Where Kids Rule is the theme of the 29th Northern Alberta International Children's Festival, and a quick stroll through a packed downtown St. Albert makes it obvious they are crowned king.
It's impossible to miss the wild balloon hats, wicked face painting, huge smiles and an electrically charged mood that is a mainstay of the five-day festival ending this Saturday.
There's an amazing roster of local, national and international artists introducing never-before seen puppetry, circus arts, acrobatics, clowning, dance, music and drama. But until you've seen several shows back-to-back, it is difficult to appreciate the diversity, imagination and sophistication artists draw upon to entertain and educate children.
Some main stage productions such as At Nightfall are a whimsical fantasy while Ha Ha Ha is unbridled silliness and What a Knight! is just plain fun.
Visit www.childfest.com for a complete list of main stage shows. Tickets are $10/adults; $8.50/children. Call 780-459-1542 or visit www.ticketmaster.ca
Khac Chi Bamboo Music
Standard General Tent
Ages five and over
One of the things festival organizers do well is think globally. This year Khac Chi Bamboo Music brings to us the ancient musical traditions of Vietnam.
The husband and wife team of Chi Khac Ho and Bic Hoang, both classically trained musicians, present their exclusive collection of about 10 to 12 bamboo instruments showcasing a range of haunting and lively melodies. Heck, they even throw in Frere Jacques, This Old Man and Oh Susanna!
This act targeted to youngsters under 10 is different from the majority of main stage shows. In this 45-minute performance, much of the focus is educational by presenting the instruments and playing a tune that displays the sound.
Some instruments are as large as people such as the t'rung, a suspended xylophone-like instrument made from bamboo pipes knitted together to look like a Christmas tree. The smallest instrument was a two-centimetre hollow tube that fit in Hoang's mouth and sounded like a nasty mosquito.
Ho, a master at playing the dan bau, coaxed some of the most delicate, fluid sounds from this one-string zither constructed from bamboo and water buffalo horn. He also tackled the tre tram, two one-metre vertical tubes with a foot pedal that create percussive sounds.
Hoang played the k'longput in a unique fashion. The instrument is made up of a number of bamboo pipes lying one on top of the other. At the pipes' opening, Hoang clapped her hands and the forced movement of air into the instrument created popping sounds.
While listening to these exotic instruments was delightful, most of the kids got a charge out of being invited on stage to play these weird and wonderful instruments.
The Man Who Planted Trees
Puppet State Theatre Company
école Father Jan
Ages seven and up
The Man Who Planted Trees is an enchanting tale that will tug your heart strings as you journey into the life of a simple shepherd who shows one person can make a difference.
In this Puppet State Theatre show, prepare for lots of laughs, a few tears, a bit of heartbreak, and the most lovable dog puppet you will ever meet.
Much of the show's success is due to the special chemistry between puppeteers Richard Meddrington, the straight man, and Rick Conte, the dog's hilarious mouthpiece.
Meddrington is Jean, the narrator, a man who journeys to Provence around the time of the First World War and discovers a parched wasteland unable to sustain human habitation.
Jean's canteen is slowly emptying and no water is in sight. Elzéard Bouffier, a shepherd who lives in small stone house atop a mountain rescues the thirsty Jean and so begins a 40-year friendship.
Slowly bits of Elzéard's life are unravelled and Jean learns that the silent shepherd, accompanied by his loyal dog, spends his days planting acorns and seeds. Over the decades a vast forest of oak, birch and beech sprouts.
Gradually life returns. Huge forest canopies trap water and soon streams begin bubbling even as animals, birds and bees repopulate the area.
While the basic story structure is simple, Meddrington is a captivating raconteur who draws you in with colourful tidbits, and makes you feel as if you are a trusted companion on his dusty journey.
But it is Elzéard's unforgettable collie, a pooch equally devoted to sausage rolls and sticks, whose outrageously comical view of life utterly charms us and breaks down all barriers.
This one-hour tale is so timely in an era when conservation is such a big topic. But it is also wrapped in hope and reminds us that against all odds, even small men can achieve great things.
Jason and the Argonauts
Visible Fictions Theatre
école Father Jan
Ages nine and up
Sweat-soaked actors Simon Donaldson and Tim Settle are two hard working actors who push the limits in the testosterone fuelled Jason and the Argonauts.
In the space of 75 minutes they battle Pelias, a psychopathic king, Ceto, a sea monster, the half-woman half-bird harpies, a dragon and the Clashing Rocks that smash entire ships.
But it is all for a good cause as the larger-than-life Jason and his G. I. Joe action figure Argonauts sail to the end of the world to steal a golden fleece that will bring peace to their kingdom.
Visible Fictions Theatre has recreated the action-packed swashbuckling Greek odyssey of a young man set to reclaim his throne. And through a series of adventures and misadventures, good triumphs over evil.
The set is really quite impressive, a large farmer's cart that opens up and forms a series of locations: the body of ship, a throne room, cliffs, a palace and the fleece's lair.
The tale starts off with hosts Josh and Andy jousting with each other, before they launch into the adventure. Throughout the play, they shift time and space and in the blink of an eye they morph into countless characters. But the characters are so well defined it is never confusing.
The pace moves at quite a clip. In the show I reviewed, several kids booed the villain and cheered the Argonauts. A loud, boisterous, fun-filled production, Jason and the Argonauts is ideal for high-energy kids that love adventure.
