sydney theatre shows Archives

The Sydney winter school holidays are always the hardest holidays to entertain kids. With a strong possibility of cold days needing to be spent indoors, I always recommend families book into at least one activity where possible so there is a guarantee of a fun day out where no one is freezing.

During the Sydney June school holidays, I highly suggest taking kids to see Thai-riffic! presented by Monkey Baa Theatre Company. The show is an adaptation of the Oliver Phommavanh book by the same name.

The show faithfully brings the beloved Thai-riffic! book to life, along with the humour and pathos that made the book a classic story of growing up and trying to fit in.

Thai-riffic! is very much a tale of the challenges many kids face when growing up: the search for acceptance, struggling with cultural identity and learning to love yourself for who you really are.

Sick of being his father’s curry guinea pig, Lengy longs to eat pizza and transform his image from the kid who lives in a Thai restaurant to a cool and popular Aussie teen.

At school, Lengy tries to hide his Thai background in order to fit in. However he finds that his past can’t be escaped when his teacher sets a group assignment that focuses on culture, and Lengy’s best friend decides to become Thai for a day for the project! Through a series of hilarious incidents Lengy comes to the realisation that being Thai is actually pretty awesome after all.

Thai-riffic!, a production by The Theatre Division is presented by Monkey Baa Theatre Company at the fully accessible Lendlease Darling Quarter Theatre.

Monkey Baa are Australia’s widest-reaching touring company, having conducted over 25 national tours to 135 regional and remote communities across every state and territory of Australia, 3 international tours and over 2,500 performances, and engaged with 1.3 million young people.

Make a day of it
Monkey Baa usually has free craft activities and books inside the foyer for kids to enjoy prior to the show.

You can also get lunch at a nearby cafe or bring your own to picnic on the grass if the day is fine.

The Darling Quarter Playground is right outside the theatre, a great spot for kids of all ages although it can get very busy so keep a close eye on kids.

Getting there
Catch the train to Town Hall and walk down to the theatre or, if you’re driving, park at the Darling Quarter Car Park (weekend rates are excellent).

Thai-Riffic!
Dates: 4 – 8 July, 2017
Times: 10.30am & 12.30pm
Relaxed performance: Thursday 6 July, 12.30pm
Suitable for ages 7 – 14
Duration 60 minutes
Tickets (no booking fees) $29 (adult/child), $104 (family of four), $125 (family of five) $19 (relaxed performance)
monkeybaa.com.au/shows/thai-riffic

This post is a collaboration with Monkey Baa. All opinions are my own. I genuinely love attending shows at Monkey Baa and always find them to be the highest quality and really entertaining.

We are newcomers to the Treehouse stories, having not read the books yet. Cheese is too young, and they came out after I was a tween, so they’ve been hovering on the edge of my awareness for the past year, but I didn’t know much about the books – or the show. I actually really love not knowing what to expect when I go to see a show – it makes the whole experience free of expectations, and I can appreciate the show as a stand alone text.

From what I’ve heard from other people who have seen the show and read the books, The 52-Storey Treehouse live manages the almost impossible – to entertain newcomers to the series, as well as giving faithful readers of the books a new take on a familiar subject. That alone is incredibly hard to achieve, so kudos to writer Richard Tulloch and director Liesel Badorrek for the fabulous job they’ve done with Andy Griffiths’ and Terry Denton’s book, The 52-Storey Treehouse.

This is the show’s second run at the Sydney Opera House, returning once again following a sell-out season last year.

In this intensely entertaining, clever and smart show, Andy and Terry take the audience on a rollicking adventure through a fantastical story where ninja snails and enchanted carrots are the norm.

The cleverly created 52-storey treehouse is a very smart theatrical device that evolves throughout the show to represent the treehouse, a mountain, a castle, and a dungeon. With props such as the Disguise-O-Matic 5000 and The Flying Frying Egg Car, you just know that watching this show (or reading the book!) is going to set a child’s imagination on fire.

I appreciated the show just as much as Cheese thanks to some themes that were designed to resonate with adults, as well as enjoying the very talented performers – Drew Livingston and James Elliot are wonderful as Terry and Andy, with Jonny Nasser and Sophie Kesteven tackling several supporting roles in quick succession.

The 52-Storey Treehouse is a witty, fun show that adults and kids will equally enjoy. Go see it, then, if you’re like us, buy the book and start the story from the very beginning.

The 52-Storey Treehouse
Suitable for children 6+
Tickets: $39 – $55
Dates: 3 January 2016 – 25 January 2016

Thank you to the Sydney Opera House for hosting us. All opinions are my own.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

sydney theatre shows

Sydney School Holiday Activities: Thai-riffic! at the Lendlease Darling Quarter Theatre

Sydney’s Best Shows For Kids: The 52-Storey Treehouse