Nicole & Martin are an independent not-for-profit theatre company that creates, produces, performs and tours their own work, founded in 1999 by performers Nicole and Martin Gubler-Shranz out of a desire to create truly communal theatre without borders of location, age, language, money or background. Since those early days of pulling the caravan with a tractor, news of their shows quickly spread and they have garnered huge international popular and critical acclaim. Described as "an artistic experience of complete integrity" Nicole & Martin have gone on to win many awards and even more hearts.
Award-winning much-loved travelling theatre company Nicole & Martin cross the map from North to South to East to West in wooden wagons, pitching their magical White Tent, and telling tales by Grimm.
From village greens to castle grounds, theatre lawns to arts festival sites, they welcome their enthusiastic and well-established audiences under a beautiful canvas and wooden structure, especially designed for their shows, built up in each location. Inside the renowned White Tent the world of theatre and fairy-tale come to life. Ancient tales take on a new guise with Nicole & Martin’s unmistakable story-telling style. Children and adults alike are taken on an unforgettable journey. Award-winning masterpiece shows combine narrative, music, song, dance, juggling, acrobatics, laughter, goosebumps and wild imagination for the whole family.

Iron John:
The young prince frees the greatly-feared Iron John from the cage where he is kept, although it is strictly forbidden, and follows him home to his dangerous swamp. Due to the fact that he follows of his own free will the prince is not sucked into the swamp like those before him. Instead, he is initiated by Iron John into the mysteries of life. The savage turns into the wise master. The prince however fails to complete the task he is given by his master and so must return to the world. On reaching a foreign royal court, he is unable to make himself known as a prince, or to speak of his experiences, and so he lives as a recluse. Only the princess is able to recognize his true royal qualities and sees him as himself, irrespective of his origin. She puts him to the test.
We all have a swamp somewhere inside us. We prefer not to gaze too deeply into this swamp – it could be disconcerting, unpleasant, murky... And so we try to stay on the surface of life. This almost works. But there is the constant presence of something hidden. Those brave enough to meet Iron John, to liberate him from where he is kept boxed-up and instead to follow him where he goes, will be guided to a new depth and freedom.

The Girl without Hands:
A poor Miller meets a stranger in the forest who makes him the following proposition: "Give me only what’s behind your Mill and I will make you rich, very rich." There isn’t anything behind my Mill, thinks the Miller, apart from an old apple tree. He accepts the terms. But oh, he should not have. Behind his Mill his daughter had been sweeping. The pact with the devil signed and sealed, the fate will fall on the Girl. How will she manage to escape it? She is helped along her path by an angel. She meets a King and becomes Queen. All seems well. But all this time the devil is watching her, biding his time…
This little-known tale by Grimm is a fantastic love story, full of humour and beauty…a story that speaks of loss and gain, of individual paths and growth in life… And of the faith that things will turn out well. No matter the events that befall them, they are able to accept their fate, allowing secret doors to be opened and miracles to happen. And when, at the end, a very young performer appears in the role of the prince, we realise that we can truly call Nicole and Martin a circus family!
Surprises first: Nicole & Martin’s interpretation of Grimm’s tale The Girl Without Hands. Performed in the big White Tent, this was a lively and hauntingly beautiful mix of theatre, circus skills, acrobatics and song. The husband and wife team managed to convey the range of human emotions inherent in the tale with such subtlety and innocence that the audience spontaneously rose to their feet to applaud. Twice. I’ve witnessed plenty of standing ovations in a variety of venues but nothing compared to the enthusiasm of this heart-felt Thank-You from three hundred 6-70 year-olds. Breathtaking!

The Musicians of Bremen:
A donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster are old and tired and no longer fulfil their master’s expectations. A tragic end seems unavoidable… huh?! NO WAY! The four animals decide to escape – and off they go with a spring in their step. They set off for Bremen, where they intend to start a new life as town musicians. But on the path through the forest they discover a robbers’ hideout. Will they ever make it to Bremen? And how on earth will Nicole and Martin manage to play 8 characters all at once?

The Fisherman and his wife:
The fisherman sits and waits for a fish to bite. To his amazement the fish that he catches is an enchanted one: one that grants the fisherman and his wife many wishes... What their wishes are you will find out from the fisherman’s repeated, and repeated, and repeated trips to the sea… Nicole and Martin conjure up an entire glorious play out of a single wooden box: the ocean, the long table in the castle, an emperor’s finery and even the sun itself. This joyful and popular show is a rollercoaster theatrical journey from one wish to the next, until the biggest wish of them all.
SUITABLE FOR ALL THE FAMILY (kids +6)