Fans of Peppa Pig and Geronimo Stilton are in for a treat, as the two characters will soon return to the Singapore stage in two new musicals this year.
Peppa Pig Live – Perfect Rainy Day will be staged at The Theatre at Mediacorp on Feb 22 and 23.
The Theatre is also the venue for Geronimo Stilton Live – The Return To The Kingdom Of Fantasy. The show about the fictional mouse hero will be shown on March 22.
The productions differ in their styles of staging, but both aim to recreate the magic of the popular television show and book series they are respectively based on, says producer Nick Larkin from Millennium Entertainment International, which is producing both shows.
"In Geronimo, the visual scenery will include projections and video mapping, with images from the book," says the Australia-born, Britain-based Larkin, 55, who adds that the musical is targeted at children older than pre-school ages.
He says that in comparison, Peppa Pig Live – Perfect Rainy Day caters to younger children and its staging will be simpler to reflect the look of the television show.
In the one-hour musical, Peppa Pig is stuck at home with her family and friends due to an unexpected storm. To fight boredom, they put on a play, creating a play within a play for the audience.
The musical's writer and director Tracey White, 40, hopes the show will teach children that things do not always go as planned, but they can still make the most of what they have and overcome challenges with some teamwork.
White, who previously lived in Singapore and is now based in New Zealand, also directed the 2018 musical Peppa Pig's Celebration, which was performed at Mediacorp's MES Theatre.
This year's show will involve a cast of 11 people, most of whom are from Singapore, decked out in the costumes of Peppa and her family and friends.
Audience members can expect crowd favourites such as The Bing Bong Song, nursery rhymes as well as stage effects such as bubbles and confetti.
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BOOK IT / PEPPA PIG LIVE – PERFECT RAINY DAY
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WHERE: The Theatre at Mediacorp, 1 Stars Avenue
WHEN: Feb 22, 7pm; Feb 23, 11am, 2 and 5pm
ADMISSION: $58 to $118 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg)
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BOOK IT /GERONIMO STILTON LIVE – THE RETURN TO THE KINGDOM OF FANTASY
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WHERE: The Theatre at Mediacorp
WHEN: March 22, 11am, 2 and 5pm
ADMISSION: $58 to $118 from Sistic
Meanwhile, the Geronimo Stilton show will feature animation inspired by illustrations in the children's book series of the same name.
The upcoming show, which has a cast of eight actors from the United Kingdom, will see Geronimo and his friends embark on a journey to help the queen of the fairies find the "heart of happiness".
Director John Bowles says: "We use projections in lovely ways, such that some of the characters in real life will be interacting with animated characters. The books are full of colour and illustration, so they're perfect for putting on stage."
He was inspired to create a new production of the book series after he adapted and directed a previous show, Geronimo Stilton, Live In The Kingdom Of Fantasy, in 2017.
The 2017 musical was first produced in Spain by Spanish Focus Grup and Grup62. It was watched by more than a quarter of a million people in Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada. The musical was shown here in 2017 and 2018.
Bowles says he fell in love with Geronimo while adapting and translating the musical into English.
The Australia-born, France-based Bowles says: "Everyone sees (Geronimo) as a hero and his intentions are pure, but he has all the frailties of a normal person. He gets scared and worried. He's very sweet."
He hopes the musical will help the audience to understand the importance of empathy and friendship.
"The children who read the books get that message very clearly. Some characters are loud while others are mysterious, but they all love one another," he says.
Other upcoming kids shows
KIDSFEST 2020: MR MEN AND LITTLE MISS
Based on the popular childrens book series by British author Roger Hargreaves and his son Adam, this show features characters such as Mr Bump, Little Miss Sunshine and Mr Tickle as puppets. It is part of the annual KidsFest, which aims to expose children to theatre.
Where: Victoria Theatre, 9 Empress Place
When: Feb 6 and 7 (5pm)Read More – Source
