Immersive ‘guerrilla’ theatre experience set to surprise Mayo schoolchildren
A NEW immersive theatre experience is coming to schools across County Mayo this November - but pupils won’t know it until it happens.
‘Ballad of a Bandit’, created by performer, director and musician Miquel Barceló in collaboration with theatre company Branar, is a surprise performance that transforms the everyday routine of a classroom into an unforgettable moment of theatre.
Running from November 3 to 27, the ‘Ballad of a Bandit’ Mayo tour will feature over 30 performances across 17 schools throughout the county - from Achill in the west to Carracastle on the Roscommon border, and from Ballycastle in the north to Roundfort in the south. In total, the tour will reach more than 700 children in their classrooms, including many rural and DEIS schools that may not have easy access to arts infrastructure.
The show has already toured to schools in Galway City and county, Co. Roscommon and Co. Clare. From the start of November, it will bring its distinctive blend of music, object animation, clown and storytelling to children across Mayo.
Aimed at pupils from 3rd to 6th class, each performance begins when a cleaner enters the classroom to empty the bin, becomes distracted by something he sees, and suddenly launches into a rollicking story about a Robin Hood-like highwayman and master of disguise, inspired by the historical figure of Capt. George McNamara of Cong, who sided with poor tenants during Penal Law times.
The performances are designed as a complete surprise for students, with teachers and parents asked not to reveal them in advance. Each show aims to spark imagination, laughter and curiosity in classrooms, showing how stories can emerge from the most ordinary moments.
“The idea was to bring theatre directly to children where they are, in their own everyday spaces,” says Miquel Barceló. “I wanted to surprise them with something that feels ordinary at first - and then slowly opens up into a world of wonder and play. It’s about reminding all of us, adults and children alike, that magic can happen anywhere.”
Each show is accompanied by a specially designed creative engagement pack for classroom use after the performance. It includes a comic (designed by Mayo-based illustrator Maeve Clancy), an activity sheet and a video workshop that encourage follow-up learning.
A long-time collaborator with leading Galway-based children’s theatre company Branar, Barceló, who is originally from Mallorca, has lived in the west of Ireland for more than two decades. His work is rooted in inclusivity and community, often developed with and for children, people with intellectual disabilities, older citizens, and groups in care and hospital settings.
The Mayo tour of ‘Ballad of a Bandit’ is supported by Mayo County Council and the Arts Council, and forms part of a wider 2025 tour.
For more information, visit miquel-barcelo.com/balladofabandit.