Puppeteering duo, Bridget and Roger Sanders brought Box of Birds to Hamilton last weekend. Photo / Abby Dalgety
What: Box of Birds, puppet performance
When: Sunday, March 3
Where: Hamilton Arts Festival- Toi Ora ki Kirikiriroa
Reviewed by Abby Dalgety
Puppeteering duo Bridget and Roger Sanders, of Birdlife Productions, brought their show, Box of Birds to the Hamilton Arts Festival – Toi Ora ki Kirikiriroa.
This cute and touching story about Peter and his grandma is designed for kids aged between 3 and 6 and incorporates live music and song with the magical wonder of puppetry.
Peter and his grandma build a nesting box for Ruru, but Peter must be patient and wait to discover who will eventually nest in his box of birds.
The bird characters are familiar New Zealand natives and the story seeks to introduce young children to the idea of supporting our birdlife and the different needs they may have.
The detail and precision in the puppets were impressive and aided a delicate wonder to the storytelling.
I took my 4-year-old along to this performance and she was enchanted. It’s a hard feat to keep the attention of a group of toddlers and preschoolers, but the combination of the delightful songs and endearing storyline had them all sitting still and mesmerised.
It was great to see a good crowd of adults with their little people braving the pouring rain in the Indian Char Bagh Garden.
We were huddled under shelter with an array of colourful rugs and pillows for the kids to sit on, and the rain added a beautiful moody backdrop for a sweet 30-minute show. Educational elements were woven into the storyline quite subtly and perfect for their target audience.
Although the show was short and sweet, it did seem to end a bit abruptly. Suddenly, we were getting thanked for coming and I felt like the show still had a little more to give. Nevertheless, a great little show designed for our tamariki.
Abby Dalgety is a tutor at the School of Media Arts at Wintec Te Pūkenga in Hamilton.
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