ACTORS from Swindon’s Prime Theatre take to the stage next month in a controversial children’s drama called Penguins.

The play is based on a children’s book, And Tango Makes Three, written by Peter Purnell and Justin Richardson.

The writers, and animal lovers worldwide, were touched by the real story of two male penguins Silo and Roy who lived at Central Park Zoo in New York. A keeper spotted that they were inseparable, calling for each other and swimming together. They even made a nest and placed a rock in it hoping, like all the other penguin couples around them, it would hatch. The zoo keeper, Robert Gramsay, took an extra egg from one of the other penguins and gave it to Silo and Roy. The penguins took turns sitting on the nest to keep the egg warm, until eventually it hatched, and Tango a baby girl penguin was born.

The three stars of the production are Corey Annand, Osian Meilir and Jack Webb who visited Birdland in Bourton on the Water to see some real penguins, so they could get into their parts. They are under the direction of Paul McEneaney and Hannah Jones with the choreography being created by Carlos Pons Guerra. The show is co produced by Prime, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Cahoots NI and runs from April 23 to April 24 at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon.

When the book was first published in 2005 it became the middle of a number of censorship and culture war debates on same-sex marriage, adoption and homosexuality in animals. The authors said their intention with the book was to write for children who have same sex parents, so they could see their own family represented, and as homosexuality was a difficult subject for parents they thought the story of the penguins, which are never called homosexual merely close like a family, might help them explain.

The stage show is a touring production aimed at families and school audiences over three. It’s themes include friendship, fun, identity and ever-changing meaning of family.

Prime Theatre, based in Theatre Square, Swindon aims to create a theatrical experience to inspire children and young adults of all backgrounds.

It is a registered charity led by Mark Powell, the artistic director, who says he can feel that sense of change in Swindon and wants his team to be part of that.”We acknowledge the value of children, young theatre makers and technicians,’’ he said.

“We make sure young people engage with professional theatre.’’ Prime frequently works out in the community with youth groups, schools, colleges, libraries and museums.

For more details or to join visithttp://www.primetheatre.co.uk/

Penguins begins at 7.30pm on the Monday and 10.30am on Tuesday and tickets are £9 from 01793 524481 or www.swindontheatres.co.uk - Flicky Harrison