Bespoke theatre show Milk, Two Sugars is based on a touring tea-trolley - a comforting and familiar visitor to every care home lounge. The ‘Milk, Two Sugars’ tea trolley is operated by Clementine and Johnny who invite the audience to join in on their tea-party cabaret spectacular from the 4th - 22nd of September, touring to mainly care homes but also to Arts Centre Washington on the 8th September.
This tea-trolley will still work as a practical tea-trolley, audiences will be served a drink…however it will also be packed full of theatrical and sensory surprises for our audiences to engage with! So, they can enjoy some live music, meet interesting new characters and listen to some storytelling before trying their very own tea-infused mocktail.
The idea to base this immersive show on a tea-trolley came from speaking with care home staff and health care professionals and becoming aware of the ongoing issue around dehydration in older individuals living in care homes. Not only do creative activities provide space for connection and joyful respite, but they can also improve health and wellbeing. As well as providing entertainment for audiences Milk, Two Sugars also promotes and aids hydration so that older people can lead happier and healthier lives.
The concept for creating the show came from speaking to care staff who highlighted a need for better, accessible activities for those living with advanced dementia. The show was created by Woven Nest in partnership with 3 care homes in Sunderland and co-produced with Cultural Spring as part of their Bitesize programme. Back in June preview shows in care homes and community venues across Sunderland received an overwhelmingly positive response by both older people and care workers.
The show is importantly able to visit care homes long term, and the legacy of the show is vital to Woven Nest Theatre’s aims to see this production reach new audiences.
The show has been made possible by funding from The Cultural Spring, Arts Council England and Sir James Knott Foundation
Woven Nest is a workshop-led theatre company based in North East England, who work with neurodivergent audiences and older people living in care homes.
