We sat down with Ross McKenna, Understudy and Bear for the UK & International touring production of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Find out what he had to say before the hunt begins!
What do you love most about being apart of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt?
This production for me has been in my life since I was a young kid. You know, the book and then followed by the original production 15 years ago. So to be a part of the 15th anniversary of this ground-breaking children’s show is really exciting. And to get to travel all over the UK and the world is such a great opportunity.
How has the picture book been adapted to create an interactive adventure for young audiences?
The whole thing about Bear Hunt is an adventure. It’s an exciting trail through the wilderness and the wild. In the show there’s water, there’s mud, there’s everything you’d expect there to be. The audience don’t necessarily leave as clean as they arrived. And that’s just all part of the fun. It’s really good fun for adults as well as children in that sense. And it’s just a real adventure from start to finish.
Is the show fun for all the family?
Absolutely. I mean, as I said, there’s bits where the kids will absolutely love it and there’s bits where the adults will have a good time as well. And it’s one of those things with children’s shows, it’s so lovely to have the opportunity and the chance to see children’s faces light up and to really bring them their first theatre experience and make that special. So yeah, there’s a lot of fun and a lot of energy in the room. It’s always a really good time.
Are you excited to perform here at MAST Mayflower Studios?
I am. I think it’s been such a fun journey for me, having worked here the last year to now going on and coming back here with the production, having worked all sides of it now. I love this theatre. It’s got a big place in my heart. It always will, and to come back and perform on the stage is really a little dream come true. So yeah, it’s going to be really, really good.
If you could choose to go under it, over it or through it, what would you pick?
I would have to go through it. I don’t do crawling very well. And I’m not a tall man, so I’ve got to go just right through it. No messing around.
And lastly, describe the bear in three words
Furry, funny and fantastic.
