Stan’s Cafe is a theatre company. We make our work collaboratively, following exciting ideas wherever they take us, sometimes into theatres, but often not.

We love working in schools with students and teachers. Often we help out other people because we love seeing other people make great art.

We started in 1991 and we are more excited than ever before.

Have fun zipping around this fancy new website which, frankly, isn’t really finished.

Contact us or find out more about our current shows here.

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Of All The People In All The World

The internationally acclaimed performance installation that turns abstract human population statistics into emotionally gripping stories using grains of rice. It’s MUCH better than it sounds.
Current Portfolio Greatest Hits


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River Tours

Guided tours of rivers, performed live, indoors or out, illustrated by especially commissioned textile ribbon maps. The library is growing. A new map and tour will be unveiled in October.
2021 2022 Current Portfolio Outdoor

Precious Emily – Family Show


The Commonwealth Games may be over but we are keeping the excitement going with our new theatre show for everyone aged 9+. Precious Emily tells the stories of two inspirational weightlifters:

Precious McKenzie (4’10”) the legendary four times Commonwealth Games gold medal winner, whose incredible tale includes an escape from apartheid in South Africa, his father being killed by a crocodile and an attempt to join the circus.

Emily Campbell (5’11”) the charismatic and trailblazing Olympic Games silver medal winner whose uplifting adventure includes carnival, school sports day, a gold shirt, difficult decisions and lots of hard work.

This beautiful, witty show is also about all the lessons weightlifting can teach us, even when the heavy things we have to lift are only in our minds.

This is a bi-lingual show, performed in English & BSL.



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Precious Emily (Schools Shows)

The inspirational stories of weightlifters Precious McKenzie and Emily Campbell made into ten different shows by ten different primary schools – all called Precious Emily, combining to become a gala performance.
2022 Primary Education
  • A tick by The Lune
    As a 19 year old I stood long evenings on the Carlisle Bridge, gazing down at The Lune, trains rumbling behind, the future imminent ahead. Now, more than 30 years […]
  • Trustee Recruitment
    Stan’s Cafe, Birmingham’s wildly original and internationally renowned theatre company is looking for two new Trustees. For more than 30 years we’ve been surprising audiences with our playful productions, collaborating […]
  • Secretaries of State / Football Managers Update
    Back in January 2018 Matt Hancock was appointed Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport (whatever happened to him?) He was the 9th person to hold that post in […]
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The Commentators

An improvised walkabout performance (unless they’re sat down) in which two sports commentators describe everyday life in too much detail. Catch them live in person or streamed live online.
2009 2010 2011 2013 2014 2015 2017 2019 2021 2022 Current Portfolio Durational Online Outdoor
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Saltley Shakespeare

Each year we help Year 8 at Saltley Academy stage twin productions of a play by Shakespeare on the site of his house in Stratford-Upon-Avon. This year it is Romeo and Juliet.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 english Learning Outdoor Primary Education Secondary School

Diary

All Our Money
2023 Dates TBC

River Tours
2023 Dates TBC

Of All The People In All The World
2023 Dates TBC

The Commentators
2023 Dates TBC

Precious Emily
2023 Dates TBC