Rubbish Shakespeare Company and Silly History Boys presents
The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth
Saturday 4 October, 2025. 11am & 2pm
£11 adult, £9 child.
Babes in arms up to 12 months free.
A 60-minute performance (no interval) for those aged 6 to106 years old!
Please check out our terms and conditions when buying tickets with us.
Brace yourselves for pandemonium and tidal waves of laughter in this hilariously unique family-friendly theatrical adventure!
Join the ludicrously learned (and undeniably loopy) duo, Professor Doctor Lee Hithersay and Doctor Professor Robert Rhys Bond, as they embark on a quest to forge three brand-new myths live on stage. Forget dusty history books – these academics unleash cardboard chaos and the boundless brilliance of your imagination!
The enigmatic ping of the microwave, the divine origin of the dog poo bag, the very secret of Marmite's existence – these are just a few of the profound mysteries The Story Forge has dared to explore using nothing but their wits, a chalkboard, and a whole lot of cardboard. Now, it's your turn to unleash your imagination and inspire even more hilarious and historically (in)accurate tales!
Will your adventure unfold on the sun-drenched shores of Ancient Egypt, amidst the icy fjords of Viking legend, or in the inky depths of Neptune's ocean? The choice is yours! Shape the narrative, suggest the world, and even take centre stage as the hero of your very own myth (participation entirely optional, shy souls still welcome!).
From the award-winning champions of children’s theatre, The Rubbish Shakespeare Company and Silly History Boys, comes an hour of high-octane fun for the whole family. Expect side-splitting clowning, choose-your-own-adventure thrills, physical comedy capers, spontaneous improvisation, toe-tapping live music, and a mountain of magnificent tridents, swords and shields made out of cardboard.
Forge your own unforgettable story and become a legend – you'd be mad to myth it!
Performed by
Lee Hithersay, Robert Rhys Bond and Danny Bradley
Props and costume design by
Alice Rowbottom
Set design by
Alex MacDonald
Lighting Design by
Beccy Hillam
Written by
Robert Rhys Bond and Lee Hithersay
Directed by
Mark Smith
Reviews
★★★★★
‘The most enjoyable hour this critic has spent at the theatre in years... If Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton did children’s theatre, it would look just like this. Outstanding. You’d be mad to Myth it!’
THE REVIEWS HUB
_________________
★★★★★
‘Creative, fun and delightfully unique’
NORTH WEST END
___________________
★★★★★
‘This truly is the perfect show to go to as a family’
THEATRE & TONIC
____________________
‘An hour of madcap fun for all ages’
YORKSHIRE TIMES
Creative Support by Unity Theatre & Rowbot Street CIC
Funded by Arts Council England
Rubbish Shakespeare Company Founded in 2010, Rubbish Shakes are curators and creators of daft, riotous, high-energy, knowingly mischievous and crowd pleasing takes on Shakespeare’s works. An award-winning, family-friendly theatre company, their work is both accessible and critically-acclaimed. Conceived as a street theatre company, Rubbish Shakes quickly sidled into creative education before being discovered by producer Alex Ferguson (Homotopia) and catapulted onto the national touring stage. The company operates on the mission of ‘Theatre for All’: that everyone should be able to access and enjoy theatre, regardless of age or background. With that in mind, they have introduced hundreds of thousands of young people to the riches of the Bard - along with their parents and families! A longtime EdFringe hit, their last tour of Romeo and Juliet saw them play notable venues such as Leicester Square Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and The Pleasance. They are also in development talks regarding adapting their work to television with a renowned production company. The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth is Rubbish Shakes’ first non-Shakespeare show!
Silly History Boys A troupe of four history buffs with significant acting chops, The Silly History Boys have been touring their “histerical” productions to site specific heritage sites since founding in 2013. Specialising in silly voices, daft gags and surprisingly well researched shows about the past, SHB produce regular material for Leeds Royal Armouries, Alnwick Castle, Jorvik Viking Centre and more English Heritage locations than you can shake a spear at (literally, hundreds). Aside from their acclaimed live shows, the house-bound company launched a podcast version of their funniest adventures in 2020… and haven’t stopped since, releasing new episodes of The Silly History Boys Show fortnightly. The episodes are a mix of battles, belly laughs and the bemusing bits of history you might not know about. From the true tale of the Wars of the Roses, to legendary Viking Sagas, and the surprisingly exciting history of tea! The podcast is now enjoyed in more than 150 countries, has racked up over one hundred five star rated episodes, and has been accessed by over 30,000 listeners worldwide.
This is a seated event.
Seated shows
We have three main seated layouts for shows;
-
floor seating with or without cabaret tables on floor level only [up to 100 capacity], or
-
seating rake only [up to 119 capacity], or
-
both seating rake with floor seating in front (in rows, or with or without cabaret tables) [up to 200 capacity].
Every seat on floor level and the first row on our seating rake is accessible to those who require a wheelchair space, an ambulant seat, or those who don’t have any access requirements. Thus, they will be bookable under the same ticket type and unreserved. When buying your tickets, we ask you to declare if you have any access requirements at the checkout so we can reserve any seats or space for those who need them.
Seating rake-only events
These events tend to be theatre or dance performances performed on floor level or film screenings. The front row of our seating rake can be made into wheelchair spaces (up to 2) or ambulant seats (up to 4).
Companion tickets
Family shows will have space for floor seating in front of the seating rake for little ones to get closer to the action.
Carer/PA/Essential companion tickets
These are available for all events. They are limited to one per ticket order and can be booked by emailing info@gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk and quoting the event name, booking reference on your ticket order and information you’re comfortable sharing on why a companion ticket is required.
Ticketing.
Buying tickets
You can buy tickets for advertised shows, events or activities by visiting our website. While all GCT promoted events and some selected third party promoted events will be available to purchase in person at the Theatre, some third party promoted events will only be available to buy online.
Fees
A booking fee applies per ticket when booking online through our ticketing platform; booking fees may vary when booking through other third party sites.
Concessions and carers
Concession tickets are available to people with disabilities, OAPs, under 18s and Asylum Seekers. We will endeavour to provide free tickets to carers where possible. Please contact us directly if you require carer's ticket.
Child and family tickets
A child is classed as anyone under the age of 14, and Family Tickets, where advertised, apply to a family of four where there is at least one adult and one child in the group. Babes in Arms, up to the age of 12 months, go free at all of our family shows.
Refunds
Refunds are only available up to 28 days before the date of GCT promoted events, otherwise refunds are at the discretion of the promoter. If an event must be postponed, rescheduled or cancelled, tickets purchased for the event will be valid for any new date agreed with the artist/promoter, and the ticket buyer entitled to a full refund if they are unable to attend the new date.
Receiving your tickets
We do not print physical tickets in house and instead email you a copy of your tickets. You can show us your tickets on a mobile device or simply give us the name of the lead booker when you arrive at the Theatre for the event. If receiving tickets from third party sites ran by external promoters (Seetickets/Wegottickets/ Ticket Source/ DICE etc you may need to provide your ticket for scanning.