BOATS

Childsplay & Australian Terrapin Puppet Theatre Present BOATS.
The acclaimed Terrapin Puppet Theatre from Australia comes to Tempe Center for the Arts to join Childsplay in a special Easter weekend performance of BOATS.
Set sail with Jof and Nic, two life-long friends cast adrift on the open ocean. With their inventive puppetry, sound effects and acrobatics, these two outrageous sailors take us along on their crazy adventures, complete with a chicken, a deserted island and a sombrero.
“They are two good friends telling a group of people a story, acting out the scenes by making them come to life with puppets that they make from the things in the galley [kitchen] of their boat,” says Director Frank Newman. “This follows a very Australian tradition of telling tall stories, embellishing them for the sake of the story. Yet like all good stories when well told they have a larger purpose which both the audience and its teller learn from.”
Performances of BOATS are Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 31 at 1 p.m. Tickets start at $15 and are on sale.
BOATS is written by Finegan Kruckemeyer and features Quinn Griggs as Jof and Jeff Michel as Nic. The show is directed by Frank Newman, with the creative team of Matthew Fargher (Composer), Greg Methé (Set and Puppet Design) and Roz Wren (Costume Design).
Easter Sunday Special:
Join the cast of Boats for a special bunny boat float on Easter Sunday. Attend the Easter Sunday (March 31) performance at 1 p.m. and your family can participate in a special arts & crafts activity with the cast! Following in the creative spirit of Boats, kids can create their own Easter-themed sail boat to release into the infinity pool at Tempe Center for the Arts. Just purchase your tickets to the 1 p.m. show on March 31 and your spot in the Boat Float will be secured automatically.
Reviews
From the 2011 Sydney season:
“This is an entrancing hour in the theatre for five and ups and a pleasure for adults, too.”
— Sydney Morning Herald
From the 2011 USA tour:
“Boats is the theatrical gem this year”
–-The Stranger, Seattle
“I loved the tale and performance of Boats as did my children. Their continued curiosity about Nicolas and Jof and how to make a storm in a teacup, and the chicken on the hat and the seagull is wonderful… their asking me to retell it… will be part of our family storytelling and history. Thank you so much.  Your work, innovation, enthusiasm and wonder are appreciated.”
—A patron from Cleveland, Ohio
From past seasons:
“A zephyr of pure originality and lyricism flows through this work … which simply carry one into a vivid and fantastical world.”
—The Advertiser, Adelaide
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