Out of the Box Festival

Shoes belong in boxes. Children don’t. Building a theatre festival specifically for children requires looking beyond the stereotypes and traditional theatrical devices. With characters in Duck and The Arrival taking to the stage without shoes, the early indication is that the box has its rightful occupant.

The creatives behind Brisbane’s Biennial Out of the Box Festival for children aged 8 and under, dominate this genre because they do not rely on prescriptive programming. They are in the theatre with the kids, observing, seeing what works, adapting. Behind the scenes, they are packing their website www.outoftheboxfestival.com.au with workshop/craft ideas and extra resources for teachers and parents to sit alongside each theatre production and on-site activity. It is more than a festival, it is an “Out of the Box” curriculum for creative learning.

As a book, Duck, by New Zealand author Janet A Holmes and former Brisbane illustrator Jonathan Bentley, is a Kindergarten favourite, exploring the instantly relatable themes of love, belonging and loss, between a boy and his favourite toy duck. As a world premiere stage production, Duck becomes a visual poem, where the symbiotic relationship between actor and musician does away with the need for words. Using puppetry, live action, and a violin, the intimate 40-minute performance aimed at 2-5-year-olds, is captivating. The audience grows in enthusiasm and engagement as the search for duck includes them. And when the show ends, almost every child in our section of the Cremorne Theatre had the same question. To find out what that question is, you’ll have to see the show.

Not all the shows are as intimate as Duck. New Zealand’s Red Leap Theatre Company packed their show into a 40-foot container to come to Brisbane. It is now out of the box on the Playhouse stage with the production values of a major Broadway show but adapted for children aged 6 and older. When the house lights go out and dark dragon-like shapes fly over a gloomy urban landscape, there is a moment of nervous muttering from the audience, but the fantastical world that is soon created overcomes the initial hesitation. There are hints of Cirque du Soleil, French puppetry, and Les Misérables in the 55 minute show which tells the story of the struggles of migrants to find their identity in a new land.

Perth-born Shaun Tan is the creator of the wordless graphic novel from which this production comes. He also was a great doodler at school and has built a career around art that includes The Arrival as well as concept art for the Pixar film WALL-E. This is a rich production and a highlight of the festival.

I once lost my son at an Out of the Box Festival, and an organiser held my hand and didn’t let it go until he was found. That same child was my companion for this review but I could still feel my hand being held. This is a theatre festival that cares for its little patrons and is well worth supporting this weekend.

Debra Bela

Photographers: The Arrival – John McDermott and Duck – Darren Thomas.