Review: Act3i Festival featuring Aesopica

The June holiday programme from Act3 International always has a soft spot in my heart. Since Big J’s time as a pre schooler, we had participate year after year until they got too old (as the max age is 8). We did Jelly Wobble, Sweet and Wonderland of Toys since 2014 and was very disappointed that they did not have a similar programme last year.

I love always love the camps that Act 3 International during the holidays but I am unable to commit for a 5 day drama camp being a FTWM. So this is really good alternative to expose my kids for some speech and drama workshop and simply for some holiday fun for just one morning/afternoon during the June school holidays.

It’s a good 2.5 hours of a mixture of performance, workshop participation and ending with a grand finale which the parents can watch the kids performed.

Weaving the most famous fables from Aesop, after watching the initial 30 minutes performance featuring tales such as the lion and the mouse, the tortoise and the hare, the ant and the grasshopper, the kids take turns participating in two very special 30 minute workshops with drama, music and movement.

I has my apprehension as its probably one for the first drop off session for small C but my fears were unfounded. He was so engrossed and tickled by the performance that he wanted to be part of the cast immediately after the performance.

This year’s workshop was held at Asian Civilization Museum which is a new location from previous years.

The venue was decorated so beautifully by 5 local artists to depict all the elements in the Aesop fables and provided a perfect setting for the workshop /performance.

Once the kids and parents were all seated, we were entertained by a 30 minutes of drama, song and dance of Aesop fables – the lion and the mouse, the ant and the grasshopper to name a few.

I left the kids after the end of the 30-minute performance as me and big J has some mother and son time. The younger boys were left behind with the cast and facilitators to prepare for their workshop and to put up a finale performance. And boy did they put up an awesome performance! You can watch snippets of my little lions in the two videos below.

I can’t rave enough out this immersive workshop and I am very biased as I have been to several past installments. Don’t hear it from me as small J even requested to be back for the same show! For younger kids and other shows from Act3i Festival, do visit their website.