Kidsfest 2026 -The Gruffalo's Child

Back at Kidsfest this year watching yet another wonderful production by ABA Productions - The Gruffalo's Child. By now, this is a much anticipated yearly affair by the family. Tip for families, although there are re-runs, most are new. We usually avoid re-runs. Our first choice is always stories that the children are familiar with as it brings these stories we read daily alive. Otherwise, we will pick a production, find the book and read it through with the children before the actual day. 

As re-runs don't always happen, go for the production when you see it. Don't wait for next year because once you miss it, you might really miss it forever. For children theatre production, ABA Productions is my favourite because they tend not to incorporate singlish to it and there is more budget allocated to wardrobe and props.

For us and the children, this is a yearly highlight. The children always leave with fond memories. For those who know, the 2 of them have been growing up, watching theatre productions since they were 2 years old. So, it is true that appreciation for art forms can start young. :P They are pretty much seasoned theatre goers by now and can sit through the production with little fear of the dark. 

Only from 30 January to 22 February 2026, be sure to book your tickets here! 

Kidsfest 2025: The Lion Inside

We are back again for Kidsfest and I have to say that the line-up was awesome (as always). There was a rerun of The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Read our review here) which had started out our #2 successfully on her theatre appreciation journey when she was 15MO. This time round, we decided to watch "The Lion Inside" which explored the concept of courage and loneliness. I loved how wholesome and interactive it was. 

We were a lot closer to the stage and the dark savannah backdrop initially scared our #2. She was hiding in my chest. But once she heard the chirpy and familiar intro, we observed her slowly turn her head to embrace the stage. It was wonderful to see her clapping along, engaged with the crew. 

Some parents/readers have asked me if theatre for children generates returns given that the price to go as a family is "not cheap". For me, I think it would be great for a child go at least once in a lifetime, if the family can afford it. Going for every production would numb the wow factor and cost a huge hole in the pocket. One Kidsfest production yearly sounds about reasonable. So choose a good production and save it for a special occasion (birthday celebration)/ reward. Also, always keep a lookout for discount codes or go during the weekdays to get better value!

From my experience of my children with the productions, the first show is always uneventful. The child will tend to be fussy and you seem to be spending more time pacifying the child than really bonding and enjoying the production. It is 2nd one onwards which you can see the glow and fascination in the face. Watching how the backdrops/ props transform from one scene to another does also encourage the mind to be more innovative and resourceful. Even as an adult, sometimes I am impressed how a story is brought to life on stage either through the use of deliberate music, lighting projection or smart use of props. 

ABA Productions: There's a Monster in Your Show

By now, every reader probably knows what a huge fan we are of ABA Productions. The latest one - There's a Monster in your Show once again impresses. Among all their shows we have went to, I found this the most engaging. Even before the show starts, the cast would be all around, speaking to the children, letting them know when applause would be nice. 

One of the things I really like about all their shows is how much effort and thought they put into the props and backdrops. They never fail to surprise me, how they change the scene with very little disruptions. We got corner CAT 1 seats this time round and it was super near the stage. It was great because there was space at the side for the children to gyrate along to the catchy music. 

Both my kids grew up watching ABA Productions (literally). And they have learned to enjoy the live shows. It tickles me to see them blossom to seasoned "patrons of the art" and they just instinctively take booster seats to their chairs. Just imagine, my 2YO dragging her little booster chair and putting it back right after the show. 

After the first show, it is quite effortless on my part. I can now bring them alone as they don't need much egging to prepare themselves because they are eager for it. The darkness of the theatre is also something they got got used to. I personally prefer the weekday shows sometimes because you get better rates and bang for your bucks. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, here's some discounts you can use. 

	Promo Type	Details	Redemption
1	10% discount	Applicable to all ticket categories Only applicable for weekend shows	Use promo code “SHOW10” at checkout
2	15% discount	Applicable to all ticket categories Only applicable for shows on Thursday and Friday	Use promo code “MONSTER15” at checkout

By the way, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is coming back again next year (you can read our review here), and it is a great production to start them on. You can keep a lookout for Kids Fest for all their other productions if you have caught this one already!

Kidsfest 2024: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

At a sheer 15 months old, we are proud to say our #2 has sat through her first theatre productions. If you are keen to bring your kid to his/ her first theatre show, you can follow our journey here. Given that we have went through the process with 2 kids, I have concluded that the child will never sit through the first show. But they will be ready at the 2nd show you bring them to. 

I guess many parents are just scarred by the experience at the first show...and hence they will never give the kid a second chance at theatre shows until years later. If you are very calculative, I would advise to not invest in the best seats during the first show (since there is high likelihood you will be standing outside viewing through the TV). But for subsequents shows, please invest in the best seats so that your child can enjoy the full and best experience. 

The choice of production that you bring your kids to is very important. Personally, we are huge fans of ABA Productions. Even for its children productions, it maintains professional standards and the sound and light quality is outstanding. Our 4th production and it always never fail to impress and blow our minds. Our #2 clapped through 15 minutes of "10 Little Rubber Ducks" and it is well deserving of all the applause she gave. 

Also wanted to take the opportunity to highlight on Kidsfest (since many people DM me on suitable productions on my IG). The productions are very suitable for children. There is no need to be "paiseh" when you interact with your kids during the production or if you need to bring your kids on a toilet break because the attendees are all parents and they understand the needs of fellow parents. It takes away a lot of pressure and the whole family can enjoy the show. :) 

And this time round, we finally managed to get a nice family shot at the photobooth!

Madagascar: The Musical

 

Madagascar The Musical is our 3rd productions with ABA Productions and I have to say each production outdo the last. I am not sure how they keep impressing. For Madagascar, the visuals were stunning with the amount of details they put on the costumes and backdrop. The dedication put in by the actors and puppeteers were also pretty commendable. King Julien literally kneeled throughout the show so as to depict the height difference. And the actor even managed to capture the voice and accent. Wow!

For the tinier animals i.e. the penguins, Mort and Maurice, they were all controlled by puppeteers. The puppeteers were equally expressive and communicated through their facials. I think there were a few new numbers but my kid was thrilled and was grooving throughout. We danced so hard to "Move it Move it" my limbs were sore by the end of it. 

Although Madagascar The Musical was marketed for the children, it was of "adult-standards". The children sure was very lucky to able to experience such a quality production. For those who are wondering, yes we brought out #2 along this round. But no, we were not the lucky few which the younger sibling is emboldened by the presence of the older sibling. We went though the whole process again (you can read more about it here!)

For parents who are keen to introduce theatre to your children, you need to choose children-friendly productions as the attending audience will be more understanding to the fussing needs of the children. You will feel less "paiseh". I just want to share that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, Our #1 enjoyed his 2nd production and he was not even 3 years old then. The youngest age you can start them on this journey is probably 1.5 years old onwards. To follow our theatre journey and learn more tips, do follow the "ABA Productions" tag. In case you don't know, they have the best children's productions. 

The Smeds and The Smoos Review

About half a year later, we finally made another trip to the theatre. And this time we didn't stand outside throughout. I guess I would call that a success. Our kid quietly sat through the show, peering intently. So far, we observed he doesn't interact much with the stage actor's prompts. Very occasionally, he will point and clap along. It was a good start. 

Some differences was that we went with a bigger group this time round. My parents tagged along. This meant I had extra pairs of helping hands. Do remember to get the booster seats for the kids because it will elevate their height and not be blocked by the adults sitting in front. 

For parents who are keen to introduce their children to the theatre early, we would strongly suggest ABA Productions. We have went to their children shows twice - one sitting outside and I have to say they put a lot of thought into their productions. Both shows were on engaging stories and incorporated catchy songs. Our first show - Stick Man (read our experience here) had a tiny live band at the side to introduce different instruments and the sounds to the kids. 

The lighting and the costumes were very on point for The Smeds and The Smoos. Although it is a children's productions, my parents and myself enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Also, we really like that they used proper English, following the story, throughout the show!

If you come early, there will always be colouring stations set up for the kids. Do remember to check out the booth selling children's books. It has a nice curation of the popular books and I always enjoy flipping through some of them to have a sense of the content and moral values it conveys. Personally, I like stories that have a good flow. :)

Till the next show, I will be documenting the siblings' introductions to the arts so that fellow parents can have a sense and take a page. :) Hopefully, we can soon proudly declare ourselves as the friends of the arts. :D

Our first live theatre show - and it didn't went well

Everybody probably only thinks I write only about the good stuff. But the truth is, parenthood is truly unpredictable and not everything is always a bed of roses. I don't have much photos for this because...my hands were so occupied (with the carrying of my toddler). 

The day started pretty bad because my child wanted to take the public transport instead of cabbing down. We ended up being around 5 minutes late (not too bad) and by now I am actually quite chill when it comes to punctuality with my toddler. In fact, we weren't the latest either with quite a bit of family coming in after us. 

Sadly, my toddler was absolutely frightened by the dark theatre. We did try going in but he would fuss non-stop. And me, being afraid of being judged and boo-ed, acceded to his whims. We ended up watching the first half of the show through the intermission screen outside. 

The staff at Victoria Theatre was really kind. When I voiced my concerns, her words stuck me deeply: This is a children's production. Of course, it will be constantly interrupted by the needs of the kids. She gave lots of encouragement and even got me a plastic chair to sit outside. Eventually, I did brace myself and went in again. My kid still fussed intermittently but honestly no parent shooed me out. 

I know many of you must be thinking "what a waste of money". I am sharing this story because I wanted to say the waste was not the money but the experience. The acoustic of a live show would be so much more animated and engaging than staring on the screen, which he could have done any day. And the production - Stick Man was actually insanely good even from outside. Sigh.

Also just to encourage other parents who have gone through "waste" like me, don't be dishearten. We must remember that a child doesn't necessarily have to react positively to every experience. In fact, my son humming to the tune later at night and chatted to me about the plot. I guess actually he enjoyed it, he just wasn't used to the dark. So we will be trying again because I am quite a fan of the arts and other parents have assured me that it does get better with time. :)