Tessa Bide celebrates 10 years with a revival for the show that started it all

In the last decade, Tessa Bide has gone from one person with a vision making shows on her own, to building a team of collaborators, and creating multiple productions, workshops and outreach resources to inspire young audiences both within Bristol, around the UK and beyond.

Working in traditional settings as well as unconventional ones, and with a wealth of material in the online space, Bide is passionate about removing barriers to access.

As the company celebrates their 10th birthday, they are reviving the show that started it all: The Tap Dancing Mermaid, which will be entertaining families at The Wardrobe Theatre during half-term week, from February 12-16.

Poster: Tessa Bide Productions

How does it feel to be revisiting your first show, 10 years on?

“I feel proud and amazed! I’ve been unpacking the set and puppets today and firstly can’t really believe that the 22 year old me made a really beautiful show with, initially, no funding and a bit of help from my friends. And then I’m amazed it’s continuing to delight and enthrall audiences, 10 years on.

“I have learnt a lot over the last 10 years, and nine other Arts Council England-funded shows I’ve made since, but The Tap Dancing Mermaid will always be closest to my heart because it started everything off and launched my company.”

Tap Dance pose – photo: Kai Taylor

Can you describe how the show first emerged, and what it taught you?

“I was working for another theatre company in 2011 and I took a holiday by myself to Bulgaria. On the beach there was this beautiful, rickety boardwalk stretching out to sea and I remember thinking ‘wow, it would be so magical to tap dance on this, with the sounds of the sea as your metronome’ and that’s how the story started. I took heavy influence from my favourite book The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – which is narrated by Death – and I narrated the story from the perspective of the Moon, who ends up playing a role in the narrative too.

“From there, I borrowed a bit of money to pay some friends token gestures to help me with the puppets, music and set and I booked a half-term slot at the brand new Wardrobe Theatre in May 2013, when it was above the White Bear pub on St Michael’s Hill. That initial run was a sell-out success and I later received funding to upscale it and pay people properly!

“It taught me so much… everything, really! How to be incredibly resourceful on a small budget, how to make puppets (badly – now I work with brilliant puppet makers like Jess Jones and Isabel Lyster) and set, how to tech a show and use the cueing software ‘Q Lab’ – it really was a baptism of fire into the world of theatre-making. I am so grateful that these days I work with groups of people to create a show but it’s a special thing knowing that I could, and did, once do most of it myself.”

Tess & Aunty – photo: Kai Taylor

In what way, if any, has the narrative evolved in this second outing? And how have you changed as a performer and a puppeteer?

“The show toured in 2017 with another company, Pigtails Productions, who rented it from me and the incredible actor Stephanie De Whalley performed it, so it has evolved steadily over the years. The narrative hasn’t changed much – it stays fairly tight to the book I published of the same name – but the finesse has, the tap dance is better choreographed (and much harder!), the puppets are more beautiful (thanks to Jess Jones) and my relationship with audiences has developed as my confidence and experience has grown.

“This is quite a ‘wordy’ show compared to some of my other shows and since making it, I’ve made non-verbal shows that are totally physical. I feel much more confident leaving silences and space for the audience to fill in the gaps these days, so I’ve pared back some of the dialogue.”

Tess and Marina – photo: Kai Taylor

This tour marks a full circle moment for Tessa Bide Productions. Looking ahead, can you share some of your plans for the future?

“We are in development for two versions of The Detective Dog – adaptations of the book by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie. One version will be very low-fi, just an actor and a musician, to tour libraries and schools.

“The other will be much more technical and aimed at Deaf and hearing audiences to enjoy together, in theatres. I am learning British Sign Language and have loved working with Deaf artists over the last two and a half years. It’s an exciting new direction for the company and one I’m looking forward to learning lots from.”

The Tap Dancing Mermaid is at The Wardrobe Theatre on February 12-16. Tickets are available at www.thewardrobetheatre.com.

For full dates and listings for the rest of the tour and future news and events from the company, go to www.tessabide.com.

All photos: Kai Taylor

Read more: Tessa Bide comes to Tobacco Factory Theatres

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