Fiona’s Score: 4 Paw Prints
For almost forty years young readers have been delighted with British illustrator Eric Hill’s picture book adventures about a big yellow puppy dog. This year CDP Theatre Producers and Penguin Books have played together under the sails of the Sydney Opera House to create a stage show that celebrates the joyful adventures of Spot.
Spot books were created by Eric Hill after seeing his 3 year old become fascinated by lifting a flap of paper on a creation he had made. He created a short book with this Lift-a-Flap design it became the now iconic children’s character Spot who has been translated into over 60 languages.
Inspired by the book Spot Goes to the Farm we first meet young Jake who lives on a farm with his Mum and Dad. Jake doesn’t want to do his chores as he would rather read a story about his favourite character Spot. Eventually Jake convinces Dad to read him “just one story” and the black and white world around them comes to life with Spot, his family and his friend Helen the blue Hippo.
This production of Spot is well thought through and highly polished. Director Liesel Badorrek has a keen eye for telling picture book stories on stage. Performers Kaliah Cabanas, Enya Daly and Christopher Vernon have enormous energy in each of their characters and convey the story with love. The stage management team also feature in puppetry roles, it would be lovely to see them also costumed and credited for their performances as they are no less part of the stage action. Ben Brockman’s lighting design is ingenious, the giant farm yard animal jigsaw puzzle lights up like a pinball machine every time an animal is found and returned to the barn. It is effective and great fun. James Browne’s set design is also marvellous. The magical recreation of the Lift-a-Flap design from the books is achieved with the same sense of wonder and surprise when lifting the flap on a book at home.
As studies have shown theatre for young audiences can benefit their communication and emotional intelligence. Attending theatre together can synchronise your heart rates which promotes social bonding. And having a day out at Sydney Opera House should be for pre-schooler, toddlers and babies as much as for all other ages. Even the UN Convention the rights of the Child state that every child has the right to be able to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
So what are you waiting for? Get the youngest member of your family and bounce down to the Farm to have some fun with Spot. The cool confines of the Sydney Opera House offer a remedy to manic seasonal madness and it is a pleasurable way of introducing little ones to the joy of going to the theatre.
Fiona Hallenan-Barker, Theatre Now
Link to benefits for kids seeing theatre article: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/theatre-arts/why-theatre-could-make-your-kids-happier-healthier-people-36591317.html
Link to Article 31 UN Convention on the Rights of a Child: http://ipaworld.org/childs-right-to-play/uncrc-article-31/un-convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child-1/
