Overview
9 - 24 Oct 2026Pricing
Pay What You Want Previews. From £18. Concessions £2 off. Children and under 25s half price.
Further details
- Age: 8+
- Language: English
- Space: Main House
Suitable for everyone aged 8+
For content warnings, please click here.
- Wed 14 Oct - 7:00pm BSL interpreted
- Fri 23 Oct - 6:30pm BSL interpreted
- Fri 16 Oct - 6:30pm Audio Described
- Thu 22 Oct - 7:00pm Captioned
It’s time to look up!
Go with Balloon Girl on a wild, fantastical ride through 2000 years of Welsh history.
In this unstoppably fun adventure created by Hannah McPake (Tales of the Brothers Grimm, Alice: Return to Wonderland) you’ll encounter Roman invaders, Viking raiders, Victorian Cardiffians and much more.
Inspired by the extraordinary true story of Cardiff’s very own Balloon Girl, Louisa Maud Evans, our production honours her legacy and bursts with life, laughter and spectacular storytelling. This riotous new show celebrates bravery, the power of curiosity and invites us all to dream bigger, be bolder and embrace our own spirit of adventure.
Prepare to be lifted up by the wonder and joy of Balloon Girl – the perfect show for curious young minds and grown up imaginations.
The Story:
Tech-billionaire Carol Gaudron is about to launch the first civilian crewed mission to Mars.
But is it as safe as Carol is suggesting?
On the eve of the launch, a time-traveling Victorian teenage ghost turns up in a hot air balloon and takes Carol on a thrilling ride through 2000 years of Welsh history; from the Romans to the Vikings to the Victorians and beyond.
Will Carol see the error of her ways and cancel the launch? Or is history about to repeat itself?
Who will enjoy Balloon Girl?
Balloon Girl is specially created for everyone aged 8+. Hannah McPake is celebrated for creating irreverent, fantastical and relevant theatre shows which delight children and adults alike. With its breathtaking mix of sci-fi, fantasy, humour and history; Balloon Girl genuinely offers something for everyone.
Three reasons you must see Balloon Girl:
- Balloon Girl promises an uplifting, hopeful, big-hearted entertainment for everyone aged 8+.
- Using incredible sets, costumes and puppetry Hannah’s production is properly spectacular. This is theatre in widescreen.
- Balloon Girl celebrates curiosity and dares us to look up whilst being rooted in real south Wales history. It’s about the world all around us. Balloon Girl asks big questions about our world, including, at what cost does innovation come?
Supported by Arts Council of Wales.
Access Performances:
BSL Interpreter: Caroline Richardson
Audio Describer: Michelle Perez
Captioner: Erika James
The real-life Balloon Girl and Cardiff’s Great Exhibition
130 years ago, The Fine Arts, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition of 1896 took place in Cardiff.
The Great Exhibition was an enormous undertaking, and remains one of largest events ever held in Wales. Over six months, a million visitors came to the area we now know as Cathays Park.
A Balloon ascent in the exhibition’s velodrome featuring two French aeronauts, Mademoiselle Albertine and Auguste Eugene Gaudron, would go on to make headlines around the world and change the laws of the day.
Read more about the exhibition and the tragic balloon ascension that inspired Balloon Girl here.
