Bertie Bee is at the bottom of the heap of a busy beehive, spending his day pollinating boring old apples when actually he'd prefer to be free to pollinate wild flowers. In a moment of rebellion he leaves the hive, only to put the whole colony and his best friend in danger. Now Bertie has to be brave. Will he succeed and save his friends?

We Need Bees, at the Torch Theatre this July, introduces children to important issues including biodiversity loss and the climate emergency. Perfect for children aged 4+ and their families.

Anwen from the Marketing Team caught up with Phyl Harries, the Director, to find out why this lovely family show is buzzing ...

Tell us a bit about the show and what audiences can expect.

The show tells the story of Bertie Bee, a drone bee who dreams of being free to pollinate wildflowers. In a moment of rebellion he leaves the hive, only to put the whole colony and his best friend in danger. Audiences can expect a colourful, musical adventure filled with all sorts of characters and plenty of opportunities for audiences to join in with the fun.

Describe the show in three words

Colourful, funny, adventurous

Does the show have an important message? 

The show’s main message is all about the importance of protecting our planet and why we need bees. As well as the environmental message, we see the bees learn how to work together and the importance of friends supporting each other – together stronger!

What’s your favourite part of the show and why?

It’s got to be the Waggle Dance – everyone can join in and have a boogie with the bees!

Tell us about the characters.

Bertie is a mischievous drone bee who dreams of pollinating wildflowers and getting out of his boring hive. Throughout the show, he learns something from each character he meets on his journey, which ultimately helps him be a better bee.

Bron is a hardworking worker bee who is kind and self-effacing. She is Bertie’s best friend and always tries to help him do the right thing.

Sgt Major Beelko is the Queen’s right hand bee. He’s a hardworking dictator who serves the hive and lives by the rules – it’s his way or the highway!

Bertie and Bron meet lots other characters during their adventure, but you’ll have to come and see the show to meet them all!

Why a show on bees?

The show originally came about back in the early 2010s because of the plight of the bees at the time due to deadly varroa mites. This problem highlighted how essential bees are to life; without bees and other pollinators, we’d have no food! Now, almost 15 years on, climate change is what’s affecting the bees. Flowers bloom too early in the season before bees emerge from hibernation, which creates mismatch in the seasons. So, though the threat to bees has evolved, it remains just as important to highlight what we can do to protect them.

What’s it like to direct such a brilliant show that will keeping audiences buzzing?

It’s a dream job for me. Having already directed the show before, I love getting to reimagine an existing production with a new cast. It’s been fun to revisit the script and come up with some new ideas with this great team.

Better than the time I was stung by a bee… that’s right, I paid £6.50 for a jar of honey!

Why should people come to see the show?

Families should come along because it’s both funny and poignant. It’sfull of music and audience participation, and everything that somebody could want in a show is there. The costumes are colourful, characters are larger than life, and you get to see an adonis blue butterfly who thinks he’s Elvis – what more could you want?

We Need Bees can be seen on the Torch Theatre stage on Saturday 11 July at 11am and 2pm. Note that the 11am show will be performed in Welsh, and the 2pm show will be performed in English Price: £10. Book tickets via the website torchtheatre.co.uk / Box Office: 01646 695267.