size production with a mission to save the bees and the world. Co-created and performed by Josie Dale-Jones, Greta Mitchell and Joe Boylan, this production mixes comedy and fun with a very serious campaign: The population of bees are in decline. This means we are going to lose 30% of the worlds crops which includes apples, carrots and even cocoa beans. With a bit of love, care and a packet of sunflower seeds YOU can save the bees (and the world).
Me and My Bee begins with a seemingly bizarre aerobics session for the audience, but that is just for warming up for what’s to come: a mountain of facts about bees. The cast deliver these facts in a variety of styles such as a song, a dance, and a rock number. A particular favourite of mine was the bee themed rap performed by Joe, the bee.
Joe, along side Greta and Josie who are hilarious hosts, inform us that it is not just the infamous honey bee that does all the work, but there are in fact many solitary bees that the world needs. The audience were each given a card with types of solitary bees written on it (I was a miner bee) for practical demonstration. There are many other moments of audience participation throughout, keeping all ages informed and entertained.
The stage was set with a simple but effective flip chart and was complimented by a vast range of sound effects and popular musical accompaniments, suitable for sing-a-longs. Microphones were used for the purpose of atmosphere and for audience interaction. The cast and audience created a comical moment when asked who had been stung by a bee. When a little girl raised her hand and explained the pain of being stung on her foot, Josie expressed she had “nothing to complain about” as when bees sting humans, they die. Blunt humour is carried throughout the play paired with moments of silliness making it hilarious for both children and adults.
The goal of This Egg cast was to recruit new members for their Bee Party; “a political party disguised as a party party disguised as a show”. Now I’m no political expert but the Bee Party are going to be incredibly popular, judging but the sea of hands when asking for new recruits, and they’re only at the beginning of their national tour.
If you already knew a fair bit about bees then what are you waiting for? Stop being so selfish and start helping the poor little guys out! If bees aren’t quite your area of expertise, go and watch Me and My Bee, save the bees, save the world.