Sprightly Family Musical Theatre

Batida is an ensemble of 10 musical actors who have travelled the world, bridging cultural differences through a wealth of theatrical exchange.

For over 20 years on the stage, the group has developed its own style in which words, music and movement create clear, often humorous and grotesque images.  Their newly written dramas tell stories that delve into life’s great questions about love and war, justice and liberation.  The original music is played “live” on the stage in the midst of the drama.

This visual and musical style, in which words are not necessary, has taken the group around the world.

Current Productions

Grande Finale and Overture are almost wordless (a few words in English). The others have a few words (in Danish) – but the visual and musical expression of the performances makes them accessible to everyone.

Spaghetti
(2006)
Spaghetti makes you tall, say the two lanky actors.  And so they cook up spaghetti according to all the rules of the art.  Their neighbour, who is not at all tall but small, fat and red-headed, would like to join them for dinner.  May he?  A warm-hearted musical story about irreconcilable differences that are somehow reconciled.
Age group: 3-8 years old
Audience number: 80

Et godt hjerte – historien om den håbefulde skopudser / A Good Heart: The Story of the Hopeful Shoe Shine Boy
(2005)
The world is cruel.  Shut your eyes and hope for the best.  A musical performance about a fateful choice, told through Bob, a shoeshine boy who lives in a cardboard box in the big city.  One day, Bob meets an angel with a good heart.  A fairy tale from a fantastic time.  The present!
Age group: 8-12 years old
Audience number: 150

Grande Finale
(2004)
The orchestra was hired for the big day, but the bride and groom kept everybody waiting.  What was supposed to be music for a wonderful beginning shows every sign of becoming a Grande Finale! During the interval, the orchestra lives its own horrifyingly tragic, shocking and heartrending life. May be performed inside or outside.
Age group: 10 years and up
Max. audience number: 200

Maria Bonita
(2002)
An authentic story from the Brazil of the 1930s. Maria joins up with the legendary bandit Lampião. She dreams of a life of freedom – but ends her days in a pool of blood.  Eight musical actors tell an amazing story in surprising images of the stuff myths are made of.
Age group: 11 years old
Audience number: 200

Overture
(2000)
A comic and poetic story about life in an outlandish orchestra.  About the joys and sorrows, great happiness and violent tragedy among the members.  The nine musicians speak as little as possible but play everything.  May be performed inside or outside. Won Cuba’s prestigious critics’ prize, the Villanueva Critic’s Award, for best foreign production of 2003.
Age group: 10 years and up
Audience number: 200

Review Extracts

”Swashbuckling romanticism, South American pathos, and languishing rhythms are stitched together well in Maria Bonita.” 
Folkeskolen (DK), Maria Bonita 

”The Batida Theatre provides a surprising, captivating and demanding performance, telling the authentic story of Maria Bonita.”
Flensborg Avis (DE), Maria Bonita  

International Tours

2007
12th Bursa International Children and Youth Theatre Festival, Bursa/Turkey). “Goodbye Thomsen”
XII International Theatre Festival “Belaja Vezha”, Brest/Belarus. "Osvald the Monkey”
Tour in Croatia, Sibenik-Cacovec-Osijek/Croatia. “Maria Bonita”
Jeunes Public / Biennale du Théâtre, Lyon/France. “Grande Finale”
Real Tales From Denmark - Danish Children Theatre on tour in China, Beijing/Hefei/Shanghai/Xi´an. “Grande Finale” & “The Wonderful Trio”.

2006
El Hombre de la Have - Latin American Festival (Havana/CU)
Crusada (Guantanamo/CU)
CIAO! Festival (Bracknell/GB)
The Asian Festival – (Taipei/TW, Shanghai/CN), Okinawa/JP, Seoul/KR)
International Children and Youth Theatres Festival (Bursa/TR)
African Theatre Festival for Children and Young People (Yaoundé/CW)

2005
Extensive tour from Havana to Guantanamo (CU)
School tour (Flensburg/DE)
2nd International Istanbul Place Theatre Festival (Istanbul/TR)
VI Children Theater´s Festival (Pärnu/EE)

2004
Harbour Regatta – 10th Robbe & Berkings Classics (Flensburg/DE)
Triangle Festival (Konstanz/DE)
Street Theatre Festival PIT, (Porgsrunn/NO)
Norwegian Children’s and Youth Theatre Festival, (Kristianssand/NO)
Farmleigh House (Dublin/IE)
Zuercher Theatre Spektakel (Zurich/CH)
Öteki Tiyatro (Ankara/TR)
9th International Children’s and Youth Theatres Festival (Bursa/TR)
Festival de Circo do Brasil (Recife/BR)
Festival Anjos de Picadeiro (Rio/BR)