Six Long Legs by Hopeful Monster

Friday 20 November, 4.30pm

Saturday 21 November, 11.30am

Tickets:

Free for NEA Ordinary Members (local residents living in Muirhouse, Pilton, Drylaw and Telford areas of North Edinburgh)

£6 – General Admission

£10 – Family Ticket (General Admission, up to 2 adults & 2 children)

BOOK TICKETS ONLINE

SIX LONG LEGS

Why do bees dance? How do flies track time? How do insects experience the world?

Theatre company Hopeful Monster hold a magnifying glass to miniature worlds in a show for ages 5+. Three performers crawl into a cast of characters, using puppetry and playful objects. With help from a young nature lover, they uncover important stories about the earth’s insects.

Things to know about the show

Hopeful Monster want you to feel at home at the theatre.

The show will be 50 minutes long with no break.

The three performers on stage do not talk, but they will pull faces.

In some parts of the show the performers may interact with you.

There is a soundtrack with the voice of a child, nature sounds and music.

Hopeful Monster is also running free show-inspired workshops for children (ages 5+). Read more below.

Imaginary Insects Workshops by Hopeful Monster (for ages 5+)

Friday 20 November at 3.30pm

Friday 20 November at 4.45pm

Saturday 21 November at 1pm

Free but places limited

Book a place for the workshops here

Build your own bug! A playful workshop for ages 5+ about how insects’ body parts are adapted to their environments. Scientists estimate there are 4-5 million insect species yet to be discovered in nature. Dressing up in costumes created from second-hand objects as new entomologists (insect experts), you’ll create and describe insects entirely new to science.

What you’ll do in the workshop

You will move in new ways to explore how insects navigate the world.

You will chat about how the bodies of different insects are adapted to the environment they live in.

You will work together as teams to imagine insects new to science.

You will create and dress up as new insects using objects which match the style of Hopeful Monster’s show, Six Long Legs.

You will describe your creatures’ unique features and present to the rest of the group.

Six Long Legs is supported by Creative Scotland (2026 and 2025 phase), with further support from Manipulate Arts (dramaturgical development). The work was previously supported by Arts Council England in 2023. It was commissioned by Beaford Arts, with seed funding from Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe. We would like to thank Whale Arts and North Edinburgh Arts for rehearsal space. We would also like to thank Ashleigh Whiffin, Entomology (Insect) Curator at National Museums Scotland. More credits can be viewed on Hopeful Monster’s website.

Header image credit: Chak Hin Leung