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Thanks to the folks at Kiztopia for organising their first offsite event, the lucky kids in Singapore can look forward to a bouncy adventure with Jumptopia at D’Marquee Downtown East from now till 10 October 2021. 

Housed in a 12,000-square-foot inflatable park, there are 6 giant Kiztopia-themed bouncy castles, claw machines, games station and more.  I bet my money,  your kids wouldn’t want to leave Jumptopia even after their session ends just like my kids. 

So we kickstarted the September school holiday with a bang by spending our Teachers’ Day morning at Jumptopia. With each bouncy castle of an average size of nine to 12 meters in length and a height of five to six meters, it is a kid’s dream come true. I lost my kids from the moment we entered D’Marquee Downtown East. There are 6 different Kiztopia-themed bouncy castles featuring the centre piece Alien Snail ,Space Frog, Pink Forest,  to name a few.  Recommended for kids aged two years old and above, each bouncy castle has a maximum capacity of 20 to 25 children at any one time and the total capacity at any one time is 120 pax per session.

masks were removed for photo taking purposes only

Alien Snail

Space Frog

Space Mark

Yellow Hive

Space Frog

Neptune Pool (with a ball pit too!)

Besides bouncing fun, there are also different craft activity zones mini station games like bean bag toss, ring toss,art and craft stations with colouring mats and fun magnetic toys, rows of claw machines and Instagrammable photo booths featuring Jumptopia’s quirky characters.

Don’t forget to complete your Redemption Cards to redeem your goodie bags too! 

My kids enjoyed their visit so much with 6 giant bouncy castles to bounce, jump, run and go wild. For me, it was a great workout too as I explored the bouncing castles with my kids, enjoying family time and taking lots of photos of our visit. We hope per session could be a tad longer, that said, it is actually quite tiring climbing and jumping too.

If you are planning for the September holiday or weekends,  this is a must visit as it is not weather dependent as it is housed in a tentage with air-conditioning and the kids will ask for a return visit too before the event ends on 10 October. 

See the video of our super fun visit. 

Entry tickets are priced at $18.00 per person (child or adult). Group bundle promotions will also be available at $64.00 for four tickets (U.P. $72.00). Tickets are available on KKday now!

There are 6 sessions to choose daily.

• 10 am – 11.45 am
• 12 pm – 1.45 pm
• 2 pm – 3.45 pm
• 4 pm – 5.45 pm
• 6 pm – 7.45 pm
• 8 pm – 9.45 pm

Truth be told, I have not read books by Roald Dahl including Matilda, only my kids had. I even had to “borrow” big J’s copy and he said that he will charge me if it was overdue just like the national library. I have possession of Matilda by Roald Dahl but I have yet to start reading. I didn’t grow up with Roald Dahl books but my older kids have, so this will be a huge treat for them seeing what they have read being reenacted as a full length musical.

Acclaimed as ‘the standout musical of the decade’ by the UK’s Sunday Times, the multi award-winning Matilda The Musical will make its debut in Singapore from 21 February 2019 at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. Inspired by the beloved book by the incomparable Roald Dahl, Matilda The Musical has taken both London’s West End and Broadway by storm, garnering five-star reviews across the board. Winner of over 85 international awards, including 16 for Best Musical, Matilda is now in its seventh year in London where it continues to delight audiences of all ages, and has been seen by more than 8 million people. The Singapore season marks the first time the hit musical has ventured to Asia, having toured to Australia and New Zealand from 2015-2017.

The musical follows Matilda, a precocious 5-year-old girl who loves reading and learning, but is suppressed by her TV-obsessed parents who pay her little attention. As she grows up, she begins to resist the challenges and obstacles presented to her, learning that sometimes you have to be a “little bit naughty” in order to get through life. As she begins to master living with her family, her world is thrown into disarray as she starts a new school under the tyrannous grip of Headteacher Miss Trunchbull. Seeking solace in the library in a world of her imagination and creation, Matilda forms-morestrong bonds with adults such as Librarian Mrs Phelps and her class teacher Miss Honey. Together they give her the confidence to embrace her special gift and individuality which is needed to reclaim
her life.

photo credit: Base Entertainment

photo credit: Base Entertainment

photo credit: Base Entertainment

photo credit: Base Entertainment

photo credit: Base Entertainment

The Chief Executive Officer of Base Entertainment Asia Chantal Prudhomme said, “Matilda is about overcoming the bully, changing your destiny and creating your own path, something both children and adults can relate to and inspire from. Base is proud to bring internationally renowned shows from Broadway and the West End to Singapore audience. We are exceptionally thrilled and honoured to be presenting the astounding production of Matilda this February.”

Featuring a smart and witty original score by Olivier Award winner Tim Minchin, alongside an exciting book by Tony Award®-winning playwright Dennis Kelly, and ingenious staging by Tony Award® winning director Matthew Warchus and Tony Award® winning choreographer Peter Darling, the musical adaptation is one of the most successful British musicals of modern times.The production has sets and costumes by Tony Award® winner Rob Howell, with orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Tony Award® winner Hugh Vanstone, and sound by Simon Baker.

Chief Executive of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions James Cundall said, “When I saw Matilda for the first time at the Cambridge Theatre in London I started dreaming of taking this brilliant creation to Singapore one day. I am thrilled that day has finally arrived, and am sure that Singapore audiences will fall in love with the heroic tale of Matilda in this anarchically joyous and ingenious musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic story. ”

With an incredible cast of young performers, Matilda inspires and delights audiences both young and old. The timeless story of a small girl’s determination to challenge those above her for the greater good, combined with Roald Dahl’s signature wit and naughtiness, makes this an unforgettable musical.

Besides this, we should also be very proud as we have a nine-year-old local talent Sofia Poston being casted as Matilda. This is more the reason we should support the local talent pool and also for all Roald Dahl book fans, you dont have to fly all the way to London to catch this!

Matilda The Musical
Venue: Sands Theatre @ Marina Bay Sands
From: 21 February 2019 to 10 March 2019
Showtimes: Tue – Fri: 7.30pm | Sat: 2pm & 7.30pm | Sun: 1pm & 6pm
Prices: Tue – Thur: $68 – $178 | Fri – Sun: $68 – $198 (excluding $4 ticketing fee)

Book here 
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Not only do my kids enjoy the songs and dances from the Australian multiple award-winning children’s television edutainment series, Hi-5, I myself love to watch them sing and dance (sorry, I am not such a big fan of cartoon characters singing and dancing). The last time we caught them was probably a few years back and ever since then, we kept missing their shows as they clashed with our holiday trips. I can’t wait to catch them live in Singapore in December with my kids for a newly themed show, Hi-5 SUPERS at Marina Bay Sands.

HI-5 SUPERS features 34 year-old Stevie Nicholson, 24 year-old Tanika Mei Anderson, 27 year-old Mitchell Kenneth Lagos, 25 year-old Jacqueline Bramwell and 22 year-old Daniella Mirels who are all familiar faces to my kids and are all so multi-skilled with talent to sing, dance and act.

This dynamic new stage show promises Hi-5’s super brand of fun, packed with superheroes from every walk of life with plenty of Hi-5 hits and dancing along the way.

The story revolves around the beloved Chats, who grants Hi-5 their wish to be superheroes for a day in Hi-5 City. Stevie becomes Super Strong with a belt of power, Jacqueline is Super Vision with the ability to see the other side of the universe and beyond with her super vision goggles, while supersonic hearing transforms Mitchell to Super Sound with his Super Headphones. Super-fast Tanika, in the hopes of being able to fly one day, becomes Super Fly, and Daniella, who is great at camouflaging and has the ability to be invisible, is Super Sneaker.

The Hi-5 Supers get invited to the Superhero Awards Night but are kept busy during the day with a series of impossible hilarious missions and obstacles to overcome. When they do finally reach the Awards ceremony, there is more drama ensues. During the day’s adventures, each superhero learns how to overcome their fears and achieve what they have most wished for. The superhero day ends with the realisation that everyone is super in their own way, every day.

Hi-5 SUPERS hopes to empower every child, showing them that being a hero means so much more than being able to fly or jump over buildings. The show hopes to reveal everyone’s inner super hero. It is about expressing oneself and accepting others in their own ‘super’ way. I love such strong powerful messages from shows.

For the first time, Hi-5 is adding an new element to the show – a mosh pit so that they kids can sing and dance closed up just like what you see in the TV shows. Adults are welcome to the mosh pit but each child need to be accompanied by an adult.

Expect a fun-filled super hero adventure with the usual Hi-5 signature elements such as super bubbles, bouncy balls, dazzling lighting effects and interactive play. Not forgetting what Hi-5 is best known for, singing and dancing along to favourite songs such as L.O.V.E, Amazing and of course Action Hero!

DATE: Fri, 7 Dec – Sat, 8 Dec 2018

TIME: Fri: 6.30pm, Sat : 10.30am, 2.30pm & 6.30pm

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I think it would be unfair and some-what-of-a spoiler to go through every single acts from start to finish as part of my review of the opening night of The Great Moscow Circus. Perhaps my own thought how this is the perfect family entertainment which couldn’t come at a better timing (after most kids have finish their examinations and before most families are off for their year end holidays) would be a better way for me to review this. . I think the best way to review The Great Moscow Circus would be my 5 honest and heart felt reasons why you should bring your family and little ones to the circus.

Besides the media preview that I attended yesterday where I took lots of photo and videos, I did not do so tonight – 2 reasons – I was handling 4 kids on my own and I would like to enjoy the show with my kids. Hence this will be word-heavy and picture-light for once (no spoiler alert) ! Most photos shared are from the media preview or credit from The Great Moscow Circus.

1.One of the best circus acts in town

I am not a circus virgin (hence I think I am fit to be a circus show reviewer) as I have been to a fair share of circus acts with the kids that has arrived in Singapore in the recent years and memories. 2 Cirque du Soleil- Totem and Kooza and the most recent Circus 1903. How does The Great Moscow Circus compared to the other previous acts? I feel that The Great Moscow Circus is a more wholesome family entertainment – from the simple acts of the clowning, juggling, aerial acrobatic to dare devil stunts like the Globe of Death and the Double Giant Wheel, it has something from the very young till 99 years. The way each segment/act has been arranged and conducted by the ring master was impeccable! The entire circus was also accompanied by a 3 person live band not a typical fixture of circus. There is simply no area to fault frankly, it was one very tight show from start to finish! There are acts with just 1 performer like the juggler and contortionist to a team of performers of Scottish Skipping and Fast Track Acrobats who have to time their performances to precision. And forgetting the clown and the ring master to bring it all together for 1 wholesome show!

2. The red and white big top

There are some similar acts that Circus 1903 that can be found in The Great Moscow Circus -The aerial acrobat, trampoline, Globe etc, however to be watching it in a circular ring in a big top takes the cake away. The audience feel so much more connected with performers walking around the audiences – there is so much more interaction at the big circular top compared to sitting in a theatre setting . You have to be in the big top itself to truly appreciate the magic of attending the circus. Even setting up The Big Top in itself is an impressive story that we often overlook as a circus patron. Did you know The Big Top originated from Mongolian yurt? So when the circus came to town, it means the whole structure was imported into Singapore and constructed and fit out in 3 days by a team of experts!

3. There is a favourite act for every one

Every one of my kids (yes, they are fast asleep for 3-hour-long show as I typed my review) had their favourite act just like I have my favourite act too. Small C loved the opening act of trampoline, so effortless and gravity-defying. Big C who is currently perfectly her cartwheel was in awed with the Fast Track Acrobats (I loved that too very much.. So much energy, I watched it once at the media preview and was blown away !Both small J and big J loved the Globe of Death, boys and their motorbikes and metal structures must have been so awe inspiring to them. If there is one act that we all loved and tickled was whenever the clown came on!

These are our favourite acts!

Can you believe that an interactions with several “lucky” audiences with the clown had the whole big top ringing with laughter – the sportiness of the audience and how the clown made them entertain us – it is pure magic. I remember for the other circus that I had watched,, similarly the audience were called in to perform with clown, I can see its just to “filling up the time” while they changed the act but I was truly amazed how the clown “made” the audience (4 guys) into an “acrobatic act” to our entertainment – pure “magic”. Frankly the circus don’t have to do much , it was done so naturally with no conscious effort to filling the gap/time!

Every act is so different from one another but they do not deviate from the true essence of the traditional circus performance.

4. The range emotions I felt from the circus

How is it possible for a  single show  to invoke a myriad of  emotions from me, from being so tickled, to heart stopping, to mouth gaping whenever the performer did their most dangerous attempts I can almost felt my heart popped up. From light entertainment from 1 juggler to a super fun two-person Quick Change Transformationists (it’s like China famous “bian lian” but instead of changing the face mask in a split second , the performer changes its outfit in a split second) then you switched mode to heart stopping acts that kept me at the edge of my seat during the aerial performance, Globe of Death  and the Double Giant Wheel! You must have a strong heart from the roller coaster of emotions in 2 plus hours show!

5.The true meaning the circus

There was one particular segment that touches my heart especially I have a very soft spot for the circus (I attended circus when my parents brought me as a child in my hometown). The ringmaster asked the audience who was catching the circus for the first time. He picked a young teen into the ring and had the whole audience switched on the light on our handphones. The light were dimmed and the lights from the handphones glowed around the entire big top. He went on to say that the circus  was once believed to be the gift from the sky and he transformed the big top into a sky full of stars , the super lucky teen, I am sure she will be very inspired by this small act by the ring master that she will remembered for life! In order for the show to go on forever and ever, we would come to support the circus!

The heart, soul and hard work of the all the world class performers (from Russia and around the world) had brought  joy and memories to the audiences – young and old, this requires the highest accolade – many of them risking their lives everyday performing to us (there is no net in the entire show)! And if the other reasons above didn’t quite convince you, let this be your sole reason. Do support the circus, their history , their art, their tradition-The Great Moscow Circus has one of the best stable of world class performers with a long history. The Great Moscow With tickets starting from SGD 65 onwards and a show of almost 3 hours long (15 min interval), I think The Great Moscow Circus is an affordable yet most memorable family event for all!

My tips for the show

1. The most obvious choice to park is at Marina Bay Sands…..Wrong..if you are driving park at the open air car park on the left of the big top, I paid only SGD 5.81 for the entire 3 hours plus I was there!

2. If you are bringing very young kids there, I would suggest to avoid the 7.30pm show as it will last beyond 10pm and like yesterday I have seen parents carrying their sleeping kids home. Perhaps a matinee show will be a better option to truly enjoy the show as the night show goes quite late in the night unlike you make the kids do a good nap in the afternoon

3. Section D gives the best frontal view and as there is only 16 rows from the ring every one get quite a good view from even the last row ( if you are sitted at the back row feel free to stand up and dance). For once those who were sitted more towards the back, the advantage is that you don’t need to look upwards to high acts like the aerial show, acrobats, trampoline – so it is not a must to get the front rows!

4. Do get yourself a official souvenir program giving credit to the world class performers and a snippet of the history of the circus and the big top . And popcorns to complete your circus going experience !

5. Try not to watch any videos posted on the social media, it’s better to watch it for the very first time for every act to truly enjoy the suspense and the excitement of every act. Hence, it was my conscious effort not to include any more videos of the circus in this post.  You have to watch it first time and live at the big top to truly be amazed by the magic of the circus!

The Great Moscow Circus takes place under the The Red and White Big Top at Bayfront Avenue, beside Marina Bay Sands from 25 October for 4 weeks only. Tickets available from SISTIC.

PERFORMANCE TIMES:
Tuesday to Friday: 7:30pm
Saturday: 12noon, 4:00pm and 7:30pm
Sunday: 11:00am, 3:00pm and 6:30pm

TICKET PRICE:
From $65*
* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$4 per ticket
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My childhood memories were filled with trips to the circus, I remembered when the circus came to my hometown and built its tent at an open field. It was one of the most memorable outings during my childhood. Hence, I would for my kids to have the same memories like me growing up, visiting a circus that is coming to town!  And its definitely a treat for the kids who will be finishing their last exam papers this week!

If you have not notice, there is a red and white top built next to Marina Bay Sands ,which was led by a 5^th generation Italian tent maker, Paolo Anceschi with a team of approximately 20 men and women who hoisted more than 100 steel poles from the ground up.

Featuring more than 16 sensational acts, the galaxy of circus superstars from Russia and the circus capitals of the world, THE GREAT MOSCOW CIRCUS, is presenting a brand-new genre of show blending traditional circus acts with the new. The spectacular show mixes clowns and acrobatic artists with daredevil motorcyclists, death-defying aerial stunts, jugglers and illusion and much more– all supported by a live circus band. The show contains no animal acts.

The cast have been handpicked by producer Andrew Guild has presented THE GREAT MOSCOW CIRCUS in Singapore and around the world.

Mr Guild said, “We are so excited to be bringing the great Russian Circus tradition back to Singapore. Established in 1918, the Great Moscow Circus is recognised around the world as the best of the best.  THE GREAT MOSCOW CIRCUS offers thrilling, edge-of-your-seat entertainment for the whole family at affordable ticket prices including children’s prices.  The Great Moscow Circus comes from over 100 years of truly great tradition and I’m certain that Singaporeans will love it. Don’t miss the circus of a lifetime !”

Some interesting to marvel your kids before the show :-

ABOUT THE RED AND WHITE GREAT MOSCOW CIRCUS BIG TOP:

• The Great Moscow Circus Big Top is a far cry from the canvas tents of old.
• The ‘traditional’ large tents, commonly known as ‘Big Tops’ were introduced in the mid-19^th century
• The Great Moscow circus million-dollar tent was specially created for the Singapore season by leading Italian tent manufacturers Anceschi and Canobbio and took several months to build
• THE GREAT MOSCOW CIRCUS brings with it more than 100 tonnes of equipment and the brand-new big top will be packed into 7 x 40ft containers.
• This circumference of the tent is 40 metres.
• It is supported by 4 steel masts, known as King Poles, that each stand at 18.5 metres high.
• The raising requires a team of approximately 20 people to raise the 4 King Poles and the more than 130 side poles and 250 tent pegs to secure the structure
• The Big Top can accommodate 1,600 people per show in all chair seating.
• The Big Top tent has over 5 kilometres of cables as part of the structure
• The Big Top is valued at over US$1million and was made specifically for Singapore
• It takes just 3 days to erect the Big Top, but just 12 hours to dismantle
• The ring is 10 meters in diameter and no audience member will ever be more than 11 meters from the action so every seat provides a great view of this spectacular show
• The entire site set-up includes installation of the Big Top, Foyer Tent and dressing room tent.
• Moving the circus from one location to another takes a fleet of 15 semi-trailers

The Great Moscow Circus takes place under the The Red and White Big Top at Bayfront Avenue, beside Marina Bay Sands from 25 October for 4 weeks only. Tickets available from SISTIC.

PERFORMANCE TIMES:
Tuesday to Friday:      7:30pm
Saturday:                     12noon, 4:00pm and 7:30pm
Sunday:                       11:00am, 3:00pm and 6:30pm

TICKET PRICE:
From $65*
* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$4 per ticket

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7 years ago when I only had 1 kid, The Lion King came to town and it was one of the biggest shows to arrive at then the newly opened Marina Bay Sands Theatre. Wanting to bring my only child then and also wanting to check out the new theatre, we watched our first every musical – The Lion King.

this is a throwback photo from 7 years ago with big J

And yesterday night, I finally managed to catch The Lion King again after 7 long  years and now with all my 4 kids in tow. And not only did it not lose its magic, it was even better with more amazing props , that is why The Lion King remained a perennial favourite especially for family. Frankly it is not just for the younger crowd and families , there lots of adult only audiences too but I of course will review this from the eyes and experiences from my precious kids age 3 to 9 years old.

Frankly I don’t think there is any other musical which can cater to such a wide range of ages – ie adults don’t find it too kiddish, kids don’t find it too difficult to understand and enjoy. But The Lion King did just that – entertaining all ages, I would say coming to 3 years old up till 99 years!

5 reasons why you shouldnt wait another 7 years to catch this epic musical!

1.A powerful story line

I am sure many of you would have watched this Disney animation. This is one of the best Disney animations ever with very strong message in its story line. It tells the story of Simba who is to succeed his father Mufasa as the Kind of Pride Rock, but he was manipulated by his evil uncle Scar into believing he was responsible for the death of his father and flees into exile. There he met his two good friends to overcame his sadness and was reunited with his childhood friend Nala and his shaman Rafiki.

There are lessons of humility, forgiveness, empathy, rising from setbacks, trust and it speaks so strongly for the father and son bond. Trust me , the message and story line feels much stronger watching a live production than on TV. The emotions of actors and the sound systems truly made the whole story come alive.

And to lighten the mood, there is always Timon and Pumbaa to rely on, most of the comedy relief came from them.

2. Amazing props and backdrop

Be sure you are early for your show as the best show was in the opening act when they brought in all its animal puppets into the stage – to the tune of the Circle of Life. I don’t think I can describe how magical the experience was, you just want to catch it yourself.

3. The African culture and songs

I may not have the privilege to bring the kids to Africa and enjoy the music, sounds, culture and scene of Africa. This is as close as I come to. It was as if we were brought to the Africa savannah and back in 3 hours. The costume, music, sounds was truly beautiful.

4. The music of The Lion King

The Circle of Life, Can you feel the love tonight, Hakuna Matata, Be Prepared,  I Just Can’t Wait to be King with the orchestra , the powerful vocals and peppered with the sounds of African musical instruments , that is why this is a world class musical. I enjoyed this segment the most as I am familiar with tunes and musical segments are the parts were by my younger boys were also entertained (you wouldn’t want too lengthy dialogue scenes for the younger kids, there was a good mix of songs and dialogue scenes)

5. An all-rounder 

Some musicals can be strong in props but not vocal, some maybe strong in acting but not in the musical powess. I don’t think there is much to critic for The Lion King. It is a wholesome package  – you have the story, you have the props, you have the music and of course the acting even the kids who played the young Nyla and Simba were naturals!

My younger boys were so enthralled with all the animal puppetry especially the very big elephant carried by 4 puppeteers (yes both my 3 and  5 year old sat through the entire musical, of course they didn’t quite take a liking whenever Scar is out and in particular Mufasa’s death) , my older kids loved the powerful story line of good overcoming evil and I particularly enjoyed the music. There is something for everyone and the ability of The Lion King catering to a wide range of ages is indeed something that most musicals are unable to replicate.

When we grow old /the kids grow up and look back at the many musical productions we have the privilege to catch in Singapore, this will remained one that is forever etched in our memories. And I do hope we don’t  have to wait for another 7 years for another musical of such calibre to arrive at our sunny shores.

And if you think , I didn’t convince you enough, here are some facts from the production.

1. It took three years to develop THE LION KING from screen to stage
2. In the animated movie, Rafiki The Baboon was presented as a male character but the musical changed into a strong female character
3. The musical debuted in Minneapolis at The Orpheum Theatre in July 1997
4. The phrase “Hakuna Matata” (meaning “No worries”) is mentioned 25 times in the show
5. Julie Taymor is the first female director in Broadway history to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical (1998) for THE LION KING
6. THE LION KING celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and is the third-longest running show on Broadway.
7. To date THE LION KING has won more than 70 global theatrical awards
8. The show won six Tony® Awards in 1998 for Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Choreography
9. It took 34,000-man hours to build the masks and puppets for the original Broadway production
10. There are more than 200 puppets in the show, including rod, shadow and full-sized puppets
11. 5 meters is the height of the tallest animals in the show — the two giraffes in the “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” scene
12. The elephant nicknamed Bertha by the backstage crew in 1997 is the largest and longest animal measuring 4 meters long and 3 meters wide
13. There are six indigenous African languages spoken in the show: Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa (the click language), Sotho, Tswana, Congolese
14. THE LION KING has been translated into eight languages – Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish, Portugese

In 2011, THE LION KING became the longest running musical in Singapore’s theatrical entertainment history, playing to over 300,000 people during its eight-month season at Marina Bays Sands.

Show Date: Wed, 27 June 2018 – Sun, 23 September 2018 (New shows added!)

Tue to Fri: 7.30pm | Sat: 2pm & 7.30pm |  Sun: 1pm & 6pm

Venue: Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands

Ticket Pricing (Excludes Booking Fee): from SGD65 onwards

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I don’t think I need to go into the storyline as I am sure everyone in the audience would know the story by heart. I saw some Caucasian families enjoying the production despite it being in Mandarin. The antics and the props remain very much like the original – just like in the storybook.

Whenever I choose a Mandarin production for the kids I tend to choose one that we are familiar with the storyline to minimize lost in translation. We are not a mandarin speaking family (due to personal limitations) but I placed the utmost importance in bilingualism as I hear of horror stories of how kids failing the Mandarin subject in school and refusing to speak. I wish not that to happen to my kids but I myself is unable to support that in their mother tongue.

So whenever I see a theatre production in Mandarin, I am both interested yet fearful. Interested as there is more exposure in different form than the usual ie classes etc, but fearful as it may be too difficult for them to comprehend. Hence, the safest would be not to go for original production but based on well-loved stories.

To date, we have caught several SRT’s production in Mandarin – 三只山羊 , 小红帽, Nightingale.

Cat in the Hat to my personal opinion is the simplest to understand of those we have attended thus far , hence it was targeted for kids above 2. There isn’t long and lengthy scripts (I would have loved Sugie Phua and Ann Lek have more script but due to the characters they are playing, they dont have much script to begin with), so that kids from English speaking family don’t get too overwhelmed. There are lots of funny antics and actions of 戴高帽子的猫 , 捣蛋鬼1号and 捣蛋鬼2号 that would tickled their funny bones.

Of course, the one that stole the show was none other that 戴高帽子的猫 (Hang Qian Hou), such a natural and I am sure every kid in the house totally adored him! And the fish did a very strong supporting role too making this a well-rounded production.

There is a child in every one of us who grow up reading this book and wish that 戴高帽子的猫 would appear at the front door and have the best fun ever while mum is out!  The show will go all the way till 7 Sept (the school holidays), do not miss this if you wish to inject some fun and Mandarin exposure to your kids.

photo credit : SRT

photo credit: SRT

photo credit: SRT

photo credit: SRTIt was short 40-minute production but we had so much fun watching our bedtime stories come to life. As the show is targeted for ages 2 and above, trust me you won’t really get lost in translation as the whole show was peppered with many funny antics. Small C laughed the entire show since the minute 戴高帽子的猫 came on stage (esp he probably didn’t understand most of what is said).

The last I check there is a session on 18 Aug.

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Big J asked what does Grimmsneyland means. They are not familiar who are Brother Grimm but they surely familiar with Disney movies or Disneyland.  Did you know many of the Disney movies are adapted from fairy tales written by the Brother Grimm – Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, Cinderella , though they are not strict interpretation but these fairy tales served as inspiration to many of the Disney movies and hence the characters in Disneyland – which Andsoforthjr has combined into their adaptation as Grimmsneyland.  They had sold out adult interpretations earlier this year and had re-adapted for our younger audiences.

I try not to have any spoiler alerts so that there is an element of surprise left to the parents accompanying their kids (and reading this review) just like me as I went for  show with just the knowledge it is revolving Brother Grimm’s fairy tales – sleeping beauty, little mermaid and just some photos of very nicely decorated rooms.

Boy, was I in for a nice pleasant surprise even though it is not my first taste of immersive theatre!

I personally thought it was much nicer that Wonderland as we had 4 different theme rooms to go around throughout the 90 minutes show. In Wonderland, we were all confined to 1 room to watch the entire show. My legs got kind of numbed sitting cross-legged. However, in Tales of Grimmsneyland we were ushered from room to room to experience different settings and stories (do take note that the minimum age to enjoy the show would be 4 and above) and at the end of every story, there is a moral of the story.

First order of the day was to dress as villagers. Of course, it is not mandatory, but it is all part of the fun – to be truly immersive! We were back in the same venue as Wonderland, in an indescriptive industrial building in Balestier Road. Do note the entrance is at the back of the building. We were advised to reach 15 minutes before the show in suggested dress code. As you can see one kid didn’t want to be a villager but she wanted to be Snow White herself. Each session is a cosy group of 30 and once we all are gathered , we were ushered to the galaxy with a bar counter where you could purchase hot dog, cookies and sodas while awaiting for the pre-show to start.

And we had our first IG photo – in the galaxy room.

There we met our Fairy Godfather-in0training – small J loved him so much that he practically followed him everywhere throughout the show! He will be the one bringing us around the entire 90 minutes of the show  – through all the 4 themed rooms and stories to meet all the characters in the Tales of Grimmsneyland.

While we bought some food and drink during the pre-show, we were introduced to Mirror Mirror who goes on first name basis  – Mirror . His role was to set the tone for the show – what each of the 4 mirror represents and also some action moves that we need to replicate being villagers in the story. I guess it is not an essential role to the show but just to provide some entertainment and warm-up while we gather , finish our light refreshment before entering the portal.

a quick group photo with all the small kids with Mirror..notice there is one other big kid in pic !

And we began our immersive adventure by entering the portal ………

The first room -underwater club was a ball pit! yes, scream….the kids’ favourite ball pit..to mimic the ocean for the little mermaid and a small spoiler..big kid and small kid alike all get to slide down into the ball pit!

We met forgetful little mermaid who is searching for her way home. We had a treasure hunt and a singing session with Mariah the mermaid, it was lots of fun and plenty of photo ops too!

my snow white checking on the mirror who is the fairest of them all!

fixing the treasure map found in the treasure hunt

Next, we proceed to super pink and beautiful sleeping chamber. To our surprise, we saw some one sleeping high above us! No prizes who guessing which character is next while she woke up to entertain us. We were all sitted on the cushion strewn floor and served soda..which was part of the story line. Sleeping beauty also taught us some dance moves too!

Then fairy god-mother came to pick us into her dining room where she told her a story and promoted our fairy god-father-in-training.  We also to write our wishes and we can make anything happen!

And the last room of it all, which was my personal favourite was the forest where we met Snow White and how we creatively think of ways to get the golden apple for White. We ended with beautiful finale song by White and Fairy god-father.

Tales of Grimmsneyland

Dates:
28th, 29th July
4th, 5th, 9th, 10th , 18th, 19th August (Saturdays, Sunday & National Day Holiday)
Time: 10.30am, 11am, 11.30am, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm
*it will be an intimate group of 30 pax per time slot

Duration: 1 hour 30 mins

Venue: 16 D Lorong Ampas , GS Building, Singapore 328778

Suitable for boys and girls aged 4 and above!

Tickets : SGD 35 per person, SGD 128 for family of 4

For booking, follow this link 

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Disclaimer: We were given tickets to the show for reviewing purpose. All opinions are solely ours.
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