The Great Big Bug Show!

Which beetle has a blaster on its bottom? Which many-legged minibeast took the first ever steps on land? Which eight-legged hunter has fangs as big as a cheetah’s claws?

Join poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko for a family show full of poems, raps and songs all about your favourite bugs (and some you haven’t heard of yet!).

A fun & interactive invitation to explore the secret world beneath our feet. As well as being brilliantly beautiful, delightfully disgusting and wonderfully weird, the show is an inspirational call to action to appreciate the smaller creatures in our world. Expect Minibeasts and Massive Beats. Every tune is an earworm – even the ones about woodlice!

Show running time: 50mins approx, no interval | Age suitability: 4-11yrs

The Great Big Bug Show is inspired by A First Book of Bugs, written by Simon Mole illustrated by Adam Ming and published by Walker Books. More info on the book here.

CREATIVES
Created by Simon Mole, Gecko & Peader Kirk
Performance Simon Mole & Gecko
Direction & Dramaturgy Peader Kirk
Poems Simon Mole
Music & Composition Gecko
Props & Costume Design Fi Russell
Lighting Design Andrew Crofts
Stage Management John Thompson
Magic Consultancy Tom Cassani
Illustration Adam Ming
Photography by Hugo Glendinning & Suzi Corker
Videography Chris Hugall
PR Alison Duguid
Project Management Maeve O’Neill
Produced by Your Words Your World CIC & Rua Arts
Supported by Hertfordshire Libraries, Norden Farm, Walker Books & Stanley Arts
Funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants

AUDIENCE EXTRAS
All audience members are invited to attend a free online event; THE GREAT BIG POETRY PARTY funded by Arts Council England and Apples and Snakes. Contact Maeve or Simon to find out more.

BLOGS
Simon Mole (he/him) is an acclaimed children’s poet (and sleep deprived dad) who has
shared stages with Michael Rosen, Kae Tempest and John Hegley. He is a National Poetry
Day ambassador, with over ten years of experience using poetry with children and families.
Former poet in residence for the National Literacy Trust, Simon works in schools and
libraries across the country and overseas. The videos on his YouTube channel are used by
hundreds of thousands of children and teachers across the world each year and have been
featured on the BBC. A First Book of Dinosaurs will be followed by A First Book of Bugs in
2025. His other books are picture books Kites, I Love My Bike (shortlisted for The Sunday
Times Children’s Sports Book of the Year) and I Love My Cat, illustrated by Sam Usher.
Simon lives in Berkshire. Simon’s favourite dinosaur is Coelophysis. www.simonmole.com

Gecko (he/him) is a Singer, Storyteller and Musician. His playful lyrics cover the big things in
life; think iPhones, libraries and Guanabana fruit juice to name but a few. With more than 4
million views and 1 million likes on TikTok in the past year, Gecko’s previous appearances
include Glastonbury, Latitude, Bestival, BBC Scotland, BBC London and the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe. He has toured the UK, Europe & New Zealand. Gecko’s music has also
been featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X and BBC Introducing. He has
twice been awarded ‘Album of the Year’ by The Morning Star newspaper. In 2020, Gecko
released his second album, Climbing Frame, crowd funded by his audience in just 48 hours.
He appeared on BAFTA winning TV show ‘Life & Rhymes’ hosted by Benjamin Zephaniah
and has shared bills with the likes of Tim Minchin, Eddie Izzard, Ed Sheeran and Billy Bragg.
Gecko’s favourite dinosaur is Deinonychus. www.geckoofficial.com

SOCIAL MEDIA #MoleGecko
Simon Mole: Website: www.simonmole.com | Facebook: @simonmolepoet
X: @Si_Mole | Instagram: @Si_mole
YouTube: youtube.com/simonmole

Gecko: Website: www.geckoofficial.com | Facebook: @geckoband
X: @geckoofficial | Instagram: @geckoofficial
TikTok: @geckomusic

The Great Big Bug Show!

Which beetle has a blaster on its bottom? Which many-legged minibeast took the first ever steps on land? Which eight-legged hunter has fangs as big as a cheetah’s claws?

Join poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko for a family show full of poems, raps and songs all about your favourite bugs (and some you haven’t heard of yet!).

A fun & interactive invitation to explore the secret world beneath our feet. As well as being brilliantly beautiful, delightfully disgusting and wonderfully weird, the show is an inspirational call to action to appreciate the smaller creatures in our world. Expect Minibeasts and Massive Beats. Every tune is an earworm – even the ones about woodlice!

Show running time: 50mins approx, no interval | Age suitability: 4-11yrs

The Great Big Bug Show is inspired by A First Book of Bugs, written by Simon Mole illustrated by Adam Ming and published by Walker Books. More info on the book here.

CREATIVES
Created by Simon Mole, Gecko & Peader Kirk
Performance Simon Mole & Gecko
Direction & Dramaturgy Peader Kirk
Poems Simon Mole
Music & Composition Gecko
Props & Costume Design Fi Russell
Lighting Design Andrew Crofts
Stage Management John Thompson
Magic Consultancy Tom Cassani
Illustration Adam Ming
Photography by Hugo Glendinning & Suzi Corker
Videography Chris Hugall
PR Alison Duguid
Project Management Maeve O’Neill
Produced by Your Words Your World CIC & Rua Arts
Supported by Hertfordshire Libraries, Norden Farm, Walker Books & Stanley Arts
Funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants

AUDIENCE EXTRAS
All audience members are invited to attend a free online event; THE GREAT BIG POETRY PARTY funded by Arts Council England and Apples and Snakes. Contact Maeve or Simon to find out more.

BLOGS
Simon Mole (he/him) is an acclaimed children’s poet (and sleep deprived dad) who has
shared stages with Michael Rosen, Kae Tempest and John Hegley. He is a National Poetry
Day ambassador, with over ten years of experience using poetry with children and families.
Former poet in residence for the National Literacy Trust, Simon works in schools and
libraries across the country and overseas. The videos on his YouTube channel are used by
hundreds of thousands of children and teachers across the world each year and have been
featured on the BBC. A First Book of Dinosaurs will be followed by A First Book of Bugs in
2025. His other books are picture books Kites, I Love My Bike (shortlisted for The Sunday
Times Children’s Sports Book of the Year) and I Love My Cat, illustrated by Sam Usher.
Simon lives in Berkshire. Simon’s favourite dinosaur is Coelophysis. www.simonmole.com

Gecko (he/him) is a Singer, Storyteller and Musician. His playful lyrics cover the big things in
life; think iPhones, libraries and Guanabana fruit juice to name but a few. With more than 4
million views and 1 million likes on TikTok in the past year, Gecko’s previous appearances
include Glastonbury, Latitude, Bestival, BBC Scotland, BBC London and the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe. He has toured the UK, Europe & New Zealand. Gecko’s music has also
been featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X and BBC Introducing. He has
twice been awarded ‘Album of the Year’ by The Morning Star newspaper. In 2020, Gecko
released his second album, Climbing Frame, crowd funded by his audience in just 48 hours.
He appeared on BAFTA winning TV show ‘Life & Rhymes’ hosted by Benjamin Zephaniah
and has shared bills with the likes of Tim Minchin, Eddie Izzard, Ed Sheeran and Billy Bragg.
Gecko’s favourite dinosaur is Deinonychus. www.geckoofficial.com

SOCIAL MEDIA #MoleGecko
Simon Mole: Website: www.simonmole.com | Facebook: @simonmolepoet
X: @Si_Mole | Instagram: @Si_mole
YouTube: youtube.com/simonmole

Gecko: Website: www.geckoofficial.com | Facebook: @geckoband
X: @geckoofficial | Instagram: @geckoofficial
TikTok: @geckomusic