Horse and Bamboo Theatre - Name

Name

The name derives from the use of horses to pull a caravan of vehicles when touring, which was a central feature of the company's work from 1979 to 1999. This grew from their commitment to taking their work to rural communities, and using the horses and horse-drawn wagons to attract an audience. Bamboo, due to its lightness and strength, was the main structural timber used in the early horse-drawn touring sets, and was also used to make puppets and music instruments.

Horse + Bamboo now tours theatres in a more conventional manner, but its roots in rural touring are maintained through tours with small, flexible shows that lend themselves to community venues, and the development of the Boo, that serves as a centre and venue for the company's local community in Pennine Lancashire. In this regard Horse + Bamboo has much in common with Kneehigh Theatre, who maintain a locally-based presence in Cornwall in addition to their wider touring work. The company also developed the pPod, a specially designed portable structure that was suited to festivals and community venues.