This Spring, Counting Sheeps will tour from 23 February to 2025 to 20 venues in the South East.

About Counting Sheeps

The delightful sleepy sheepy immersive theatre show Counting Sheeps offers the perfect introduction to theatre for babies, and their (very tired) grown-ups. The performance will be followed by a stay-and-play session and is packed with immersive, sensory experiences.

We took some time to chat to award-winning, nationally acclaimed Hull based theatre company The Herd to find out more about the show and what audiences can expect.

Images © Wild Child Photographer

Counting Sheeps is a gentle, playful show for children (ages 0-3) — can you tell us a bit about the show and why you chose this name?

It’s a show about two sheep trying to get to sleep - they’re meant to be sleep experts but tonight something’s not going right - hence Counting Sheeps!

The show’s packed full of magic for babies with fireflies, live music, bubbles, props you can play with, and shadow puppetry. It’s also a really relatable story for the adults in the room when you feel you've tried every trick under the sun and your child STILL won’t go to sleep!

You worked closely with over 50 families while making the show, why was that process important to you as a company?

We’re not babies so we can’t be sure what works for babies. What holds their attention, what makes them smile, what makes them to lean forward. So, we work with babies and their families to figure this stuff out.

The feel of the show is cosy - the audience area is like a soft pillow, the music is like a warm blanket, the performances like a bedtime story - but there’s also an emotional truth there that we think toddlers and adults understand. Sleep, and the pursuit of sleep can be wonderful, but it can also be deeply frustrating.

The show recently won the Fantastic for Families Award for Audience Impact and Innovation. How do those two ideas come together in Counting Sheeps?

We’ve really honed the relaxed, welcoming environment with this show - the way the space is designed, the way the performers interact with families, the way audiences can stay after the show to play, chat and generally share a space with other families. We understand that audiences which include very young children need something different to what a lot of theatre can offer so we’ve made sure we offer that.

What would you say to someone who would be bringing their baby to see their first theatre show?

Time after time we hear audiences say ‘they've never sat and been focused for that long’ - live theatre really is magic, even for the youngest children, and you’ll be surprised at how your baby gets swept up in that magic.

There’s something super special about sharing an hour together, away from the distractions of everyday life, entering the world of our sheep and there’s loads of moments for gorgeous baby and adult connection.

And finally, if you had to describe Counting Sheeps in three words, what would they be?

Enter baby world!