OCTOBER HALF TERM 2025 AT POLKA THEATRE – ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL THE FAMILY

DWEEB-A-MANIA – PUNCHY AND POWERFUL NEW COMEDY FOR 8 – 13 YEAR OLDS IN THE ADVENTURE THEATRE

4 OCTOBER – 9 NOVEMBER 

WELL DONE, MUMMY PENGUIN – A CREATIVE AND HEARTWARMING ADVENTURE FOR AGES 3 - 7 IN THE MAIN THEATRE

18 OCTOBER – 2 NOVEMBER

PLUS, A RANGE OF THEMED WORKSHOPS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY 

Artistic Director Helen Matravers, Executive Director Lynette Shanbury and the whole team at Polka Theatre are pleased to announce details of the exciting shows and activities families can enjoy this October Half Term at the Wimbledon venue. This season at Polka offers a vibrant programme of theatre and workshops, continuing its mission to empower, inspire and ensure theatre is accessible for all children.

Polka shows

Step into a high-energy new comedy with Dweeb-A-Mania, running in the Adventure Theatre from Saturday 4 October – Sunday 9 November, recommended for 8-13 year-olds. Written by Sarah Middleton and directed by Hannah Stone, this is the story of two teenage girls who set out to become champion wrestlers, after cool kid Bentley refuses to invite them to his wrestling-themed party on the grounds that they’re ‘dweebs’. This punchy and powerful new play celebrates being exactly who you want to be.

Dweeb-A-Mania has a press performance on Friday 10 October at 6pm - please enquire.

Dweeb-A-Mania is the winner of the Polka Playwriting Award 2025, generously funded by The Garek Trust and supported by Cockayne and London Community Foundation. The award’s publishing partner is Methuen Drama, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc.

In the Main Theatre, Well Done, Mummy Penguin plays from Saturday 18 October – Sunday 2 November for ages 3–7. This Can’t Sit Still production, commissioned by ARC and The Albany, is a joyful stage adaptation of the latest picture book by award-winning writer and illustrator Chris Haughton.

A playful nod to the fascinating world of penguin parenting, the show is brought to life with daring acrobatics, integrated sign language, creative captions and heartwarming humour. Created by the team behind the award-nominated Oh No, George!, it’s an irresistible ode to family bonds and incredible parents everywhere.

Alongside the productions, Polka are also offering a range of creative workshops   throughout the Half Term week:

• Family Glow Jar Making – Create your own autumnal glow jar using real leaves, ferns and foliage. A magical keepsake to light up the season.

Tuesday 28 October, for ages 4+, tickets from £15 (adult & child).

• Stage Combat Masterclass – Learn the secrets of choreographed stage combat from a professional instructor, inspired by the action-packed world of Dweeb-A-Mania.

Wednesday 29 October, ages 8–12, tickets from £50. (Child only day workshop).

• Voyage to the South Pole – An immersive, sensory storytelling adventure inspired by Well Done, Mummy Penguin. Children and their grown-ups can step into a playful, interactive world of sound and touch.

Thursday 30 October, ages 0–4, tickets from £12 (adult & child).

• Wicked Wardrobe Workshop – Unleash your spooky side with a day of mask-making, monster claws and haunted hats. A chance to design your very own creepy character

Friday 31 October, ages 5–8, tickets from £50. (Child only day workshop).

Artistic Director, Helen Matravers said, “There aren’t many places that come alive in the way Polka bursts at its seams with creativity over October Half Term. The offer for all children and their families is extensive, diverse and accessible – and hopefully full of inspiration. With a wrestling-come-science fuelled comedy in Dweeb-A-Mania for older children, and a gorgeous wintery world of Penguin adventures in Well Done, Mummy Penguin, our theatres are being transformed in the most entertaining ways with leading theatre creatives from all over the country. Alongside our shows, families can get crafting or become immersed in a sensory-storytelling adventure workshop, while children can spend the day learning high kicking stage combat or get creepily crafty with a Halloween-themed theatrical costume workshop. The Half Term days are packed with something for everyone.

With many families struggling with the cost of living and accessing creative spaces, it is vital that we maintain affordable tickets from £10 in the Main Theatre on every performance, that the building offers free play spaces, and joy to everyone who uses it. There’s no better time to visit that when it’s full to the brim with fun.”

Tickets are on sale now via polkatheatre.com or call 020 8543 4888*

Polka Theatre is one of just a handful of dedicated children’s venues in the UK. Re-opening in 2021 after a major renovation, it continues to present a year-round programme of new work made at Polka, visiting shows, and Creative Learning activities for 0–12-year olds. Last year 125,000 people visited Polka, with another 25,000 seeing our work on tour or taking part in creative activities in the community. Polka enjoys flexible rehearsal and workshop spaces along with two performance spaces: the Main Theatre has a 300-seat capacity, and the Adventure Theatre can seat up to 90 depending on the show format.

Over the past year Polka has worked with 184 schools through Creative Learning projects and has distributed over 9,000 free tickets to schools through their Curtain Up! scheme.

Polka is a community hub and vital resource, open 6 days per week, 50 weeks per year at a challenging time to be a sustainable public venue with step-free access, free-to-access play spaces and a cosy and welcoming café and shop.