Cerita Anak (Child's Story) at Arts Centre Melbourne - Info
Preschool children and their carers will be invited on an interactive journey through the seas with the performance of Cerita Anak (Child’s Story) at the Arts Centre Melbourne this month from Thursday 30th of March to Sunday 2nd of April. Inspired by the seafaring history of Java, Indonesia and a true tale of a small boy's arrival in Australia.
Cerita Anak (Child's Story) in Australia with Polyglot Theatre - Photo credit: ArtPlay City of Melbourne
Melbourne's Polyglot Theatre and Indonesia’s Papermoon Puppet Theatre have been working together since 2008. In May 2015, they developed Cerita Anak (Child’s Story) in Lasem, a small fishing village with a remarkable history on the north coast of Java. The history and mythology of this town played a key role in the inspiration of Cerita Anak (Child’s Story) as both companies collaborated with the local community to weave these stories into the work.
Cerita Anak (Child's Story) in Indonesia with Polyglot Theatre and Papermoon Puppet Theatre - Photo credit: ArtPlay City of Melbourne
Combining puppetry, song, shadow imagery and sound, Cerita Anak (Child’s Story) will place children at the heart of the story by inviting the audience, young and old, to be passengers on this adventure on the high seas. Aboard a large boat, participants are rocked and rolled across a strange ocean before they dive to the bottom of the sea.
Cerita Anak (Child's Story) in Australia with Polyglot Theatre - Photo credit: ArtPlay City of Melbourne
They will hear stories on the wind and in the currents of the water, and face great danger before coming to safe harbour. The show bustles with all the life of the ocean – from the fish below to the birds above – while evoking the majesty and mystery of the sea itself.
Cerita Anak (Child's Story) in Australia with Polyglot Theatre- Photo credit: ArtPlay City of Melbourne