Sisters 360 - Derby Theatre

Saturday 4th April 2026
"Sisters 360"
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars)


Sisters 360 tells the story, written by Asif Khan, directed by Ameera Conrad and movement directed by Rachel-Leah Hosker, of two step sisters who found a love for skateboarding and are entering a competition. There are a few complications along the way, such as their parents going their separate ways and they split up! Along comes a magical bat to save the day! These events could be very relateable for some young people (except the magical bat of course!). 

This show is fast paced, perfect for the 8-12 year olds it’s aimed at. The two cast members, Farah Ashraf and Sara Abanur were bounding, running and playing across the stage which also added to the fun feel. 

This is complimented by the versatile graffitied set designed by Erin C Guan and constructed by Basement 94 which is full of coloured blocks and ramps that transform from skateboards to sofas. There was also an element of shadow puppetry, cleverly using the skateboard ramp to project the light onto that created the shadow of the puppet. Some of my favourite props, made by Michael Douglas, were magnetic signs that are used for the ‘protest’ and then get attached to the ‘bedroom walls’. There’s also a nice surprise of a self driving skateboard with a delicious looking colourful cake! This was brilliantly operated by the production manager, David Coull. And of course I have to mention the fluffy magical bat puppet, made by Mikayla Teodoro and Edd Berridge, directed by Roman Stefanski, a brightly coloured plushie that looks like something only a child would dream about. 

The costumes were quite futuristic, a mish mash of patterns, colours and textured materials. Continuing that creative feel.

The lighting design by Lucia Sanchez Roldan perfectly matches the vibrant colours of the set. Bright pinks, blues and whites filling the stage as it changes from scene to scene. The amount of haze accents the beams of the lights perfectly. This really accentuates the different spaces they use. 

I enjoyed it because there was a theme song for every time the girls did their secret handshake, it kept the consistency throughout. Most of the sound effects I feel you could easily find in a cartoon, lots of bouncy tunes and chirping noises that fills the silence. The sound design and composer Holly Khan really thought about what would be engaging for children.

As a whole, this production was short and sweet yet super high level. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s 4 stars from me. 

This show is touring the country with the small team of the 2 actors, Farah and Sara, and either the production manager, David Coull, or either Dominic Murray or Abigail Catto as Technical Stage Managers. If you get chance to see this show then do! 

Take a look at where they are going next on the Turtle Key Arts website.


Written By Kiah Smith
Location: 15 Theatre Walk, St Peter's Quarter, Derby DE1 2NF, UK

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