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Polka Christmas Quiz

Polka charity quiz with Katherine Ryan and Omid Djalili

Polka quiz night with Omid Djalili and Katherine Ryan

Help Polka Theatre raise the vital final funds needed to reopen for children and families in Spring 2021. Online Tuesday 22 December | 8pm | Free – suggested donation £25 per team

Polka is hosting a free night of comedy, fun and surprises on Tuesday 22 December at 8pm with the Polka Online Charity Quiz. Teams will be put through their paces by Polka Patrons Omid Djalili (The Omid Djalili Show, The Mummy, Gladiator) and Gyles Brandreth (former MP and regular on Have I Got News For You), comedians Katherine Ryan (Live at the Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Duchess), Ed Gamble (Mock the Week, The Peacock and Gamble Podcast) and other guest hosts including Jamael Westman (star of Hamilton) and Chris Jarvis (Show Me Show Me, CBeebies). The event will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook, with opportunities to support the Unlock Polka Appeal, raising vital funds to enable the theatre to complete its redevelopment and reopen for children and families in Spring 2021.

The UK’s No.1 children’s theatre, Polka is a registered charity and provides creative opportunities for children and families experiencing hardship. The organisation has been dealt a significant blow by the pandemic which hit during the theatre’s first ever major redevelopment. Work on the site of its reimagined home has been delayed, with plans for reopening pushed back to Spring 2021, meaning the theatre will lose out on income from its much-loved winter shows. Despite this, Polka is continuing its mission to empower children through creativity.

The work of Polka’s Creative Learning team recently featured on BBC Breakfast, promoting the value of its wellbeing workshops for local primary schools. The theatre maintains Polka Online – a digital platform full of creative resources for families and schools. Polka’s free Christmas show A Christmas Carol will be available to everyone via newsletter – sign up here).

Polka is also hosting an Ultimate Christmas Present Auction, with some amazing prizes including Luxury Holidays in Tuscany and Cornwall, attending a private rehearsal with Kevin O’Hare, Director of the Royal Ballet, and Christmas activity kits. Polka’s Compendium of Creativity includes games, treats and an exclusive story created by Michael Rosen for Polka, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. Stuck for present ideas? Take a look at the auction here: givergy.uk/polkatheatreauction.

The quiz will be hosted live on YouTube and Facebook and will be free to join, however Polka is suggesting a donation of £25 per team. There will be opportunities to give throughout the night and prizes are in store for the winners.

Polka Theatre

Polka is one of just a handful of dedicated children’s venues in the UK. Presenting a year-round programme of new work made at Polka, visiting shows, and Creative Learning activities for 0-12 year olds, we continue to pioneer developments in children’s theatre, nurture artistic talent in the sector, and maintain an international reputation while serving local communities. We involve children at every stage of the creative process, and lead the way in Early Years theatre for under 6s supported by our academic collaborators and the EU-funded small size network. Creative Learning is central to our mission – our shows are supported by tailored community and schools initiatives that benefit 18,000+ largely disadvantaged and disabled children each year.

Our venue was the UK’s first stand-alone, dedicated children’s theatre, and over 100,000 people visit us each year. Championing children’s theatre as an integrated, immersive experience sandwiched between play opportunities in a wholly child-centred environment, Polka has always aimed to be inclusive. In 1994, we won the Vivien Duffield Theatre Award to establish Curtain-Up! and still offer free tickets and teaching resources benefitting 2,500 schoolchildren a year who wouldn’t otherwise experience live theatre. In 2007, Polka pioneered relaxed performances for children on the autistic spectrum, a model which continues to be replicated across the cultural sector. And our annual Freefalling programme supporting Merton children who are at risk of social exclusion was presented as a model of good practice in the House of Lords.