‘InSideWays’ is a theatre show made by 100 people over two years, with no performers or a stage. Created for and with disabled young people aged 0-25, families are presented with a uniquely crafted chest of drawers that brings the show to life in their own homes. Delivered by hand, each chest contains sensory objects, a series of playful sensory tasks, a soundtrack, and instructions for performing together in the privacy of their home over two weeks.
‘InSideWays’ is the result of a new international collaboration between Oily Cart and Sweden’s sensory producers Scen:se with regional theatres Folkteatern G?vleborg and Estrad Norr. It is co-directed by Oily Cart’s Ellie Griffiths and Eva von Hofsten from Scen:se, and launched in Sweden in Autumn 2025 and tours the UK from January 2026.
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InSideWays by Oily-Cart Folkteatern-Gavleborg, Estrad-Nor, Scen:se, Image Credit: Tilda-Persdotter
Oily Cart exists to push the medium of theatre beyond words, using not just 5 senses, but all 33, especially developing theatre shows with and for young audiences who relate to the world in a sensory way. Oily Cart’s first At Home show for families was made in response to the Covid-19 lockdowns to continue to provide theatre experiences to their audiences.
“Imagine a world that is sideways…A world where you can taste sound and feel colour.
Where straight lines wiggle, and stories don’t stay on the page. Where creativity flows through the kitchen taps and brushing your teeth is magic…”
The ‘InSideWays’ world explores reality without filters, opening up connections between family members so they can see their world, and each other, in new and different ways.
‘InSideWays’ takes families on an emotional journey, provoking new ways of playing together, gently tilting perspectives, altering power dynamics, and giving more power to members of the family who do things in a sensory way. The show arrives on each family’s doorstep and through a series of sensory experiences, immerses the whole home in sounds, music, smells, light, colour, textures and taste.
Over two weeks, rooms are gradually transformed with the intention to reveal the ‘extraordinary in the everyday’ with the family becoming the emotional heart and the performers of the show. An illustrated guide and voiced soundtrack inspire, relax and encourage the adults to follow the tasks and experience the world differently, guided by their young people, with no right or wrong way to navigate the theatre experience.
Ellie Griffiths, Artistic Director of Oily Cart, said: “InSideWays has led us all into new creative territory. We’ve spent the last year tasting sound, sensing patterns and creating stories that won’t stay on the page. Our At Home shows require us to view theatre differently, turning everyday homes into extraordinary stages. We hyper-focus on all the details because they are going into people’s most familiar places, to be explored close-up, and also because the details are an act of care. It was lovely to hear feedback from a Swedish family who told us that they could feel there was a lot of love and care behind the InSideWays. This show, more than many, tickles my brain, and I genuinely feel the possibilities of the SideWays world are endless.”
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The specially created soundtrack, composed by Sound Designer Bernt Karsten Sannerud, includes vibrant tracks like Growing SideWays’ (Dark Purple drawer), Toothbrush Disco (Lilac drawer), and Family Puzzle (Wooden Lid) and guides the vibe of the show. InSideWays is created by a team of nearly 100 people, including 8 families, across the 2 countries. Collaborators include the Bowen family, Demelza Families Choir, tactile craft artist Laura Blake, and Chef Jozef Youssef from Kitchen Theory, who advised on the accessible multisensory tasting menu.
The creative process involved artists across the UK and Sweden, including Oily Cart’s first ever Youth Associate Artist, Lucy Bowen. Lucy is a musician who creates her music led by how the music tastes and feels, as much as by the sounds, and plays guitar on the soundtrack. Sam Bowen is Lucy’s mum, an award-winning specialist museum consultant and founder of the SEND in Museums Campaign, who co-wrote and narrates audio pieces made for the show.
Sam Bowen said: “We were so excited that Lucy was able to work with artists from the UK and Sweden to develop this immersive experience. As a family who has greatly enjoyed Oily Cart’s theatre, both outside and inside of the home, having this opportunity to directly shape a production is a dream come true for us.”
Eva von Hofsten, founder and artistic project director of Scen:se, said: “Sensory Theatre is for everyone, and through this collaboration, we are gaining towards our ambition to reach everyone.”
InSideWays invests the same artistic rigour and resources in shows for people to experience at home as they do venue shows. ‘InSideWays’ has been created through extensive collaboration with creative teams, design and dramaturgy with the same production budget that Oily Cart uses for its touring shows.
The show premiered in Sweden and marks the first time an At Home show has been programmed as part of the main theatre season. For more information and to book, visit https://oilycart.org.uk/shows/insideways/