Do your kids have a favourite bedtime story that they can’t get enough of? My kids sure did. Oink! Oink! Can you guess what it is?
The Three Little Pigs is the most requested story when they were much younger. It is so fun to read that I don’t mind reading it over and over again, especially when they joined in to ‘huff and puff and blow the house down’!
Today, at age 10 and 12, this fairytale is a childhood story they remember fondly. And who better to share their favourite The Three Little Pigs story in theatre than with their 5-year-old cousin.
What makes this particular rendition of The Three Pigs special is that The Little Company (TLC) specially commissioned the Laurence Olivier Award-winning creative duo Anthony Drewe and George Stiles of Mary Poppins and Honk! fame to write the play in 2012. Since its premiere in Singapore five years ago, this play has been staged in numerous languages and countries, winning accolades along the way.
The Three Little Pigs was selected for NAMT Festival 2013 in New York. Since then, the show’s popularity has spread like swine fever, playing at The Greenwich Theatre in London and The Sydney Opera House in Australia, a hit season at Emerald City Theatre in Chicago, productions in Finland and over a 1000 performances in China. In summer 2015, it embarked on a UK Tour before its West End premiere at London’s Palace Theatre. ~ SRT
This year, it returned home to Singapore to woo the hearts of kids and parents alike.
At first, I was concerned that my daughter would be bored because she knows this story by heart and my hyperactive little nephew might not be able to sit through his first theatre experience. But this photo of their rapt attention during the performance (which I sneakily took during the play), says it all.
What We Love About Cha, Siew and Bao
As always, TLC delights and enraptures us with their ingenious backdrop, colorful costumes, engaging cast, catchy songs and entertaining dance routines in this play!
You and your kids will adore the characters and laugh at the witty back and forth between Mama Pig and the piglets, between the piglets and between the piglets and the Big Bad Wolf.
We absolutely LOVE the names of the three little pigs — Char, Siu, and Bao!! For the uninitiated, Char Siu Bao means barbeque pork bun in Mandarin. We love the cheeky humor of the writers and the tongue-in-cheek dialogue in the play. Ask any educational experts and they will tell you that the best way to remember anything is to inject a sense of humor into the material. And this play has plenty of wits. The kids may not remember all the lines in the play, but they will definitely remember the names and the characters: Char, Siu, and Bao.
Because this is such a familiar story, I will not bore you with the synopsis except to say that it was refreshing to watch this classic fairy tale through new, modern lens.
Watching this story unfold as a play, I found myself with new insights into the story. Reading to the kids before, I had always taken the characters and plot at face value. I have never given much thought to Mama Pig as a single parent raising her kids on her own or the emotions she feels as a mom.
Now, I find myself relating to her maternal instincts as she dishes out pertinent advice to her three piglets to be aware of threats, obstacles, and dangers as they make their way in the world. As my kids breeze through their current tween years and into their teens, I too find myself dishing out maternal advice to fortify their resilience and independence and warning them about potential risks and dangers.
The symbolism of the Big Bad Wolf in this story has never been more poignant before today. Back then, the Big Bad Wolf was just that – an animal who eats little pigs. Today, the Big Bad Wolves manifest in the form of temptations, distractions, and even people. For example, now that my kids take buses on their own, I teach them to be discerning of their choice of seats and to have a sense of alertness when they are out on the streets.
On a side note: The Big Bad Wolf in this play is Haba-haba-licious!! If you are not watching the play for your kids’ sake, go watch it for the Big Bad Wolf… (what? mommy also gets to have some fun too right?! Haha!)
Okay, let’s not get too philosophical.
Here are the Three Main Morals we learn from the play:
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Family sticks together
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Everyone has different skills and talents
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Success can be achieved through hard work and perseverance.
If your kids are still young, just go and enjoy the story. It is well-worth the hour spent for the family to watch this very entertaining play…This play is the perfect ‘Great Big Little Broadway Show’ for audiences aged three and up!
Click on this link to watch the video.
| Date: | 4th August to 17 September 2016 |
| Showtime: | Monday to Friday 10am Saturdays 11am and 2pm Play is 50 minutes long with no break. |
| Venue: | DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT (click the link to access directions)20 Merbau Road |
| Ticketing: | From $25 excluding SISTIC fee. Group discounts/ Family Packages available Call 6348 5555 or log on to SISTIC |
From one piggie play to another, also look out for the TLC’s new production Charlotte’s Web in September.
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Till our next post, love yourself, love one another, stay strong and be free.
You may also like to read our reviews on the following plays for kids:
