The big, Little Festival

The seventh edition presents two in-house productions and two international ones

A scene from the Garage Gang

Kids are a highly perspective audience. Also, a really difficult one — they get fidgety, raucous and bored all too easily. “Technology gives children a really immersive experience. So, the bar is set higher for theatre professionals to present them with something really engaging to hold their attention,” says Krishnakumar Balasubramanian (KK), artistic director, The Little Theatre.

He adds that though technology is immersive, it is not inclusive. “With theatre, the child can be a part of something immediate and original, and get involved to move the story forward.”

KK, who made his directorial debut with the first edition of The Little Festival in 2010, is now at the helm of two productions —

The Garage Gang and

Two Teeth Button Nose — to be staged at the seventh edition of the festival, which commences on Thursday.

“I scripted and acted in

Atita , where we experimented with Japanese Kabuki theatre in 2010. Every year since, we’ve been improvising with formats for the festival. This year, with The Garage Gang , we use movement, percussions and rhythm to celebrate the power of human imagination. The joys of being naive and silly are lost in today’s mechanical world. This piece is a celebration of all that, with a lot of humour thrown in,” says KK, adding, “While the play is for children, adults absorb it in a different way.”

While The Garage Gang is a play about the possibilities of human imagination, Two Teeth Button Nose — starring KK, Egypt Dinesh and Ashley Shillong — is an interactive piece about three clowns who set out on a magical journey looking for treasure.

The Little Festival also showcases two international performances, from South Korea and Germany, in collaboration with the InKo Centre and Max Mueller Bhavan, respectively. “We have a lot of interest from schools because children have an opportunity to get introduced to other cultures, as all the pieces are highly interactive, and get to see things from a different perspective,” says KK.

Paper Window by CCOTBBAT, a visual theatre company from Seoul, blends animation and performance. The story emerges from a white wall, almost like a sketch book coming to life. oOPiCAsSOo , produced by Theatre for Young Audiences in Munster, is the adventures of two actors as they discover the world of colours and see themselves and reality in a new and different way.

“The Little Festival presents these shows so that the children of Chennai can experience high-quality productions. If they grow up with good quality theatre, it will not only ensure continued audiences but also the growth of theatre as an art,” says Aysha Rau, founder of The Little Theatre, who created the festival.

Schedule

The Little Festival will be held from July 7 to 16 at Museum Theatre, Egmore

The Garage Gang – for 12 years and above

July 8 (11 a.m.) and July 9 (7 p.m.)

oOPiCAsSOo – for toddlers aged two and older

July 10 (4 p.m.) and July 11 (11 a.m.)

Two Teeth Button Nose – for those aged five to 11

July 12 (7 p.m.) and July 13 (11 a.m.)

Paper Window – for those aged four and above

July 14 (11 a.m.), July 15 (11 a.m.) and July 16 (7 p.m.)

The passes are priced at Rs. 200 and available on www.explara.com and at Museum Theatre. For details, call 96771 25738.