Directed by Belgian artist Inne Goris, Dregs is wordless theatre for ages 4-6. It distils the essence of fairytales – what is left when the rest is broken down by time and retelling – to reveal ideas and figures that will be familiar to all children, of all ages. 

Red in the forest, the witch’s apple, a frog waiting on his kiss – resonant images, drawn with a visual artist’s attention to line, colour and light. 

For children, it’s an adventurous journey that takes them to the dark heart of the fairytale, and out again. For adults, it returns a memory of the bedroom and its play: a held breath, a game of crossing a room without touching the floor – an imagination that unfolds while the world sleeps.

Dregs became Once Upon A Story, four pieces for children aged from 3 – 15 and played at the Manchester International Festival 2013.