Off the Ground tours new adaptation of Sinbad

THERE'S still time to catch outdoor theatre specialists Off the Ground this summer, currently touring their own adaptation of Sinbad - "like you've never seen it before."The production still has some performances in Wirral and Cheshire before heading over to Ireland later this month.Written by novelist and company graduate Connor Wray, who also wrote Off the Ground's 2016 show Zorro, it's a classic tale updated for a modern audience of all ages. Sinbad director Ellie Hurt is a graduate of the Liverpool Everyman’s Young Director’s Scheme.They invite you to join Sinbad and and the crew of the Menkar as they seek for the legendary Solomon’s Reef, and with it all the lost treasures of the Earth. Up against the elements and the fates themselves, our heroes are shipwrecked on a whale, almost eaten by an ogre, attacked by giant birds of prey and captured by cannibals."The Sinbad stories are interesting, because everybody has heard of the characters, and most people can pick out one or two moments from the voyages, but I think the sheer scale of the adventure has dropped out of modern appreciation," says Connor. "Hopefully we can bring the story back into people’s minds with this production."Off the Ground was founded in 1994, and, alongside their many other annual productions, have been taking outdoor shows on tours of the UK and wider Europe for over 20 years. Based on the Wirral, these summer productions have varied wildly, from Shakespeare to Terry Pratchett, from Midsummer Night’s Dream to Musketeers.Year on year the company has become more and more ambitious, working with new writers, actors and directors to tell new stories to growing audiences.Recent touring shows include Around the World in Eighty Days, Zorro and Musketeers.The past year for Off the Ground has been one of creating new work, as well as performing classic scripts. The company took part in the Liverpool Lantern Festival and opened a Disney-themed Christmas grotto, while its youth theatre groups took on challenging productions of Animal Farm and Hamlet.Artistic director Dan Meigh says: "The beauty of this year’s production is it’s almost a new-generation tour for the Off the Ground Theatre company. It’s such a young and energetic cast, with new directors and new producers, and I expect to see a real development in what this company can achieve. It’s really exciting."The final Wirral dates take place this weekend (August 4 and 5) before the company heads to the Republic of Ireland until August 19. For tickets and more information, see their website.