Turn on the Light

By Peter Wilson and Kenny King

​

Meet Kenny, he is the caregiver for Tim. It’s bed time, but Tim is convinced there is a monster under his bed. Kenny tells him there are no such things as monsters under the bed. Tim isn’t sure, and wants to have a look. In an attempt to get Tim into bed, Kenny lends a hand, only to find the cat hiding under the bed.

​

“There is no monster only a cat, now turn the light off and go to sleep,” says Kenny.

“Leave the light on and tell me a story.”

​

The story finished – the lights go out. “No! Turn the light on,” says Tim. “I am afraid of the dark! ”

 

And so begins a lights on, lights off, lights on, lights off …

​

Tim finally falls asleep.

​

From out of the shadows comes Frog, Spider, Cat and Mouse. They are creatures of the night and not afraid of the dark at all. Whether Tim is dreaming or not, we don’t know. All we know is that he understands from meeting them that there is nothing to be afraid of in the dark.

​

Full of original music, songs and actions, the puppet characters from Turn on the Light weave a story that helps Tim overcome his fear of the dark. Turn on the Light is a wonderful introduction to theatre for young audiences.

FRINGE 2021 at BATS...

​

Circle of Life
 

Devised by Peter Wilson and Kenny King

Composer (Part One) Liam Reid

Performed by Kenny King

 

 

The beat of a heart, the warmth of a breath, the feel of a touch...

 

Circle of Life weaves the tale of two puppets, told using the ancient art form of puppetry following their journeys through Birth, Life and ultimately death.

​

These inanimate objects come to life as we suspend our disbelief and are taken on a journey, where the end is the beginning and the beginning is the end

Age group: Adult

Rainbows and Fishes

Created By Peter Wilson

Performed By Kenny King

Directed by Peter Wilson & Lyndee Jane Rutherford

​

Home to a happy group of people was a small island in the Pacific Ocean.

Why were they so happy?

They had everything they needed. They grew vegetables and fruit to eat, they caught fish. They played games with each other and told stories, stories of old and stories of new. Sometimes they sang those stories.

They saw all colours that made up their world, the colour of the sand, the hills, the sea, the rocks. They gave the colours names like Yellow, Kowhai, Samasama. They told stories and sang songs about the fish in the sea. The big fish, the small fish and especially the Rainbow fish. The Rainbow fish had all the colours of the world.

 

There was one song they sang, of a time when the Rainbow Fish lost its colours, a time when the other fish in the sea had no colours, a time when the wind created great mischief to the people of the island and the fish in the sea.

 

RAINBOWS AND FISHES is a new theatre piece performed in your school hall or early education centre. The theatre brings its own props and puppets to weave this colourful story about Rainbows and Fishes. English, Te Reo and Samoan are freely used throughout the performance.

 

​

​

COMING JULY 2021...

​

The White Tree
 

By Peter Wilson

Narration Cathryn Robinson

Composer Liam Reid

Puppet Creator Sue Hill

Set Designer Tolis Papazoglou

The Great White Tree was a place where children came to play, to climb amidst it’s branches, a place where creatures made their homes, the birds in nests hidden amongst the leaves, or in the hollows where the roots dived deep into the earth.

A place where people took a rest from long journeys. A place where the wind rustling in the leaves of the tree would tell it stories from distant places. It was in this place that the White Tree was able to remember the story of the Huia Family, the little yellow eyed penguins – Hoiho and the lumbering great green parrot – Kakapo. Stories of sadness and stories of hope.

These memories are precious and the Great White Tree is in danger. Who will remember.

The White Tree is a beautiful piece of theatre created by Little Dog Barking for the whole family.

Age group: Most suitable for children 3–10 years old