We had great fun at The Very Hungry Caterpillar show yesterday. Not only did we get to watch the actual show, we also got up close and personal with the stars of the show!
Thanks to Act 3 International, we were allowed special entry to the backstage. Here, we entered into the wonderful world of black light theatre (and learnt some tricks). The kids got to see how the puppeteers walked and controlled the puppets, and could also try their hands at it.
If you caught The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Mermaid Theatre when they were here 2 years ago, you’d know that the show also features two other stories by Eric Carle. This time around, the accompanying acts were Little Cloud and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.
Everyone took turns to walk Little Cloud, and were taught to walk in a smooth and floaty manner. When JJ stood up by himself and said he wanted to try, I was pleasantly surprised. He is usually a little shy in group situations, especially since we also didn’t know what we were up for, so I had no way of preparing him beforehand!
Here is the shark (one of the characters that Little Cloud morphs into). Even without turning out the lights, you can see the fluorescent paint that was used on the puppet.
Vera got to try walking the caterpillar. This little guy isn’t too heavy but is a bit stiff for little hands. Can you imagine that he was actually made some 15 years ago out of thick cushion material? I’m impressed that he’s lasted so long, and has been through tons of shows. He’s also had to be touched up and maintained of course…
They also showed us the apple that the hungry caterpillar ate. It has two doors that open up to create the effect of the apple getting chomped.
JJ got to try controlling the flickering fly. The flickering effect is achieved by deftly twisting the stick that the fly is attached to, with either one hand or both hands (by rubbing the stick to and fro).
And finally, here’s Vera with the gadget that’s used to control the movement of the chameleon’s tongue, when he swallows the fly.
This is our second time watching the show, and still we enjoyed it. Funny how the kids never tire of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and his friends…It was our favourite show as a family then, and I think it’ll remain our most fondly-remembered show for a long time.
Tickets are still available if you want to catch the final 4pm show on Sunday, 5 Oct.
Thanks Act 3 and the team behind Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia for the hands-on experience!
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