A Half Moon and Z-arts co-production for ages 3-8
Available for booking for performances between 12 February – 15 March 2026.
There is a possible extension for extended runs of up to five days in one venue/touring circuit.
For more information contact Bradley Travis | 020 7709 8902 or bradley@halfmoon.org.uk
Brave Bettie
When the council announces plans to cut down her favourite tree, Bettie is devastated. At home, she struggles to manage her emotions and doesn’t think of herself as brave. But the forest needs her now more than ever.
The night before the woodcutters come, Bettie meets the bold and enigmatic Paida Moyo. Their chance encounter sparks an extraordinary journey of friendship and self-discovery. Can Bettie and Paida rally to save the woodlands before it’s too late? Will Bettie’s newfound courage be enough to protect the critter crew and her beloved trees? And how might the forest return the favour?
Written by Tatenda Naomi Matsvai (Hot Orange), Brave Bettie is a lyrical and magical woodland adventure, brought to life with poetry, songs, live music and stories that explore their home heritage in Zimbabwe. This playful yet powerful production looks at resilience, self-belief, social activism and the environment, offering an urgent message for young audiences.
Co-produced by Half Moon and Z-arts, this exciting partnership unites two of the UK’s leading children’s theatre companies to create an unforgettable experience for young audiences and families. Previous co-productions include award-winning productions of Dust and Grandad Anansi, which tours again in autumn 2025.
Tatenda Naomi Matsvai and Brave Bettie
Tatenda has been working with Half Moon since the 2021 artform development programme Narratives of Empathy and Resilience. This is their second commission, following Hot Orange in 2023.
They have been working on exploring how they can fictionalise and dramatise the experiences of their 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.
The interaction of sharing songs, poetry and stories of their homeland, acts as a metaphor for social activism and how to develop resilience, which champions the cultural pride that a young girl feels when visited by an ancestral guide who imparts wisdom.
The aim is to find a simple, dramatic and age-appropriate way to unpack and illustrate Afrofuturism for audiences aged 3 to 8 within a contemporary context.
Images, trailers and assets
A promotional image for Brave Bettie is available for the show at the Dropbox link below.
Production photos and a trailer will be released in February 2026. Other promotional assets will be released in due course.
A full play script is available to read on request.
Download images and PR assetsAbout our work
Our productions don’t educate, as such, advocating instead that there are not always correct answers or solutions when talking about or addressing prejudice, social injustices, equality and social inclusion.
Like any good story, Brave Bettie allows the audience to join up their own dots, think creatively and ask questions so they can discover their own answers to complex issues, even at a very early age through, experiencing a high-quality theatre adventure.
Show information
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- For 1 or 2 shows per day.
- £950 + VAT.
- Please enquire for prices when booking multiple days.
- Venues that are part of the Big Imaginations Consortium, please reference this when making enquiries.
- Note for venues at very long distances from London, an additional supplement of £100 per day may apply. Note venues that require a get-in the day before may be subject to a fee supplement. Please enquire.
- Please note that these fees are subject to a small additional supplement if your venue makes a compulsory contra for costs at the contracting stage that were not agreed at the time of booking (e.g. credit card/box office; get-in/out; marketing/brochure contributions).
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- Performances last 50 mins (no interval).
- 1 or 2 shows a day.
- If a 2 show day is booked, a minimum of 2 hours between the start of shows is required (e.g. 11am and 1pm).
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- Get-in: 2.5 hours before half with pre-rig completed prior to get in.
- Get-out: 1 hour.
- Venue Configuration: End on. Performing area minimum 5m meters (wide) by 5m (depth) with 3.5m (height).
- Lighting: A full lighting plan will be supplied. We will require the use of the venues lighting desk.
- Sound: We tour a Mac with QLAB but will need to plug this into the venues P.A. system.
- Staffing: On tour, there are two performers plus a company technical stage manager who will operate lighting and sound, but we do require one in-house technician to assist with get-in, focus, plot and the get-out.
- Parking: For a sprinter size van.
- Facilities: Dressing rooms for 2 performers.
Technical Requirements (non-traditional spaces inc rural touring spaces, libraries and community spaces):
- Note: the piece can perform self-sufficiently without blackout as we can tour our own sound. All we need is one contact to help with get-ins. Set-up times are 90 mins, exit within 60 mins. This flexibility allows families/children to access the work where they live, go to school or spend their free time.
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- Dedicated support from the marketing/PR and technical team at Half Moon, including accessible formats and touring riders.
- Up to 500 A5 colour flyers and 20 A3 colour posters. (NB: overprinting will be at an additional cost, please enquire).
- Images/production photos and other digital assets for use within venue brochures or broader usage.
- We can provide assets for venues/partners to make their own print etc. if that is preferred.
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We are able to offer a range of bespoke creative learning activities for schools and family groups on the themes of the performance and/or the creation of original theatre, plus CPD workshops for teachers. This is available at additional costs. Please enquire for prices.
Reviews of previous Half Moon productions for this age range
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This enchanting show is a must-see for families, offering a delightful blend of humour, empathy and imaginative storytelling. A beautiful example of reimagining a difficult world through friendship and fun to make it a better place… It has deep questions woven in, which definitely prompt further conversation”
“A colourful, amazing production,”
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “An utterly enjoyable production… Dust deals with a number of difficult emotions, but with such a light touch it’s suitable for children of any age, including the adult kind… A captivating, imaginative production that uses tiny particles to make big things possible”
Bradley Travis | 020 7709 8902 or bradley@halfmoon.org.uk
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