Telling tales under a kiwi moon

ANIMATION: Actor Carrie Green of the Capital E National Theatre for Children with a puppet alongside which she will help bring to life Kiwi Moon at Carterton Events Centre on April 28 as part of a nationwide tour this year.

The tale of a white kiwi on a journey of self-discovery will come to life for Wairarapa children at the Carterton Events Centre.

The Capital E National Theatre for Children brings the story Kiwi Moon to the Wairarapa venue on April 28 as part of an 18-date nationwide tour aimed at New Zealand school children, said publicist Pippa Drakeford.

The tour runs from April 23 to November 20, and the Kiwi Moon stage production is based on the picture book of the name from Gavin Bishop, an award-winning Christchurch-based children's picture book writer and illustrator.

Bishop has produced more than 60 books ranging from original tales to the retelling of Maori myths, European fairy tales and nursery rhymes, and in 2013 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children's literature.

Peter Wilson penned the original adaptation of the story, Ms Drakeford said, and the latest show follows a storyline newly adapted for the stage by Rachel Callinan and tracing "a deceptively simple story that speaks of diversity and how being different has an impact on our community relationships".

"It is the tale of a little white kiwi who thinks the moon might be his mother because it is white and bright and round like him."

Children will embark on a journey through the forest floor to hula with huhu grubs, watch out for the wekas, and calypso with the handsome kakapo. Kerryn Palmer directs the latest adaptation of Kiwi Moon, which features puppets and four actors about which the story unfolds with innovative set designs.