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About When the World Turns
A collaboration between Oily Cart (UK) and Polyglot Theatre (AUS)
When we are still, we can feel the world turning…
Join us on an adventure, where your senses lead the way. You will become part of a fantastical world where animals, plants and objects are brought to life all around you. Here you can fully be yourself. Here, you are an important part of the eco-system.
This immersive, sensory performance will take you into the heart of a living landscape, featuring surround-sound, singing, lights, shadows, scents, water, puppetry and over 300 plants. When the World Turns playfully explores our connection with each other and the world around us.
When the World Turns is an award-winning, accessible show from the pioneers of Sensory Theatre, Oily Cart. You can expect small audience numbers to allow for lots of up-close sensory moments, a gentle pace, and plenty of breathing space for processing. The show has been expertly crafted for and with disabled children of all ages who experience complex and multiple barriers to access (often described as having PMLD).
“a gem of an experience”★★★★ The Scotsman
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FAQs
Who is the target audience of When the World Turns? Can my young person see the show?
When the World Turns has been created for and with disabled children of all ages who experience complex and multiple barriers to access (often described as having PMLD.)It is a gentle, atmospheric show, with lots of up-close sensory interaction. It deliberately leaves space for slower processing times and for ‘being’ rather than doing.
Because of the calm energy and slower pace, we do not recommend When the World Turns for young people who need to move around a lot and/or prefer a more active sensory experience.
What is the age range?
When the World Turns has been designed for and with disabled children and young people aged 0-25 years.
How long is the show?
The show is 1 hour long.
Are there any preparation resources, like a social story / visual guide?
Yes, there’s an Audience Booklet that includes a social story. You can view the Audience Booklet here, and you will also be given a copy on the day of the performance. We will also have Touch Maps: textured, textile maps that guide you through each section of the show.
Is this a relaxed show?
When the World Turns is a relaxed show. This means it is okay to make noise, move around, go out and come back in with no need for explanation.
There will be a basket of fidget toys in each show, and ear defenders are available if you need them.
There will be a Quiet Space in each venue.
Are there any allergens in this show?
None of the 14 food allergens are used in this show. All of the plants present in the set are non-toxic and can be touched. Finally, the scented spray bottles and weighted gloves used during the performance use the following essential oils:
- Juniper & vetiver essential oil spray
- Lemon verbena, kashmir rose and lavender essence in weighted gloves
If you have any questions, please contact access@oilycart.org.uk
We have not been to the theatre before. What if my young person doesn’t like it?
This show is a perfect introduction to the theatre for young people who haven’t been before. The low audience numbers mean the show is tailored to each person and responsive to how they react; it is a very flexible environment. The show has been made for and with disabled young people who experience barriers to accessing theatre. It has been created around their interests and what they find engaging, and uses a very sensory approach.
We have resources that you can show your young person before you come so they know what to expect. During the session, your child can join in however they like, whether that’s joining in lots or sitting back and watching. It’s okay to go out and come back in if you need to.
I’ve seen this is an interactive show. Do I have to join in?
This show responds to audience members individually, so you will not have to touch, interact with, or do anything you or your young person does not want to. Our cast and crew are trained to listen, giving you space or interacting with you. Your young person and you can change your mind throughout the performance.
You can leave and return at any point in the performance, for any reason. Our stage managers are around to help you with this.
What if we’re worried about how we will get to the show?
If you have any concerns about your transport route or the nearest Changing Places facilities, please contact access@oilycart.org.uk and we will help you.Is there is a Changing Places toilet nearby?
We have included where the nearest Changing Places toilet is for each venue on our show page. Please check the Tour Dates section of www.oilycart.org.uk/shows/when-the-world-turns/
Can I get in touch with anyone at Oily Cart if I have a question about When the World Turns?
Absolutely. You can contact our Access and Wellbeing Officer, Maka. Email access@oilycart.org.uk or Whatsapp 07955 678174
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Behind-the-Scenes
Read our two part blog series on the creation of the show:
Part 1 How We Made When the World Turns: The Seed
Part 2 How We Made When the World Turns: The Branches -
Acknowledgments
The UK version of When the World Turns has received support from Arts Council England, The Boshier-Hinton Foundation, Cockayne – Grants for the Arts: a donor advised fund held at The London Community Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, The Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, True Colours Trust, Wandsworth Council, funders that wish to remain anonymous and individual donors.
When the World Turns, a collaboration between Polyglot Theatre (AUS) and Oily Cart (UK), was originally commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne for major arts and disability festival Alter State 2022. The development and premiere was supported by the UK/Australia Season Patrons Board, the British Council and the Australian Government as part of the UK/Australia Season, with further support from the Cassandra Gantner Foundation, State Trustees Australia Foundation, the Jennifer Prescott Family Foundation, the Marian and E.H. Flack Trust, ArtPlay, Arts Council England and ecoDynamics.
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UK Credits – Venues Tour 2025
UK Creative Team
Director: Rhiannon Armstrong
Original Co-directors: Ellie Griffiths and Sue Giles
Designer and Eco-scenographer: Andrea Carr
Original Design Concept: Dr Tanja Beer
Composer and Musical Director: Max Reinhardt
UK Performing & Devising Team: Nisha Anil, Kim Heron, Ed Yelland
Sound Designers: Max Reinhardt (UK) and Steph O’Hara (AUS)
Assistant Sound Designer / Multi Channel Programmer: PJ Davy
Lighting Designer: Marty Langthorne
Original Lighting Design Concept: Richard Vabre
Movement Director: Genevieve Say
Puppetry Director: Steve Tiplady
Dramaturg: Naomi O’Kelly
Musicians on soundtrack: Bruno Guastalla (cello & loutar), Lauren Spicely (violin), Max Reinhardt (keyboards), Jo-anne Cox (cello), Kyllah Dyer (cello)
Plus samples of Rhodri Davies on harp from his album Dwa Dni
Real sound recordings of birds, animals, insects, trees, leaves, undergrowth, wind, rain; including field recordings made by Mike Challis
Soundtrack mixed and recorded by Max Reinhardt with recordings of the live musicians by Christopher Jarman, Nicholas O’Brien and MaxUK Production Team
Company Stage Manager: Eddie Latter (Jan – March); Laide Sonola (May – November)
Technical Stage Manager: Laide Sonola (Jan – March); Rebekah Wild (May – June); Amirul Azmi (Sept – Nov)
Production Manager and Company Stage Manager Cover: Beatrice Galloway (Sept – Nov)
Crew: Amirul Azmi, Bea Galloway, Joshua Hill, Ben Standish, Brent Tan
Set Construction: Tadeusz McCarthy Budzyhski
Carpenters: Aubrey Dor and Alice Friend
Costume and Textile Props Makers: Caroline Ip and Malgorzata Walasek
Specialist Props / Set Items Maker: Eyal Edelman
Touch Map and Puppet Maker: Amy Nicholson
Murmuration Puppet Maker: Helen Ainsworth
Assistant Maker for Touch Maps: Charlotte Ball
Props and Shelters Maker: Paula Hopkins
Aromatherapist: Stephen SmallwoodFor Oily Cart
Artistic Director and Joint CEO: Ellie Griffiths
Executive Director and Joint CEO: Zoë Lally
Tour Producer: Alison Garratt
Production Manager: Brent Tan
Communications and Advocacy Officer: Flossie Waite
Access and Wellbeing Officer: Maka Marambio de le Fuente
Development Officer: Zhaolin Zhou
Administrator: Romica Sharma
Placement: Billie Antimony, Nuria Cano Lorente
Graphic Design: Valerie Reid
Photography: Suzi Corker and Roswitha Chesher
Filmmaker: Paul Williams
PR: Binita Walia, The Space inBetweenWith thanks to the staff and students of Beatrice Tate School and Stephen Hawking School.
Thanks to everyone whose voices appear in When the World Turns: students from Linden Lodge School.
Credits for the original concept created in Australia can be found below
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UK Credits – Schools Tour 2023
UK Creative Team
Co-directors: Ellie Griffiths and Sue Giles
Designer and Eco-scenographer: Andrea Carr
Original Design Concept: Dr Tanja Beer
Composer and Musical Director: Max Reinhardt
Sound Designers: Max Reinhardt (UK) and Steph O’Hara (AUS)
Assistant Sound Designer / Multi Channel Programmer: PJ Davy
Lighting Designer: Marty Langthorne
Co-Lighting Designer: PJ Davy
Original Lighting Design Concept: Richard Vabre
Movement Director: Genevieve Say
Puppetry Director: Steve Tiplady
Dramaturg: Naomi O’Kelly
UK Performing / Devising Team: Hannah Akhalu, Kim Heron, Ed Yelland
Musicians playing on the soundtrack: Bruno Guastalla (cello and loutar), Lauren Spicely (violin), Max Reinhardt (keyboards)
Plus samples of Rhodri Davies on harp from his album Dwa Dni
Real sound recordings of birds, animals and insects including recordings by Mike Challis
Soundtrack recorded by Max Reinhardt and Christopher JarmanUK Production Team
Company Stage Manager: Beatrice Galloway
Assistant Stage Manager: Ben Standish
Set and Costume Maker: Elisabeth Sur
Set Construction: Tadeusz McCarthy Budzyhski
Specialist Props / Set Items Maker: Eyal Edelman
Puppet Maker: Amy Nicholson
Aromatherapist: Stephen SmallwoodFor Oily Cart
Artistic Director: Ellie Griffiths
Executive Director: Zoë Lally
Tours Producer: Alison Garratt
Communications and Advocacy Officer: Flossie Waite
Access and Wellbeing Officer: Maka Marambio de la Fuente
Interim Access and Wellbeing Officer: Georgia Carnaby
Administrator: Isaiah James-Mitchell
PR: Binita Walia, The Space inBetweenCredits for the original concept created in Australia can be found below
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Original Creative Team
The UK version is based on an original concept created in Australia by the following creatives:
Original Australian premiere:
Co-directors: Sue Giles AM and Ellie Griffiths
Eco Scenography: Dr Tanja Beer
Sound Designers: Steph O’Hara (AUS) and Max Reinhardt (UK)
Lighting Designer: Richard Vabre
Dramaturgy: Kate Sulan and Arti Prashar
Australian performing team: Clement Baade, Tirese Ballard, Lachlan MacLeod, Kuda Mapeza, David Pidd
Production Manager: Hannah Murphy
Stage Manager: Kaite Head
Producers: Rainbow Sweeny (Polyglot) and Zoë Lally (Oily Cart)Original creative development teams
Australia: Ashlee Hughes, Sylvie Meltzer, David Pidd, Leisa Prowd, Afsaneh Torabi, Jen Tran, Kate Sulan, Rawcus ensemble
UK: Greta McMillan, Nwando Ebizie, Andrea Carr, Rhiannon Armstrong, Xavier Velastin, Emily Nicholl and Claire Willoughby. Creative Advisor: Dr Jill Goodwin
Schools and families who were part of the development process
Australia: ArtPlay families, Coburg Special Development School, Glenroy Specialist School, Hume Valley School
UK: Linden Lodge School, Smallwood School, Endeavour School, The Bowen family, the Li family, the Murphy familyArt work by Greta McMillan was created during the research and development in the UK.
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Selected Touring History
International
2025:
Big Umbrella Festival, Lincoln Center, New York
Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, EdinburghUK
2025:
Tour of venues, UK2023:
Premiere: Tour of specialist schools, UKAustralia
2024:
Tour of specialist schools, VIC, Australia2023:
Bunjil Place, VIC, Australia2022:
Premiere: Arts Centre Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Gallery
When the World Turns (UK). Photographer: Roswitha Chesher.
When the World Turns. Photographer: Suzi Corker.
When the World Turns (UK). Photographer: Roswitha Chesher.
When the World Turns (UK). Photographer: Roswitha Chesher.
When the World Turns Baby Version R&D. Photographer: Roswitha Chesher.
When the World Turns (UK). Photographer: Suzi Corker.
When the World Turns. Photographer: Theresa Harrison, courtesy of Polyglot Theatre.
When the World Turns. Photographer: Theresa Harrison, courtesy of Polyglot Theatre.
More audience feedback
“It’s an award-winning show, and justly so; a gem of an experience”
The Scotsman
Rating 4 stars
“If any politician… requires confirmation of the power and value of theatre then Oily Cart’s When the World Turns does the job and it does it with a genuine sense of wonder and artists who put aside all ego. They perform with such care.”
The Stage
“When the World Turns reveals new possibilities for child-led approaches in sensory and participatory performance and this might expand our understanding of the transformative potential of theatre.”
The Conversation
“What is truly remarkable is the way that access is woven into the production at every turn; it never feels like an afterthought or an add on, but instead it is at the core of the creation…It is theatre which is intentionally slow and deeply thoughtful… you emerge from the hour filled with a comfortable joy and appreciation for simply being.”
Impel Theatre Blog
“It was the most beautiful and amazing show I’ve been to with my son. It was truly about the children. The performers created a space where they were the most important people and their contributions were valued.”
Audience feedback
“I watched the show alongside a small class of children… it was an emotional journey as I watched them light up in the space and immerse themselves within the sights and sounds of the room – it was like a very special dream – the care and attention of the show was a delight to witness – a very emotional and unique experience.”
Audience feedback
