A NORTHERN Ireland children’s theatre company is bringing a spoonful of joy to children living with cancer and other illnesses through a magic menu of performance and illusion.
Since its beginning 14 years ago Cahoots NI has produced original, innovative work for children throughout the north and been a forerunner in bringing performance arts to healthcare settings.
"Since the company was founded we've had an arts and healthcare strand to our work. We had a project called Bedside Theatre many years ago where we had three performers go into hospitals and perform for children," Paul Bosco McEneaney of Cahoots NI says.
"That opened the door for a lot of the health trusts to create budgets for artists to continue this work as freelance performers.”
Paul, the company's founder and artistic director, played a guiding part in the establishment of the highly successful Clown Doctors, who entertain sick children in hospitals.
Now Cahoots NI has teamed up with the Cancer Fund for Children and the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice to deliver much-needed laughter and good old-fashioned fun to children and young people in their own homes, as well as in the children’s hospice and Daisy Lodge respite centre in Co Down.
"The concept is very simple, with three chefs arriving with a magic menu with a choice of five starters, five main courses and five desserts. Each thing on the menu is a routine, rather than food," Paul explains.
"The child has the opportunity to select what they want from the menu and those stories are performed, accompanied by live music. All items involve an element of magic and illusion. For example, there is a starter called Flea Soup, which is our performance, Flea Soup.
"What is great about the concept is that if the child is feeling tired they can have just one thing from the menu so it can last 10-15 minutes. Or, what is more likely to be the case, you have ample material to stay two hours.”
Magic Menu is performed by Christina Nelson and Caolan McBride, who were with Cahoots when they did their Bedside Theatre project more than 10 years ago, and Keith Singleton, who was a Clown Doctor in Dublin for many years. All therefore have experience of working with sick children and providing happiness in a sensitive and caring manner.
“I’m delighted how beneficial the project is for both the child that’s ill but also the family, who often extend the invite out to their friends and wider family. It's also empowering because it lets you see another side to the power of the arts and its ability to do more than merely provide a distraction. It's about engagement and memories. We've had letters from parents who have tragically lost kids saying it's great to remember a positive day.”
This is a sentiment echoed by both charities benefitting from Cahoots' clowning around. “For many families of children with life-limiting conditions, their opportunities to participate in activities such as theatre can be impacted by changes in their child’s health and hospital appointments,” says Tina McCrossan, director of the NI Children’s Hospice.
"For families to be able to enjoy such magical and personal experiences as a family in their own home provides not just entertainment but care and precious memories."
Angela Rodgers of the Cancer Fund for Children adds: "This unique and very personal experience is truly magical and touches the lives and hearts of these children at a time when they needed it most."
Cahoots have been performing Magic Menu over the past two months and will again work with the charities in the lead-up to Christmas.
“Christmas is a time of the year when most people are celebrating and it's out opportunity to bring a little bit of Christmas spirit and joy to those people who may not be experiencing huge amounts of it because of their illness,” says Paul.
