Liesel Badorrek, director of CDP Kids’ Summer Spectacular, says that there is something for every child as Australia’s favourite books come to life with three shows and five seasons in January.
Badorrek is thrilled to be back in the theatre after a painful and confusing year and feels that that the Summer Spectacular offers a special, liberating and joyful experience. Children will have been quite aware of the pervading sense of anxiety and uncertainty and going to theatre – under Covid-safe conditions – will be not only reassuring but also celebratory.
Badorrek, an experienced director of children’s shows, is excited by the prospect of delighting her young audience. She says that while adults bring baggage with them to the theatre, children are open to whatever the performance brings and “expect that they will have a brilliant time” – and so they do. While the performances children will see are adaptations of stories they are likely to know and love, a young audience engages wholeheartedly in the staged version.
First up, will be the Sydney premiere of Magic Beach inspired Alison Lester’s charming and familiar story (adapted by award-winning writer, Finegan Kruckemeyer) of an everyday Australian family going on a beach holiday. There is much more to this beach than swimming or digging in the sand as the world of fantasy becomes real, and exciting adventures ensue. The original is well known for it sweet and comforting illustrations, and Badorrek points out that the Isla Shaw has managed to evoke the same qualities in her stage design.
The next offering, Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, is a great favourite and perfect for a stage adaptation. A warm, funny and clever story of an appealingly generous witch willing to share her broom with a diverse range of animals, and with a thrilling denouement, it wins hearts and minds. Badorrek praised Donaldson’s catchy rhymes and the music accompanying the stage version both of which make this guide to modern living irresistible.
The last, but definitely not least in child appeal is The Ninety-One Storey Treehouse, seventh in a series written by Andy Griffith and Terry Denton (adapted by Richard Tulloch). Ridiculously silly, rambunctiously zany and almost defying stage realisation, this absurdist tale is guaranteed to keep its young audience in a state of high excitement. While very challenging to the director – how to represent a flying fried egg car on stage for example – clearly Badorrek found the experience exhilarating.
Badorrek stresses that these performances are readily accessible to all children – and of course adults will enjoy them too – and CDP Theatre is well known for its high quality children’s theatre.
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Dates and ticketing: http://summer.cdp.com.au
