Cardiff at Home, What's On, Theatre
Balloon Girl
Published on
When: 9 October 2026 – 24 October 2026
Where: Sherman Cymru, Cardiff
Tickets: From £18
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 an Extraordinary True Story
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.
The real events which have inspired Balloon Girl happened 130 years ago when 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 6 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.
Meet the Cast
The incredible cast for Balloon Girl includes Elan Davies, Elin Phillips, François Pandolfo, Keiron Self, Mari Fflur, Oliver Wood, Rebecca Wilson and Seren Vickers.
An Unstoppably Fun Adventure
Prepare to be lifted up by the wonder of Balloon Girl, the perfect show for curious young minds and grown up imaginations. Balloon Girl is a co-production between Sherman Theatre and Tilt and runs from 9 - 24 Oct, (Supported by Arts Council of Wales).
Book now: shermantheatre.co.uk