Brie Keatley It’s school holidays once again, you know what that means? Another high quality children’s show at Circa Theatre, of course! I am delighted to see Mr Fungus Dreams (directed by Amalia Calder and Thom Monckton) on a blustery Saturday morning. The packed audience of Circa Two is mainly made up of those of the kindy-going age, none the less we are all entranced and entertained by the impressive performance of Fergus Aitken as the titular Mr Fungus.
Brie Keatley If you are a parent looking to entertain both yourself and your child in the last week of the school holidays, have I got the show for you. The Adventures of Tahi and Kōwhai is the latest play by children’s theatre company, Little Dog Barking, and acts as a prequel to their previous work in 2021, The White Tree. The show follows the titular Tahi and Kōwhai, two adorable hoiho, as they fall in love and begin their lives together. Whimsically delightful, and filled to the brim with humour and charming puppets, The Adventures of Tahi and Kōwhai is another hit for Little Dog Barking.
Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin Pea-Knuckle Productions show Captain Festus McBoyle - The Prose and Cons is a whanau comedy theatre experience laced with songs, poems, stories, and epic fun. The character Captain Festus McBoyle (Rich Manic), joined by his wife Miss Lucy Drawers and strongman extraordinaire The Great Ebenezer (no credits given), have been infecting audiences for over seven years. The latest voyage was at BATS Theatre as part of the Tahi Festival.
 Sean Burnett Dugdale-MartinCOLOSSAL’s show Dream Garden produced by Eleanor Strathern is a non-verbal aerial circus show exploring the dream world through movement, physical comedy, and gentle audience interaction. Performed and choreographed by aerial circus artists Imogen Stone and Jackson Cordery with tech by Zane Jarvie, Dream Garden provides something beautiful for everybody. Enticing in its craft, relaxed in its confident exploration of dreams, this truly is circus for the soul.
Austin HarrisonMr Fungus Returns is a mischievous and entertaining children’s show, with room to become a family favourite. Mr Fungus (Fergus Aitken) leads us through an hour of mime, prop-work, and clowning which has a basic two-part structure. Act one is an elaborate physical journey as Mr Fungus makes his way to the theatre. Obstacles include a snowstorm and a cleverly executed bus journey in which Aitken switches between seven or eight familiar, bus-dwelling characters.
Evangelina Telfar Walking into the Propeller Stage at BATS theatre, there was four chairs in a line, pop music playing and purple lighting setting up a fun tone for the evening. I didn’t know what to expect, which was a feeling that continued throughout out the show, as there were several magical acts that all had a different style and seemed to really show the diversity of the Wellington Magic Club Inc. It was clear that there were some newcomers and some experienced magicians amongst the lot. This diversity was encouraging as it shows a growing interest in magic and will continue over the remaining nights of the show as there are different acts every night as the Club has 26 members.
Bea Joblin  E te whaea e takoto nei, e te matua e tū nei ki runga, tēnā korua. E te maunga ko Matairangi, e te moana ko Te Whanga-nui-ā-Tara e hora atu ra, tēnā kōrua. E ngā kaiauaha katoa na koutou a Hinepau i tito, i hanga, tēnā koutou. E te whānau katoa i tae mai kia panui nei, tēnā koutou katoa!
Ko au he kaiako ki rō puna reo, nō reira e mohio ana au i ngā mea whakakā hikaka mā ngā tamaiti. I ahu mai ki te whakaari a Hinepau mau ana i nga karu tamaiti, a, i whai ngahau, whai matauranga, whai manaru i reira. Ki ahau nei he mea nui te āta mohio a ngā kaiauaha mā tamariki ki ngā mahi me ngā hiahia o ngā tamaiti, kia aro ai te whakaari ki a rātou. Tau kē koutou te turupa a Hinepau! I am a teacher in Māori Immersion Early Childhood Education, and I feel like I know what gets kids excited about stories. I went to Hinepau trying to view it from a kids perspective and found entertainment, education and enchantment. I think it’s really important for performers and creators involved in children's theatre to have a careful understanding of what kids enjoy, how they work and what is relevant to them. The team around Hinepau really nail this. Matt Loveranes  The best children’s theatre gives its intended audience ample entertainment value, fascination with the theatrical art form and hopefully a life lesson that will help them develop into better human beings. The trick is to trying to weave these elements into something that’s easily digestible yet not unsubtle. And using this rubric, Kapitall Kids’ Theatre’s Dino Rock succeeds pretty well. |