Inspire your students, fill them with wonder and further their love of music by taking them to the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s latest children’s production at The Art House this May!
The Princess, The Pea (and The Brave Escapee) is an original play where the musicians (and their instruments) are positioned centre stage (rather than hidden in the pit). This gives students a wonderful opportunity to see professional musicians playing songs and creating sounds with classical instruments.
As a fabulous bonus, too, at the end of the show the children will have the opportunity to meet the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s String Quartet musicians and ask them questions about the performance and their instruments.
The Princess, The Pea (and The Brave Escapee) is a delightful tale that acts as a precursor to Hans Christian Andersen’s classic bedtime story.
Do you remember the original plot? The princess is invited to stay overnight, but a pea is placed under her 20 mattresses to see if she notices it, as only a “real princess” would feel it (and complain, we can guess!).
But have you ever wondered what came before? Have you ever thought about why the princess was out in the middle of the night in a storm? Where had she come from and what adventures had she experienced to appear so dishevelled with water running “down from her hair and clothes… into the toes of her shoes and out again at the heels”.
Well, The Princess, The Pea (and The Great Escapee) is that story. It’s in part inspired by what is at the heart of Hans Christian Andersen’s original Princess & the Pea fairytale, but equally by what is not discussed in the story, and it’s sure to delight just as Hans Christian Andersen’s tale has for many a generation.
It’s about a reluctant princess embarking on a grand adventure with tumultuous seas, a train “to surf” and a turtle to save! It’s about celebrating the small things in life, and it’s a great reminder to all ages that we can be brave in the face of the unknown.
Wondering what genres of music you’ll hear? The composer Bryony Marks says, “We start with a concert string quartet sound, so something that’s taking itself as seriously as you do when you go and hear chamber music in a concert hall, and then we splinter off into a variety of genres that are dictated by the sensations of the different scenes in the story.”
“In one particular scene,” Marks says, “there’s a frenetic train sequence, and the music sketch that I’ve written for that scene is in a modern music style in that it’s frantic and arrhythmic. And then that evolves into a sizzling-hot lazy day at the seaside, and the music becomes almost jazzy. So different genres will brush up against each other.”
Our friends at Busy City Kids summarised the show best when they said, it’s “a wonderful mix of drama, adventure, great storytelling, puppetry, and beautiful music by the talented quartet. The children were very engaged.”
Many children aren’t lucky enough to see professional musicians of this calibre. With two shows being performed at The Art House during school hours this May, this is a wonderful opportunity for teachers to show their students real talent and to inspire our future musos.
For school bookings, please email [email protected]
Parents and homeschool families, we have great news: you can attend too! But we recommend you book quickly as there is limited general public seating available.
The Princess, The Pea (and The Brave Escapee)
Age group: Recommended for ages 3-10.
Show duration: 45 minutes, including Post-Show ‘Meet The Musicians’ session
Where: The Art House, 19-21 Margaret Street, Wyong.
Show times: Tue 06 May 2025 – 10AM | Wed 07 May 2025 – 10AM. These performances are dedicated School Group sessions with limited general public availability
Tickets: Adult $20 | Encore Member $15 | Child Under 12 $15 | Family Pass (2A,2C or 1A,3C) $56 | School Groups $12.
Phone: 4335 1485
Book the show here
For school bookings, please email [email protected]
Written By: KATIE STOKES
Founder & Editor
After working in print and online media for more than a decade, Katie launched Playing in Puddles in 2017. A mum of three young boys and local of the Central Coast, Katie loves discovering and sharing all that’s happening in our region.
