Tango's Big Adventure Returns to Tameside Primary Schools

After a successful pilot tour in 2022, Tameside Council have once again funded Tango's Big Adventure to tour Tameside Primary Schools.

The play Tango's Big Adventure by Tameside theatre company Hive is touring schools across Tameside throughout the Spring term. The play is funded entirely by Tameside’s Community Safety Service and is completely free for all schools. 

Tango’s Big Adventure, helps schools meet the latest statutory guidance on Relationships Education for KS1. Created in partnership with Healthy Schools, the play helps teachers discuss different families, what makes a family and that all families should be respected and celebrated.

Councillor Vimal Choksi, Tameside Executive Member for Towns and Communities said ‘’Here Comes Tango explores different types of relationships, introducing children in a fun and engaging way, encouraging them to understand diversity and accept all different types of families’’

‘’The play toured the borough last spring, with great success and feedback from schools, so I am happy it is touring again. This gives another cohort of students the chance to watch this educational, exciting and engaging and play.’’

The play was written by Adam Zane and performed by actors from Tameside theatre company Hive North. The actors included Patrick Price, Sophie Simpson and Alexi Papadopoulos.

Adam said: "Young audiences love watching Tango's story and meeting all the different families. Teachers are also given lesson plans and workbooks to help explore what makes a family. It's a unique way of celebrating diversity across Tameside".

The play is based on the true story of a penguin called Tango, who was raised by two male chinstrap penguins in Central Park Zoo. Tango’s story inspired the bestselling children’s book ‘And Tango makes three’. The play includes puppetry and interaction with pupils to create a funny and informative performance.

Tango the penguin takes a trip around Central Park Zoo meeting a variety of fascinating animal families which are all different. The animal families include, a fish dad who stays at home to look after his children, a meerkat who lives with his sisters and an exhausted sea-horse dad who has given birth to thousands of babies. The different families the pupils are introduced to help explain that not all families are traditional but this should be celebrated and appreciated.