Homegrown magic spreads across the country

After three years in development, Brave Bettie, Half Moon’s new production for ages 3–8, is now on tour to more than 20 venues across the country — including five London theatres — following a successful 10-show run at the Limehouse venue.

Written by Tatenda Naomi Matsvai, it is an enchanting adventure told through poetry, songs and storytelling that explores their home heritage in Zimbabwe.

At its heart is Bettie, a young girl whose favourite place in the world is the forest — a sanctuary where she feels calm and safe. When the council plans to cut down her beloved tree, Bettie must find the courage to stand up for what she loves. On the eve of the woodcutters’ arrival, she meets the mysterious Paida Moyo, sparking a journey of friendship, bravery and self-belief that encourages young audiences to think about caring for the environment and each other.

The show is inspired in part by Matsvai’s own childhood growing up in South East London as an asylum seeker, and draws on Zimbabwean mythology and storytelling traditions to introduce big ideas — resilience, activism and cultural pride — in a playful, age-appropriate way.

“I’ve been exploring how I can fictionalise and dramatise the experiences of my own upbringing as a child asylum seeker in South East London, through the mythology of the strong female character of the Zimbabwean spiritual guide Nehanda,” Tatenda told me.

“The interaction of sharing songs, poetry, and stories from my homeland serves as a metaphor for social activism and developing resilience. It champions the cultural pride that a young girl feels when visited by an ancestral guide who imparts wisdom,” Tatenda said.

For local families who missed the initial run, the tour highlights how a neighbourhood theatre continues to have a national impact — proving that stories made in East London can travel far beyond it.

Co-produced with Manchester family arts centre Z-arts, Brave Bettie will visit venues from Birmingham to Bristol, Nottingham to Manchester — bringing a story created in Tower Hamlets to families nationwide.

Half Moon is known locally for creating theatre specifically for children and families and for supporting young people to take part themselves through its youth theatre groups and workshops. While the company tours nationally, its work is rooted in East London — developing productions in Limehouse before taking them out across the UK.

Grandad Anansi is on tour across the UK at Half Moon from 5 February to 15 March 2026. 

Stephen Beeny is the Communications Manager at Half Moon