Cloudland

In May 2026, I directed Cloudland for Musical Curiosities: a musical storytelling show for young children and their families, inspired by John Burningham’s much-loved picture book. The show will be touring throughout summer 2026, including Ryedale Festival and Lakeland Arts.
 

Performed by flautist Meera Maharaj and harpist Lucy Nolan, the production follows Albert, a boy who slips from a mountain path and falls not down, but up into the sky. There he is welcomed by the Cloud Children, who whisk him into a magical world of thunderclouds, rainbows, moonlit feasting and mysterious magic words.
 

The show sits somewhere between concert and storytelling, using live flute and harp, spoken text, movement and audience participation to bring Burningham’s dreamlike world to life. Blending folk, classical and contemporary music, Cloudland offers a playful and atmospheric first encounter with live music: inviting children to listen, laugh, wonder and join in.