Jennifer De Reuck

There is something strange happening on Leighton Beach in Western Australia. A little toy zebra has washed up on the shore and Chitty-Chitty, the Willy-wagtail, has heard his child crying for him. With her friends - the forgotten toys in the Museum, Hanneen, Mous and Pauline, and an unexpected arrival, Raggedy Annie - Chitty-Chitty embarks on a journey to save him and return him to his child before the magic fades and the toys must return to their long, deep sleep. The Great Snottygobble, whose powers have summoned them all, has given them a difficult task to perform and they’re not sure they are up to it. For, alarmingly, Mugga, the Tasmanian Tiger, is on the loose, also summoned it seems by the Great Snottygobble. With the magic fading fast, they have to rescue the little zebra … but can they do it in time?

Matilda and her puppets are trying to save the animals in Papa Gorgonzola’s circus from their life of misery. The plot takes the audience on an imaginative journey from Italy via Africa (to capture the fabled “Gorilla in the Mist”) to Kuala Lumpur! Matilda will need the resourcefulness of the Malaysian animals and birds she meets as well as the help of the people of Kuala Lumpur if she is going to be able to give the circus animals their dignity, and if they’re all going to take part in the Brickfields’ Carnival of Freedom. The show is aimed at children, especially those in primary school, as well as the young at heart! Murdoch University is offering a multimedia experience in TFA’s Shantanand Auditorium, with a magnificent set, spectacular puppets, lavish costumes, original music by Malaysian composer Nick Choo, and a script that blends physical theatre with an appealing storyline.

The Murdoch University Children’s Performing Group, in collaboration with The Temple of Fine Arts, presents The Phoenix and the Fighting Pandas of Yunnan Province. The production is performed by students enrolled in the Children’s Theatre unit, which has been part the drama offerings of Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, since 2000. This year, the cast, crew and creative team are bringing their production beyond Australia, with workshops and performances in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur. The Phoenix and the Fighting Pandas of Yunnan Province is a play for children (and grown-ups who are young-at-heart!) written and directed by Associate Professor Jenny de Reuck, with original music by Malaysian composer Nick Choo (www.nick-choo.com), and movement by Malaysian choreographer and performer Muralitharan Pillai.