Review: Cat in the Hat by SRT (戴高帽子的猫)

Dumpling has always looked forward to watching Chinese theatrical productions and was especially thrilled when we made plans to catch Cat in the Hat 戴高帽子的猫 by Singapore Repertory Theatre (especially right around our CA period! :p). 

Perhaps one of the world's most famous children’s authors, Dr. Seuss was certainly a well-liked character in our household when Dumpling was younger. His whimsical rhythmic stories provided us with such precious moments during our homeschooling years.

:: The story

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.”

The play was true to the story where the opening scene depicts the first page of the story with the 2 main characters staring out of their window on that cold, cold wet day. The props were also done up in the trademark Dr. Seuss's blue with the actors’ costumes riding on the "watercolour and ink illustration" style which is synonymous with the author.

When I first brought Dumpling and my niece to watch this play, I was worried that the play would be too simple for her since she is in Primary 4 after all. However, while the play is simple (where there’s far lesser lines than SRT’s other Chinese productions), it was, by no means, less enjoyable. What it “lacks” in dialogues, it makes up in physical comedy. 

The production was also able to draw on the children’s imagination with the simple stage sets, fuelled by the outrageous antics of the Cat in the Hat. Of course, no Cat in the Hat story will be complete without Thing 1 and Thing 2 ->; 小家伙

For parents who are looking for a gentle way to ease your children into Chinese exposure, this play is perfect for you. I heard young children laughing at the naughty antics Thing 1 and 2 did. 

Good phrases and vocabulary such as  急吼着，目瞪口呆，仔细看，垂头丧气 were used in the play too and of course, I did not waste the tiger mom learning moment to empahsize on those words to the kiddo. :p 

It was my niece’s (Primary 3) first foray into watching a Mandarin production and she really liked it. I heard her laughing out loud and saw her leaning forward, looking really engaged. At one point she also wondered out loud how Cat in the Hat could balance the gazillion things which he stacked.

With the September holidays just around the corner, this will be a great time to bring your children to sample this entertaining production! 

Here's more details:

Event Date

Thu, 9 Aug - Sat, 8 Sep 2018

Weekdays: 10am
Weekend & Public Holidays
Sat, 4 Aug and 11 Aug: 11am & 2pm

Venue

KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT

To book for your tickets, please click here.

Disclaimer: We were invited by Singapore Repertory Theatre to watch the play so that we can give our opinions about it. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours. Images are courtesy of Singapore Repertory Theatre. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts (both on the kiddo and my furkid), food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), outdoor fun, useful reviews, early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

Giveaway: Singapore Repertory Theatre's Little Red Riding Hood 《小红帽》

After successfully staging it in English, SRT’s The Little Company now presents Red Riding Hood in Mandarin. Dumpling and I caught the English production some years ago and we loved the songs.

Red Riding Hood is an uplifting story about a brave girl named Red who must journey through the forest to reunite her family and save Mother’s bakery from closing down.

Like the original story, Big Bad Wolf spotted Red midway… Will she reach Grandma’s house in time? Or will the charming Big Bad Wolf distract her from her quest? Join Red on her adventure into the woods, where no one is what they seem!

Having watched all of SRT's previous Chinese productions, I’d expect this to be filled with humour, packed with original music and exposing children to a good vocabulary bank! This is a fantastic show to be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages and I am pleased to share that I have a family set of 4 tickets to give away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

: Terms and Conditions

1.                   These tickets will be to the 29 July, 11.00am show. 

2.                   The winner is to collect the tickets at the box office, minimally                           30mins before showtime.

3.                   Tickets are not exchangeable for cash or for other dates.

4.                   Please remember to leave a comment below on "Which fairy                           tale would you like to watch in Mandarin and why?"

5.                   The giveaway is not endorsed, associated with administrated                           by Facebook.                  
6.                   As the play takes place in Singapore, this giveaway is opened                         only to Singapore Residents. GOOD LUCK! 

Can't wait for the giveaway results? You can purchase tickets here

And here's a trailer to share:

:: Venue

KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT

Disclaimer: The giveaway is kindly sponsored by Singapore Repertory Theatre. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

Review: Poultry Tales by i Theatre

Dumpling and I took a much needed break from the SA revisions and caught Poultry Tales by I Theatre. To commemorate the year of Rooster, this play features the 3 famous feathered friends from well-known classics that I Theatre has put up before: Little Red Hen, The Goose that laid Golden Eggs and Chicken-Licken. 

More interestingly, the play weaves in how it is like, in a theatre with “behind the scenes” as part of the story. The story (stories?!?) comes to life with these 4 actors – Isabella Chiam, Elizabeth Toh, Daphne Ong and Darren Guo. Isabella played the role of a stage manager with Elizabeth and Darren as interns who tries to learn what goes on backstage. 

Stage terms like “Legs”, “Fly Bar”, “Cyclorama” and how the backstage crew support the plays were explained to the interns (and “in turn”, us the audience). Along the way, the interns convinced Isabelle and Daphne to act out the famous tales…

The usage of props like masks was elaborated through the story of Chicken-Licken. Though there were only 4 actors, they took 6 roles in total, where the actors slip into the various roles comfortably with just by using different accent and masks. :) Audience who have watched Chicken Licken previously will find the "re-enacted" scene familiar; the scene also had the younger audience giggling merrily when Chicken Licken shook his tail. :D

In the story of The Goose that Laid Golden Eggs, the lesson on "greed" was well explained. For parents who worry that it may be a tad "dark", you will be happy to know that the goose demise was acted out with some "physical comedy" where ribbons were used to depict the "insides" of the goose.

With just a change of props, the popular Little Red Hen came to "live". The theme song from the play was performed by the cast "little red hen, little red heeeen, little red hen, little red hen" and as we have the CD at home, Dumpling and I joined in the singing and sang along to it too. Of course the importance of friendship and keeping promises were highlighted in this story. Isabella played the role of Little Red Hen well as she was both engaging and likeable, making her very popular with the young audiences.

Comparatively, this story is also the most interactive as the various characters sought out advice and comments from the audience.

For me, I personally also like that the Little Red Hen did not share the bread with the rest of her friends. To me, I feel that she's justified in not wanting to share as the friends did not help in any way, despite having many opportunities to do so. I like that the story respected her choice. :p

With the end of this play, it also sadly marks the end of I Theatre's 2017 season as there has been a cut in funding for a few organisations. I am a tad wistful thinking about this as Dumpling basically grew up on I Theatre's play which includes Rainbow Fish (showcasing the beautiful black light theatre) to The Ant and the Grasshopper where it gave me a chance to talk to her about the value of hard work. 

In an poignant way, this play also serves to remind us that when we support the local arts scene, we do not just support the actors we see on stage but also the cost of the production of props, rental of venue and the hiring of backstage crew, etc; of which any theatrical production could not have happen without these unsung heroes, as clearly depicted by this play. 

Poultry Tales is a clever, informative and engaging play, weaving in 3 stories yet serves to educate us on what goes on backstage. It is suitable for preschoolers and even for Primary school children. Dumpling enjoyed the songs and appreciated the backstage scenes. Poultry Tales into its last week of performances. Do catch these last few performances before we bid them farewell for the rest of the year!

:: Event Date

Sat, 29 Apr - Sun, 14 May 2017

10.30am & 2pm

:: TICKET PRICES (Not including SISTIC Fees):                                                      

	Standard Ticket
Adult/Child	$32.00
Family Package (4 Persons)	$121.60
Big Family Package (5 Persons)	$144.00
Corporate Groups (min 20 persons)	25.60

:: Venue

Drama Centre Theatre

Disclaimer: We were invited to watch the play I Theatre so that we can give our opinions of it.We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

Review: Singapore Repertory Theatre's Peter Rabbit

Being a bookworm, the kiddo grew up with lots of wonderful classic titles. It is from these wonderful tales that she was carried away to different places on different adventures. Beatrix Potter's  Peter Rabbit was one of the stories that she grew up with where she progressed on to read the rest of the stories in the series on her own.

Perhaps it is because of Peter's cheekiness or that rabbits are just plain cute, the kiddo was very taken with this story from young (our late bunny was named Flopsy!) and was really excited to catch this play in action, presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre.

:: The plot
Peter Rabbit is the only boy in the family to a pair of sisters. Being the only boy (and to the sisters' chagrin) he hardly helped out with the chores at home and the sisters were forever picking up after him.

One afternoon, after their mother left home, the siblings got into an argument and in a fit of anger, Peter decided that he would be better looking for another home.

Or so he thought...

Straight from the "get-go", Peter's adventure seems to have had a bumpy start when he bumped into his cousin Benjamin rabbit. They were both caught stealing from Mr McGregor's garden. (At this juncture, I must say that Mr McGregor had the most outrageous "mask" ever which had the kiddo laughing hysterically when he entered onto the stage).

Peter managed to have a narrow escape and wondered off into the woods where he bumped into his first friends - Squirrels. The Squirrels were friendly and all but he soon learnt that they are too different especially with his near "mis-adventure" with the forest Owl!

So off Peter Rabbit went, hippity hop where the Mice family who sews for a living.  Unfortunately Peter lacks the sewing skills and (without revealing too much) met a furry roadblock, ending his stay with the Mice family earlier than expected.

The third animal he met was the Hedgehog, who was also my favorite. The actress totally "rock" the persona and her song performance was impressive. The kiddo and I were both clapping and cheering her on! (Just check out the photo below! LOL)

More than that (and with her rock star image aside), she was quite the voice of conscience who dished out motherly advice to Peter who came to realise that there's no place quite like home, and reflected upon his relationship with his sisters.

A lively and fun play which brings across the message of the importance of family (and forgiveness too!) suitable for even preschoolers. Though Dumpling is in Primary 3 now, I too found myself, riding on this opportunity, whispering to her that all of us do make mistakes and that as a family, we will always love her despite any bad decisions. Because, that's what families are for. 

:: Event Dates

Friday, 24th Feb to Fri, 14 April

Weekends & Public Holidays: 11am and 2pm 

Weekdays: 10am 

Click here to book your tickets! 

:: Venue

KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT

Disclaimer: We were invited by Singapore Repertory Theatre to watch the play and share our opinions and thoughts about it. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

A Family Package "Giveaway" to Singapore Repertory Theatre's Peter Rabbit!

"Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were—

Flopsy,
     Mopsy,
          Cotton-tail,
               and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

“Now, my dears,” said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, “you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”"

:: Synopsis 

Singapore Repertory Theatre brings us on this wonderful journey as we laugh and cruise along with Peter Rabbit. Peter is tired of doing the chores and dealing with his goody two-shoes twin sisters. Peter Rabbit breaks the rules and steals from Mr. McGregor's garden.

Knowing that he has gone too far and afraid of what his mother might say, the only option for this little fugitive is to leave his warm rabbit hole and run away into the big world – somewhere he can do whatever he wants and be free of responsibility. But as Peter struggles to live with other animals, from feisty squirrels to sewing mice, he begins to realise his life at home might not have been so bad after all.

A Peter Rabbit Tale is based on the beloved children’s classic by Beatrix Potter and beautifully reimagined by Sarah Bundt and teaches us to treasure our family and loved ones. 

Let your "hare" down this March holidays as I am pleased to share that I have a set of family package worth almost $150 (of 4 tickets for 18 March, Saturday, 11am show) to give away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

:: Terms and Conditions

1. These tickets will be to the 11am show on Saturday, 18 March. 
2. Winner is to collect the tickets at least 30 mins before the show time.
3. Tickets are not exchangeable for cash or for other dates, and are not transferable.
4. Please remember to leave a comment below as an answer to "Why do you wish to watch this production?"
5. The giveaway is not endorsed, associated with administrated by Facebook.
6. As the play takes place in Singapore, this giveaway is opened only to Singapore Residents. GOOD LUCK! 

Can't wait for the giveaway results? You can purchase tickets here!

:: Event Date

Friday, 24th Feb to Fri, 14 April

Weekends & Public Holidays: 11am and 2pm 

Weekdays: 10am 

:: Venue

KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT

Disclaimer: The giveaway is kindly sponsored by Singapore Repertory Theatre. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

Review: SRT's Charlotte's Web

Charlotte’s Web by EB White was one of my favorite books when I was growing up and Dumpling and I have watched the cartoon and the movie many times over, yet never gotten bored of it. You can imagine our joy when we were invited to review this play by Singapore Repertory Theatre.

:: The story

This story is a simple yet beautiful tale of friendship between a runt pig, Wilbur, and a barn spider, Charlotte. Wilbur was being fattened up (bacon anyone?) by the Zuckermans who owns a farm and Charlotte, taking pity on the runt, decided to help. And that was marks the start of a beautiful friendship…

:: The play

A familiar face, Ann Lek, previously played one of the pigs in SRT’s Three Little Pigs. In this production, she plays Wilbur. Wilbur was originally born on a farmhouse and lived with the Arables where Fern (played by Ethel Yap), their daughter, looked after it. As Wilbur grew bigger, the Arables found themselves unable to tend to it and gave Wilbur to the Zuckermans.

One of the things which I have always enjoyed in Singapore Repertory Theatre's (SRT) productions is their creative take on its set. Having caught previous productions such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Rapunzel, Three Little Pigs etc., the company has once again shown its creativity in the design of its props and the great usage of space.

The Farmhouse used by the Arables was easily transformed to Zuckerman’s farm and later, to a section in the Fair where Wilbur was at, with just some shifting of the props and the clever use of banners, lights, etc.

True to its story, Wilbur befriended other animals in the farm ~ a rat (Templeton), Sheep, some geese, etc. but it was his friendship with Charlotte that makes this story one of the best-selling children's novels (sold an estimated 45 million copies). 

Sharda Harrison who plays Charlotte (A. Cavatica) lives in the barn and with the clever use of ropes and karabiners, the actress played Charlotte well with her sleek and “spidery” movements. (Doesn't the photo below remind you of the classic scene in Spiderman played by Tobey Maguire?)

It was really interesting to see how she moved from one part of the barn to the next (she must have great abs)! And of course Charlotte used her superb web weaving skills to spell out the adjectives that soon made Wilbur a celebrity pig. :) 

I am the first to admit that I am sappy when it comes to characters dying and I was worried that the kiddo would be affected. In my opinion, SRT handled this part well, understanding the profile of its young audiences and while sticking to the story, it did not over dramatize Charlotte’s death. Instead, it highlighted Charlotte’s Opus Magnum (masterpiece), her egg sac which had all 514 eggs. Wilbur vowed to look after these eggs and stuck through to his words (like a true friend) and watched over them religiously till they hatched.     

Here's a video snippet of the play :) 

A heartwarming take on the story, SRT's interpretation is both entertaining and touching as it brings us on a journey to celebrate the tale of friendship and love between Wilbur and Charlotte. That, in my opinion, is the Magnum Opus of this famous story by EB White. 

Charlotte's Web runs till 11 December (details below).  

Event Dates

Fri, 28 Oct - Sun, 11 Dec 2016
Weekends & Public Holiday : 11am & 2pm
Weekdays : 10am
28 Oct 2016 (Fri) : 3pm

Venue

KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT (Previously known as DBS Arts Centre) 

To buy your tickets at SISTIC, please click here 

Disclaimer: We were invited by Singapore Repertory Theatre to watch the play so that we can give our opinions about it. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours. Images are courtesy of Singapore Repertory Theatre. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts (both on the kiddo and my furkid), food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), outdoor fun, useful reviews, early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

Review: I Theatre's The Magic Paintbrush

:: The Story

The Magic Paintbrush by I Theatre is a classic tale with a realistic local twist. The play starts with Toni, a 10 year old girl in modern setting preparing for her exams. The scene was particularly familiar to me as we caught the play during Dumpling’s SA period. LOL! 

Toni was mugging for her papers where the mood was tense and temper ran high. Toni was tired and was losing focus to the horror of her father, a classic Tiger Dad, who believes in all hard work and no play as Toni needed to “study to succeed”. Toni subsequently fell asleep after she made a wish and was transported back to the past where her adventure begins...

Toni became the well-known Ma Liang in the Southern Province of China (just like “Under One Roof” ~ if you are from the same era as me, you will understand the joke!), who was gifted with a magic paintbrush by an “Old Man” played by Dwayne, a familiar face on stage having acted in many children productions. 

True to the original tale, Toni used puts the Magic Paintbrush to good use by painting food for the poor villagers. Tales of her “work” were heard and witnessed by two of the King’s imperial guards, Shrimp and Sotong, who brought Toni back to the Palace to meet the emperor who wanted Toni to make him rich, or in this case, even richer.

:: What we like

The modern day issue of paper chase and academic stress was captured well in the story by Tan Shou Chen who acted as Toni’s dad (also the emperor). The harsh words and the pushiness of Toni’s father made me cringe inwardly and at one point, I even turned back to ask Dumpling if I am like that. Ha ha ha ha…

Jodi Chan, who takes the stage for the first time in collaboration with I Theatre as Toni, was expressive and believable. She portrayed her role well as a struggling young student which was well balanced with childlike innocence. In I Theatre's usual fashion - puppets were used as some of the characters such as Phoenix (Mdm Hoang) and Chicken, adding more dimension to the production.

The kiddo’s and my favorite characters however, are Shrimp and Sotong, the two Imperial guides who added much comic relief to the play with their silly antics and physical comedy. Their song "Every Whichever Way" was catchy and fun. In fact, the song stayed in our minds and the kiddo and I found ourselves singing some of the lyrics at home!  

Living up to its usual puppetry mastery, my favorite scene has to be where Toni sent the emperor and the 2 guards off to sea. Without revealing too much, I enjoyed the visual treat and impact of the use of black light theatre which captured the ocean scene beautifully. I only wish that there were more scenes using this technique. :)

While the kiddo enjoyed the play as is, it made me reflect deeper as a parent. Toni’s father was all about the paper chase just like the Emperor with his single-mindedness in becoming even richer. Like many Singaporean parents, I often cave in to the pressure of working towards results as after all, this is a meritocratic society. I was brought up being reminded time and time again by my parents that results = good job opportunity = a better quality life.

So in the same way, I often chide Dumpling for her careless mistakes as I believe that she can do better. While not as extreme as Toni’s dad, I see so much of us, local parents, in him. The play did not just teach Dumpling lessons on greed and helpfulness but also taught me lessons on contentment and mindfulness.  

So what happens to Toni and the dad in the end, you might ask? Catch the play and find out for yourselves! After all, the Semestral Assessments in schools are over by now so why not treat yourself and your children to this play?

Event Details

Dates:

Thu, 27 Oct - Sat, 12 Nov 2016
27 0ct 2016 till 30 Oct 2016
Thu - Fri: 10.30am & 2.30pm
Sat & Sun: 11am & 2.30pm

Duration:

Approximately 1hr 30mins

(With 15 mins intermission)

1 Nov 2016 till 12 Nov 2016
Tue & Thu: 10.30am & 2.30pm
Wed & Fri: 10.30am
Sat: 11am, 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Sun: 11am & 5pm

Venue: Drama Centre Theatre

Disclaimer: We were invited to the play, sponsored by I Theatre to give our opinions on it. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours. Photos are courtesy of I Theatre. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!  

Giveaway! ITheatre's Magic Paintbrush!

Improvised from the well-known Chinese folk tale, The Magic Paintbrush concludes I Theatre's line-up for 2016 after an impressive line up of plays such as The Rainbow Fish, The Boy who Cried Wolf, etc.

:: The Story 

Like many youngsters, Toni Lee, from present-day Singapore, struggles with the pressure and stress of schoolwork and parental expectations. With an accidental wish, Toni quite unexpectedly meets a Magical Paintbrush, and is transported back in time to a Southern Province of China, where Toni becomes Ma Liang 马良. In a series of magical adventures, Ma Liang’s story unfolds.

Meet the tuneful Phoenix who guides and helps Ma Liang with his quest. Watch out for the comical Palace Guards, Sotong and Shrimp, as they try to capture Ma Liang for the cruel, greedy Emperor and his wicked schemes!

Through the fun and laughter, a clear and strong moral message about the value of creativity, friendship, and the dangers of using, or abusing power is presented in this magical, musical family show. 

:: The Book

A unique feature of this production is that (maybe for the first time in Singapore) a brand new picture book was launched in conjunction with the first production of the play. Dumpling had the chance to read this book some years back and liked it very much!

Written by the playwright, Brian Seward, and illustrated by Francis Chua, The Magic Paintbrush was published by international publishers Marshall Cavendish International (Asia). Aimed at the Primary school audience, this beautifully illustrated colour picture book contains all the characters and the storyline from the play, and develops some story elements further in a way that the play could not.

I am pleased to share that I have 3 pairs of 2 tickets to this classic tale to give away! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

:: Terms and Conditions

1.                   These tickets will be to the 11am show on Saturday 29 Oct 2016. 

2.                   Winner is to collect the tickets directly from I Theatre office @ 27 Kerbau Road by 27 October (no onsite collection is allowed) during office hours.

3.                   Tickets are not exchangeable for cash or for other dates.

4.                   Please remember to leave a comment below on "Which other Chinese folk story you like and why?"

5.                  The giveaway is not endorsed, associated with administrated by Facebook.                  
6.          As the play takes place in Singapore, this giveaway is opened only to Singapore Residents. GOOD LUCK! 

Can't wait for the giveaway results? You can purchase tickets here!

Event Details

Dates:

Thu, 27 Oct - Sat, 12 Nov 2016
27 0ct 2016 till 30 Oct 2016
Thu - Fri: 10.30am & 2.30pm
Sat & Sun: 11am & 2.30pm

Duration:

Approximately 1hr 30mins

(With 15 mins intermission)

1 Nov 2016 till 12 Nov 2016
Tue & Thu: 10.30am & 2.30pm
Wed & Fri: 10.30am
Sat: 11am, 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Sun: 11am & 5pm

Venue:Drama Centre Theatre

Disclaimer: The giveaway is kindly sponsored by I Theatre. We are not compensated for the post. All opinions expressed are entirely ours.

If you have enjoyed this post, please follow me on my Facebook Page where I share my parenting thoughts, food photos (be prepared for tons of them!), early shout outs for giveaways and interact with you, my readers! You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!