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Children beware - the Pied Piper is coming to town.
Howick Children's and Youth Theatre is set to spook and thrill audiences with its production of The Pied Piper, as part of the first Manukau Festival of Arts.
The production is based on the ancient German legend, in which the children of the town of Hamelin are lured out of town by a man playing a musical pipe.
With a 28-strong cast aged 8 to 15, the show is set to deliver giggles and frights to both young and adult audiences, according to director Fiona Bailey.
"It's a great story. Kids will enjoy it and parents will be entertained too - there's a lot of humour.
"It is quite an old story [but] I think it's important for children to be exposed to old stories, because they're different. It's really got the moral that family is more important than money."
The cast has been rehearsing for five weeks, preparing for opening night on November 14.
The Pied Piper will play at the Malcolm Smith Gallery Theatre, Uxbridge Creative Centre, until November 22.
The Manukau Festival of Arts will showcase many arts events duringthe first and second week of next month.