SPOT ON CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL 2016

The fifth annual Spot On Children’s Festival presented by Riverside Theatres has unveiled its epic September school holiday program where children will delve into magical worlds through live theatre, sensational storytelling, marvelous music and far-out films.

From 27th September to 2nd October, Spot On will welcome thousands of children and their families to experience a sensational program of award-winning shows, relaxed performances, free activities, Sydney premieres and even a Helpmann-nominated production!

Featured in the Festival’s program is the award-winning comedy duo, The Listies, with their new show all about the movies, 6D. Audiences can expect haunted backpacks, ninja nans, vomiting puppets and fully automatic toilet-paper guns. With the assistance of a GoPro camera, The Listieswill create a movie at every performance which is sure to see the silver screen turn brown!

The internationally acclaimed Slingsby Theatre Company will present their beautiful production of Oscar Wilde’s The Young King. Nominated for a Helpmann Award this year, the incredible show will take audiences on a journey to far away lands where a naïve boy, raised by goatherds, discovers he is heir to a kingdom. Following a sold out extended season at the 2016 Adelaide Festival of Arts, The Young King will premiere in Sydney at Spot On.

Little Wings Puppets will bring their incredible creations to the Spot On stage in the interactive show The Owl’s Apprentice. Set in the Australian bush, The Owl’s Apprentice combines shadow and hand puppetry with physical comedy to tell the story of a young owl who is learning to become wise.

Spot On patrons will be invited to step into the story in the exciting new adventure game, In A Deep Dark Forest by The Inhabitors. Set within a magical pop-up forest and played in the dark, participants are guided by the storyteller as they undertake a series of fun challenges to complete the quest and bring to life a classic storytelling adventure.

Returning to the Festival due to popular demand is Curious Jac, a delightful musical story led by bilingual storyteller Lilli Pang. With insatiable curiosity, Jac will embark on a globe-trotting adventure to discover the answers to all her questions.

Former Yellow Wiggle and ARIA Award winner, Sam Moran, will add a dash of star power to the Spot On program with his show, Play Along with Sam. A colourful journey through the world of music, movement, word play and imaginative games, the show will include singing, dancing and hilarity for the whole family.

With tickets at the bargain price of just $10, the Riverside Theatres’ cinema screen will delight audiences both young and old with two Australian films, Maya the Bee Movie and Blinky Bill the Movie, a stunning remastered version of The Iron Giant: Signature Edition, and the new film Kubo and the Two Strings featuring Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey.

The Spot On program will also feature the unique addition of a video game in development, Projection, created by Australian developer Shadowplay Studios. Through manipulation of light, Projection will explore the world of shadow puppet theatre from different cultures including Javanese, Chinese, Turkish and 19th Century Europe.

In 2016, the Spot On Children’s Festival will continue its dedication to relaxed performances which sees the traditional rules of theatre dismissed to cater for young audiences with anxiety or additional needs. During relaxed performances, the theatre lights will be kept on, children can meet the performers before the show and there are no rules on entering or leaving the theatre throughout the performance.

Rounding out the bumper Spot On program will be a variety of fun free activities including balloon twisters, face-painting, craft activities, a play gym, book tent and more.

The 2016 Spot On Children’s Festival program is available via the Riverside Theatres website at: https://riversideparramatta.com.au/spoton16

What: Spot On Children’s Festival
Dates: 27 September to 2 October 2016
Tickets: Free to $20. From the Box Office (02) 8839 3399 or www.riversideparramatta.com.au
Venue: Riverside Theatres – Corner of Church and Market Streets, Parramatta
Recommendation: Children aged 1-12 years

Full Program:

• The Listies 6D – 10.30am on 27 and 28 Sept; 1pm on 28 Sept
• The Owl’s Apprentice – 10am and 12.30pm on 27 and 28 Sept. Relaxed performance at 12.30pm on 27 Sept
• Curious Jac – 10am and 12.30pm on 29 and 30 Sept. Relaxed performance 12.30pm on 29 Sept
• Play Along with Sam – 11am and 2pm on 29 Sept
• The Young King – 10.30 am and 1pm on 29 Sept to 1 Oct
• Maya the Bee Movie – 2.15pm on 29 Sept
• In a Deep Dark Forest –12pm and 3pm on 30 Sept, 9:30am, 12pm and 3pm on 1 and 2 Oct
• Blinky Bill the Movie – 2.15pm on 30 Sept
• The Iron Giant: Signature Edition – 2.15pm on 1 Oct
• Kubo and the Two Strings – 2.15pm on 2 Oct