KidsFest 2014: What The Ladybird Heard

We are big fans of Julia Donaldson and her books in this house. Ever since I first read The Gruffalo, I've steadily collected more of her titles for our shelves. I love that the stories are simple and easy to follow, written in rhyming verse, and contains sufficient repetition to appeal to kids and yet not drive me mad when reading the books for the umpteenth time! The illustrations too are quite delightful. 

What the Ladybird Heard is one of these gems. The story is simple but clever: The farmyard is full of noisy animals (MOO! HISS! BAAA! CLUCK!) and a quiet ladybird, who never said a word. But when Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len hatch a plan to steal the fine prize cow, it is this quietest animal of all who saves the day. This is a great book to read aloud as everyone can chime in with the animal noises. The kids also love the little game of "I spy" on every page, trying to spot the tiny glittery ladybird. It is a lot of fun.

So you can imagine that we were all excited when we heard that What the Ladybird Heard would be coming as part of KidsFest 2014! We'd been looking forward to KidsFest since we got a little preview of it last year and were super stoked to be catching the show. Though I was curious: how were they going to turn a simple 5-minute book into a full hour-long production?

I got my answer in this brilliant multi-layered play which we squeezed out some time to watch just before reunion dinner with my parents.

The story started as you would expect, with a farmer on a farm, introducing us to his fine prize cow. And then the farmer calls for the animals and an assistant stage manager brings out animals painted on cardboard boxes and then the farmer pulls off his beard and explains that she (for the farmer is actually a lady not a gent) is really the stage manager and their props haven't arrived on time and they'll have to cancel the show and the lights come on and… what did she just say??

(credit: ABA Productions)

Even I got a little confused, and more so when they started trying to pick members of the audience to play Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len. It only became clear after they "picked" Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, who war obviously off-stage plants in the audience. There followed a highly entertaining and ingenious sequence where the four actors on stage put together the "animals" for the farmyard using items to be found in a farmyard, which stands out as one of my favourite scenes. The story then jumps back into more familiar ground, following the tale in the book. 

(credit: ABA Productions)

There was plenty to love in this production. First, the music. It was filled with songs, all catchy tunes. The audience was encouraged to sing along to many, and my kids did, with gusto. In fact, just before my 2-year old fell asleep, she spontaneously starting singing "Ladybird, ladybird, where are you?" a song she'd sung along to in the play. I thought it was the cutest thing.

Then there was the fact that there was plenty of audience participation. No worries here that your child is asking inappropriate questions or laughing too loudly. In addition to the all the singing, the kids were encouraged to make the animal sounds, do some actions, and contribute their ideas to the building of the animal props. 

But what I loved most was the way that the show, beyond being just entertainment, was an inspiration for creativity. As my 5-year old and I were discussing the show while walking out of the theatre, he suddenly turned to me with shining eyes and said, "Maybe we can make some of the animals at home!" Exactly the sort of thing I would love to encourage in him. I plan to follow through with the making of some animal props, hopefully during this Chinese New Year break.

(credit: ABA Productions)

All in all, a great production. I'll be honest -- I've always balked a bit at the ticket prices for KidsFest productions, which I feel are higher than other kids' productions here in Singapore. But after watching this show, I can see that prices are justified. It really does live up to its billing of being world-class theatre for young people.

There are just two shows of What the Ladybird Heard left at this point on Saturday, 1 February 2014, 10am and 12pm so if you have the time, I would highly recommend you head down to the DBS Arts Centre to catch this play. Tickets are priced at $62, $52, and $42, and are available through Sistic.

Also upcoming is The Boy Who Cried Wolf, which would be on at the same venue from today, 31 January till 9 February 2014. This is a tale about a boy who is unable to find delight in what is around him and instead seeks adventure, excitement and the thrill of the unknown. Inspired by the famous Aesop fable, this wonderful play has a gifted ensemble of three actor musicians who play delightful characters, funny sheep, and perhaps a wolf or two. Tickets are available here through Sistic.

For more information, do check out KidsFest 2014 website or their official Singapore Facebook page

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Thanks for an awesome time Kidsfest! And for the balloons!

*We received complimentary tickets to watch What the Ladybird Heard at Kidsfest for the purpose of this review. All opinions remain my own.