Inspiration often strikes in the most unlikely of places, especially if you’re JJ — and once he’s got an idea in his head, there’s no stopping it.

So, if I told you that this show about teddy bears, tricksy trolls and the magic of believing in yourself was inspired by him working as a children’s entertainer, on a cruise ship sailing up the Norwegian Fjords, you’d probably (understandably) wonder how those elements are even connected. Yet, strangely enough, they are — and they inspired our premiere make-a-bear musical ‘Theo and the Teddysnatcher!’

While working onboard, JJ was performing in short family shows, and delivering workshops — including a teddy making workshop.

The families loved both… but he had noticed something.

Some children found it quite hard to sit through the half-hour long shows attentively, but had no problem when it came to the interactive workshops. Other children rushed through the workshops, but would sit enthralled in the shows. Having a wealth of experience working with kids, JJ knew that it can be quite hard for families to get something that truly caters to everyone.

Then the idea came to him:

“What if there was a show that kids could sit and watch, but the story was broken up with interactive elements… something they could do together as a family… something that would be fun and memorable… something like… making a teddy bear together!”

He spent his last week on the ship jotting jokes on scrap paper, making voice notes of melodies, and letting his surroundings (Norway, the land of gnomes and trolls) take his imagination to new heights.