Meal One

A boy sleeps in his bed. The house around him creaks. An owl hoots. Clouds drift across the brightening sky. Quietly, softly, we explore the house and garden as the sun begins to rise. Music begins to shape the day and the boy begins to stir. He suddenly sits up all surprised and calls out: 

“Who put a plum in my mouth?”

“Me, me, me!” shouts Mum. 

And that is how it begins.

We follow them as they prepare for the day by planting a plum stone in the bedroom floor. Naturally, a huge tree quickly fills the room, turning it into the best tree-house-playground ever. But when they go downstairs for Meal One – the first meal of the day – they discover a kitchen full of tree roots busily munching through anything edible they can find.

Based on a 1970s children’s book by Ivor Cutler and Helen Oxenbury, Meal One is a journey of discovery filled with breath-taking projections, music, singing and dance. 

Explore the set in advance of the show to uncover augmented reality and other surprises.   

Suitable for 5+ and equivalent learning age

Based on the book, Meal One, ©1971 The Estate of Ivor Cutler.

Produced by 509 Arts with Hull Truck Theatre, supported by Mind the Gap. Funded by Arts Council England.