Based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two chinstrap penguins, who were a same-sex male pair in New York City's Central Park Zoo, this dance theatre show was about the changing nature of family.

The story of the pair, who attempted to hatch an egg and later raised a chick, was first brought to the world’s attention by The New York Times in May 2004. It was also made in to a children’s book And Tango Makes Three.

This production was created by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Cahoots NI and Prime Theatre, and performed by Corey Annand, Osian Meilir and Jack Webb. The dancers’ penguin movements were joyful and often comical as they swam in the pool on their bellies and waddled gracefully between each other. After the egg, placed by the zoo keeper, hatches, there was a family of three in the dance, all somehow appearing to slurp down fish realistically.

The cleverly designed set of the penguin enclosure consisted of icy- looking boxes in which the penguins meet, play hide and seek and canoodle together. Performed from the penguins’ point of view, the show is choreographed effectively by Carlos Pons Guerra to some loud, dramatic music, composed by Garth McConaghie.

It was a wordless, hour-long performance, apart from the muffled voice-over of zoo visitors calling the penguins cute etc. in different languages. It was therefore quite a mature show which may have been slightly abstract for young children. Never-the-less, the penguins’ playful dances were delightful to observe.