Ask any artist about making Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) and they will most probably tell you that it is more challenging than making theatre for an adult audience. TYA works look deceptively simple on the surface, but it demands a lot more care, attention to detail and creativity. Besides the usual practices to make good theatre, TYA artists also have to consider how best to tell the story to children of different age groups and backgrounds. Because of this, some even consider TYA an art form in itself.

This article introduces some notable groups in Asia that have been actively making work for young audiences.

SOUTH ASIA

1. India | Ranga Shankara

Igniting the AHA! moments in children

Ranga Shankara, a Bengaluru-based theatre company, believes that children who experience the arts grow into empathetic and responsible citizens. Shortly after the company was established in 2004, they launched the AHA! Programme in 2006, dedicated to producing festivals, workshops and shows for children. Most shows are performed in languages like Kannada, English and Hindi, though some are non-verbal, such as Old Man and The Sea, which will be presented as part of Esplanade’s Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of the Arts 2024.

The company also organises the annual AHA! Theatre for Children Festival, alternating between a national and international editions, which brings together exciting TYA shows from across India and the world. Every year in June, they host the legendary Mango Party in celebration of the Indian king of fruits. Expect mango-themed storytelling, treasure hunts and treats! The cost of admission to this event? One kilogramme of mangoes per person.

EAST ASIA

2. Taiwan | Bon Appétit Theatre

Taiwanese theatre troupe Bon Appétit Theatre is committed to presenting innovative, original stories that are developed in a collaborative devising process. Their works respond to contemporary issues and topics such as the environment, and artificial intelligence. Their repertoire of work spans multiple languages, cultures and identities, with the intention to serve as a bridge among different people.

A Bon Appétit theatre performance often feature physical theatre, puppetry and music. You may have seen their production of Gullinkambi, a non-verbal puppet show as part of Huayi – Chinese Festival of the Arts 2020. Candy House in the Mountain, their reimagining of the popular children’s story, Hansel and Gretel, featured foley, a way of making sound effects using objects and props. The show, presented at the Hakka Festival in Taipei in 2020, had audiences watch the performance in beds rather than seats to recreate the experience of listening to a bedtime story.

3. Hong Kong | Zuni Icosahedron

Pushing the boundaries of possibilities in the arts

Hong Kong-based Zuni Icosahedron is a company known for experimental theatre. While a large proportion of their shows are made for adult audiences, the company has been committed to arts education for more than 40 years. Through training, workshops, and programs for youths, they share their unique perspective and process of theatre making.

The company’s spirit of exploration and innovation also lends itself to their TYA productions, often blending different art forms and technology. For instance, in The Monkey King: Havoc in Calligraphy, audiences follow and interact with the playful Monkey King to learn about the intricacies of Chinese calligraphy. There is often an intercultural component, such as The Magic Flute and the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, which combines Mozart’s opera with the Chinese five elements. Most of Zuni Icosahedron’s TYA works are bilingual to reach out to diverse audiences. For shows performed in Cantonese, they often include Chinese and English subtitles.

4. Korea | BRUSH Theatre

Captivating the senses with high-tech, immersive spectacles

Seoul-based BRUSH Theatre is a company dedicated solely to producing theatre for children and young audiences. Founded in 2010, the company spares no expense for their audiences, providing a 360 experience through immersive sound design and all-round multimedia projection mapping that transport audiences into worlds beyond the imagination.

Journey to the land of dragons in Dragon Hi, embark on an epic space adventure in Gravity Space, or follow a brave adventurer to dream land in search for their dream friend in Alpi. There is a great spirit of adventure that runs through many of BRUSH Theatre’s productions that will be sure to inspire the audience to live courageously and imaginatively. Their musicals are performed in Korean, while the popular Pop Series are non-verbal shows that have toured the United States, Europe and across Asia.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

5. Indonesia | Papermoon Puppet Theatre

Tugging at the heartstrings of audiences young and old

Papermoon Puppet Theatre, a beloved group from Yogyakarta, creates captivating puppet performances and visual art installations based on the belief that every creature and object in this world holds life within it. Their performances are mostly non-verbal, created to be enjoyed by all ages, often with an interactive layer to the work. For instance, in Stream of Memory, presented at the Esplanade in 2022, there were fishermen fishing amongst the first rows of the audience.

The group also hosts an international puppet biennale, Pesta Boneka, in Indonesia, attracting artists across the globe. The festival takes place in both traditional theatre settings as well as in community settings – imagine watching a performance under the stars right in the heart of a village!

6. Thailand | House of Mask & Mime

Performances that pack a lot more show and a lot less tell

An exciting new group to keep a lookout for is House of Mask & Mime. Formed by internationally recognised performers, producers and artists, they debuted at the Bangkok Theatre Festival in 2022 and have since dazzled audiences in France, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. They are known for creating non-verbal performances that feature mask work, mime, physical theatre, clowning and object theatre.

They currently have four shows in their repertoire, all in their distinctive performance style coupled with arresting visuals and design. Expect larger-than-life lips singing karaoke into a giant microphone, space expeditions to the moon and homeless men playing chess with a life-sized golden retriever. The group also recently organised the inaugural Silent Theatre Festival in September 2024.

7. Thailand | Cherry Theatre

Inspiring curiosity and appreciation for people and the world

Cherry Theatre’s commitment to bring joy, inspire creativity and cultivate appreciation for art and life is deeply encoded in their ethos and practice. They regularly run classes, camps, and produce shows centered around participants, allowing them to enjoy, imagine, and co-create with artists.

Most productions are in Thai, but some, like the recent Khanom Story: The Detective of Baan Krua, presented at the Bangkok International Children’s Theatre Festival 2024 (BICT Fest), have English interpretation. The three-hour interactive walking tour immersed audiences in the Baan Krua community, where they took on roles as detectives, investigating bullet holes from World War II and learning about the residents’ lives and stories. They also savored khanom, or snacks, painstakingly prepared by the residents.

8. Cambodia | Phare Circus

A modern, animal-free circus that delights and provides

Unlike the traditional circus, Phare Circus offers modern circus performances that blend theatre, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories. Phare’s performances draw from Cambodian history, folklore and the collective aspirations of the people, like in White Gold, which follows the journey of a young man as he balances the demands of modern life, his community and religion.

Besides providing entertainment to audiences, Phare Circus is a social enterprise linked to Phare Ponleu Selpak, a non-profit school in Battambang. Circus performers are graduates of the school, which provides underprivileged youths with training in the arts and a possible path out of poverty. The revenue from Phare Circus not only provides jobs for the performers, but also directly supports the school’s programmes.

9. Singapore | Zip Zap Zoom Collective

Enablers of fun and imagination

Founded by three Singaporean artists, the Zip Zap Zoom Collective pride themselves on being the best at having fun and letting the imagination run free through their immersive and participatory shows. Their signature program, A Boxful of Stories, is an interactive story-making performance where the audience co-creates the show with the actors, where no two shows are ever the same.

Beyond traditional theatre settings, Zip Zap Zoom has performed in unconventional spaces, including museums, gardens, and where you may least expect to be watching theatre – a flatted factory! Their recent roving theatre performance, Stories from Singapore’s First Flatted Factory, was presented as part of Singapore Heritage Fest 2024 and took audiences on a tour through the factory’s corridors and into the lives of past and present inhabitants.

10. Singapore | Five Stones Theatre

Creative encounters that connect, surprise and change lives

Named after the traditional game played in Southeast Asia, Five Stones Theatre is a group that is committed to producing honest, refreshing and thought-provoking works that excite and engage their audiences through different artistic mediums such as dance, theatre, puppetry and digital technology.

Many of their works are suitable for children from three years of age, such as OddSocks, a fun and quirky physical theatre show about being a little different. More recently, you may have seen Rhodo!, a pink, furry creature roaming the halls of the National Gallery asking for some help to find their way home. The group also runs several workshops designed to be experienced by children and their caregivers, such as in music and sensory play, circus arts, and an epic new way to play the traditional game of five stones!

The world of TYA in Asia and beyond is a wide and varied one. It crosses and intersects between different cultures, traditions, genres, art forms and languages, but keeps at the centre of practice its intended audience – children. Yet, while it is made for young audiences, it is not just the children that are enjoying these works. Parents and educators who accompany their children and students often find themselves moved and inspired by the work of TYA artists and groups.

When asked about what keeps both children and adults coming back to experience these works, Dr Caleb Lee, academic and Co-Artistic Director of Five Stones Theatre puts it this way,

Catch the best of children’s theatre with Old Man and The Sea by Ranga Shankara’s AHA! Theatre for Children at Kalaa Utsavam, 16 & 17 Nov 2024!