Past Editions
AHA! International Theatre for Children Festival
Past Editions
AHA! International Theatre for Children Festival
2024
Crabbby
- English
- 40 minutes
- India
This story is all about how Crabbby and Storky, enemies turned friends, come together to rescue their pond. Remember, Crabbby is intelligent. Very very intelligent. Because he always thinks differently. And that is how he comes up with a brilliant idea to save the pond from the townspeople who would keep throwing garbage in it. Along with being interactive, this story-telling-play is all about working together for a cause and saving the environment.
A Tree and A Boy
- Non-verbal
- 50 minutes
- South Korea
The most universal story about life told through traditional Korean vibes! “A Tree and a Boy” is a non-verbal puppet theatre full of poetic imagery and delicate sounds representing Korean aesthetics. Parallelizing the lives of a tree and a boy from spring to winter and new spring again, the story of two creatures unfolds in the infinite cycle of nature. It says birth, growth, and death are beautiful and natural things in this world.
Spiel im Spiel
- Non-verbal
- 50 minutes
- Germany
When we play, anything is possible: the floor is made of lava, objects fly through the air and everyday items take on a whole new meaning. The stool is a raft, a bridge, a house, a tower. It stands on its head, lies on its side, stands on its feet… From an almost infinite selection of possibilities, new worlds with their own sets of rules emerge playfully, and they are repeatedly changed, expanded, discarded.
But how does one game lead to the next? Who decides what happens next?
Who makes the rules and how do you make the best decision?
And what happens if someone doesn`t want to take part?
Three dancers get involved in the “game into game” to explore different rules, spaces, choices of each other’s world of games. They tear down one in order to build and explore another one. “Game into Game” is a virtuous, playful, humorous and touching dance piece for not only children but also their families at the same time.
Petitpas and Me
- Non-verbal
- 55 minutes
- Switzerland
A child alone in his room. How nice it would be to have someone to play with. Then something stirs. Someone enters the room: Petitpas! The loneliness suddenly turns into a crazy duet between Petitpas and the dancer. For “Petitpas & I” the two artistic directors Teresa Rotemberg and Chine Curchod combine their experiences.
A Hat Seller's Tale
- Sinhala , English
- 60 minutes
- Sri Lanka
Pssst!!!!! There’s a colourful hat seller on the way to your village all the way from Colombo, Sri Lanka! With beautiful imported hats from all over the world with magical powers! BUT some naughty monkeys may get to the hats before you….so run!!!! Bring your own hats or dress up as monkeys and join Power of Play in enjoying this interactive folk tale from Sri Lanka modernised to reflect our current social, political and economic realities. Be ready to act, sing and dance!
Pinkoblu
- Non-verbal
- 40 minutes
- Germany
What happens when stereotypes no longer fit into their boxes? Clothes, rods and clothes-hangers come to life in this theatrical puppetry performance by Anita Bertolami. Without language but with humour and through the use of object manipulation, this show tells the story of gender, injustice and the search for equality. It is a performance full of hope for a fairer future with the certainty that – if we believe in them enough – dreams can come true.
The Rabbit and The Hedgehog
- English
- 40 minutes
- Austria
The play is freely adapted from the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale for puppet theatre. Mr Rabbit is never too far, no danger is too great, and no task is too difficult for him. No wonder he is a hero. At least in his imagination. Mr Hedgehog is his exact opposite. He prefers to stay at home taking care of his turnip patch.
Everyday, Mr Rabbit comes by and tells stories of his adventures. Eventually Mr Hedgehog has had enough. What a braggart. He should prove what he is made of with his long rabbit legs!
With minimal props and laced with a lot of wit, Max Troibinger brings the classic fairy tale to the stage. Unlike the original fairy tale, the audience witnesses that friendship between unlikely partners is possible and how a conflict can ultimately bring them closer together.
2022
Ee Gida Aa Mara
- Non-Verbal
- 30 minutes
- India
The plant stands still, the Tree too. On the surface we see silent beings, often solitary. Come a little closer. There are sounds. Come even closer. There are entire worlds. Ee Gida, A Mara translates from Kannada to This Plant, That Tree. The play explores the two and magnifies the micro environments they house through movement, visuals and sound. For ages 2 to 3.5, the play runs for 25 minutes followed by an interaction with the performers. The play is largely non verbal, with sporadic use of Kannada, English and Hindi words.
Sag Mal
- Non-Verbal
- 45 minutes
- Germany
There are communication problems in all age groups, groups, nationalities. In an arty-playful manner the dance theatre piece tries to find out whether we actually need language to be able to communicate? What happens if two people talk to one another in two different languages? They might even be able to understand one another against all odds, they might develop their own way of understanding, and they might be able to approach one another openly. Together they will then have surprising and sensual experiences, as language is much more than just words – it is also dance and music. This piece is a non-verbal dance theatre performance, it is also suited for children from foreign countries or children having special needs.
Gulliver's Travel
- Hindi
- 55 minutes
- India
Gulliver’s Travels is a story of freedom, determination, strength, conspiracy, compassion, friendship and most of all a story of acceptance. It’s not a love story but a story of love. Gulliver gets washed over the shores of the land of Lilliput by a sea storm, captured by the Lilliputs. He is at first a prisoner, and despite his huge power of being a giant, he is very nurturing to the Lilliput. He negotiates for his freedom. Though he is plotted to be killed, he escapes and continues to search for true friendship and does not take his own power for love for granted but offers it for his true friends.
The Story of the Lake
- English
- 50 minutes
- South Korea
Once upon a time, there was a city and a pond in the city. The city dwellers were involved in the ‘farming’ of the pond. However, from time to time the dam of the pond would burst and the paddy fields would become a sea of water, ruining the agriculture. So the villagers came together and decided to rebuild the dam of the pond. However, no matter how many dams were built, the dam of the pond continued to burst, and more and more people were injured while building the dam. Each time the farm was ruined like this. The life of the villagers became increasingly destitute, the dam continued to burst, and the people began to lose hope. At that time, a monk passing by the village heard the story of the pond and told them that the sacrifice of a child as a tribute to the pond would help solve their problem. He told them that the dam will no longer fall. So, the village chief begins looking for a child who will become a commodity. The people try to hide their children by bribing the village chief. Upon hearing the news, Dae-su’s family is unable to afford the bribe, so he leaves the village and tries to run away, but is caught by the village chief.
A big ritual was held in the village and an event to offer water to the pond began. Dae-su, who became the tribute, was terrified and afraid, jumped into the pond without hesitation because he felt that he was doing so for his family. Ever since Dae-su became a tribute, the dam of the pond no longer collapsed. In memory of Dae-su who sacrificed his life for the city, the pond was named Dae-su lake. After that, every year on the day of his sacrifice, a large lotus flower bloomed in the middle of the pond. Over time, the whole pond was filled with lotus flowers and seemed to soothe the soul of Dae-su.
Minor Matters
- English
- 55 minutes
- Switzerland
A story of departure, desires, hopes and disappointments. Together with the audience, the narrator lets a farm emerge. Here once lived a farmer. He ordered the fields, fed the animals. He was satisfied. But then he thought there was something missing, so calm and orderly ran his life from morning to night. So he goes to his town on a Saturday evening. Here he meets the woman of his heart. When he starts a family with her, happiness seems perfect. But just as the idyll originates from nothingness, it finally breaks down again.
2021
Golla
- Non-Verbal
- 20 minutes
- India
In the beginning there was a ball of dough but soon enough other forms emerged and formed a world. Golla, is a live material theatre performance created for children between ages 2 – 3.5 years. The play is told through movement, music, and actions. This is a wordless performance.
When the Colours Ran Away
- English
- 20 minutes
- India
ThinkArts presents a digital performance about two boys, errant colours and artworks imbued with life! Adi & Rohan are thrilled about their trip to the Art Museum. Rumours about a painting with colours the likes of which they’ve never seen has got them all the more excited. But once there, they notice something strange – the colours from the painting have all run away!
Commissioned by the Vancouver International Children’s Festival for the 2021 edition.
Der Apfelwald
- Non-Verbal
- 50 minutes
- Germany
Three very different figures wake up in a dream forest. They look for their way, their space and themselves. Distance seems necessary, doors prefer to stay closed. But in the end curiosity drives them out. They discover where freedom begins and where it ends, and they also track down the enemy of their own freedom.
Aouuuu!
- French and English
- 45 minutes
- Switzerland
Little bunny is afraid of everything! At the slightest rustle of leaves he trembles, at each crackle of branches his heart pounders. Getting out of the house or playing hide and seek with friends can be a real ordeal. Realizing that his anxieties prevent him from living, little bunny decides to act. What if to be less afraid he slipped into the skin of a predator who fears no one? Thing said, done! The next day, little bunny makes himself a wolf costume, the effect of which will be much more terrifying than expected …
Is it enough to cross-dress to change? How to tame our fears without sinking into entrenchment or loneliness? Nourished by the frame and the visual universe of the youth album Ich bin ein Wolf, sagt Hase (transl. I am a wolf, said rabbit) by the Lucerne illustrator Jadwiga Kowalska, the two directors, Chine Curchod and Anna Papst, play with the atmospheres and the force of the images to detect the spiral of fear and the subterfuges of the childish imagination.
The Water Seed
- English
- 36 minutes
- India
When the rains did not come, the young people of the village went in search of water. One of them brought back a water seed!
Adapted from an adivasi (first people) story, ‘The Water Seed’ is a performance made with materials and objects. We hope that this adaptation will trigger discussions about water and the global water crisis, water conservation and our relation with water, as individuals as well as a community, country and species.
Supported by the ThinkArts Grant 2020 for creating digital content for young audiences
2019
Old Man and Sea
- Non-Verbal
- 40 minutes
- India
This is the story of an epic struggle between an old, seasoned fisherman and the greatest catch of his life. For 84 days he has returned home empty handed. On the 85th day he sets out far beyond into the sea and drops his lines. At noon, a big fish, which he names Mari, takes the bait but the old man cannot pull it in. Instead, the fish begins to pull the boat. For five days the old man struggles with the fish, with sharks and with the sea, to survive and get back home.
Squirrel Stole My Underpants
- Non-Verbal
- 40 minutes
- US
In this poignantly silly adventure tale for families, Sylvie is sent to the backyard to hang up the laundry. The moment her back is turned, a mischievous squirrel steals her favourite piece of clothing and runs off. When Sylvie gives a
chase, an entire world emerges from her laundry basket, and curious characters show her the way through mysterious lands.
This engagement is supported by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through US Artists International in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Andrew W Mellon Foundation.
Happy Birthday! or What’s Rattling in the Box?
- Non-Verbal
- 40 minutes
- Germany
It is Lisa’s birthday. At last – a mountain of colourful packets! Burning with curiosity, she unpacks them all – but what is that? A crazy chicken! And what’s rattling in the next box? What a surprise! A jolly baby is grinning at her. But the sweet baby turns out to be a little pest. Lis now doesn’t have a minute for herself anymore. She tries everything to calm down the small wild thing, but the baby does what babies do. The baby screams, parps, pees, poops and still wants to be entertained. But the more Lisa tries, the more goes wrong. What a beautiful mess! The bay has fun, the children have fun too. It is a zany play about being little and about being big, about children and their parents.
The shows in the festival are supported by Goethe Institut, India.
My Shadow and Me
- Non-Verbal
- 45 minutes
- UK
The show is like a cartoon created live out of nothing but darkness and light. One person and his shadow meet and go on an incredible, imaginative, shadowy journey where creatures emerge, engage and transform beautifully. The show uses minimal language in combination with electronic music, a kazoo, a shaker and non-verbal voice effects. Little encounters between characters are explored and tiny stories unfold. Many are funny, some sweet. The ever fascinating and adorable hand shadow bunny makes an appearance as part of a simple magic trick, and the show ends with a colourful and impressive finale in which multiple shadow characters appear all at the same time – made with just two hands!
Woogie Boogie
- Non-Verbal
- 50 minutes
- South Korea
Mischievous duo invite us to the delightful doodling world! They experience first sea adventure with a tiny little turtle! What will happen to them in this beautiful but scary watery world, and will they return a turtle to sea safety? What will happen to their vivid drawings? With live sound effects, stunning animation and an abundance of theatrical imagination, this is a touching and exciting screen show.
The show in the Festival is supported by InKo Centre India and Korea Arts
Management Service
Body Rhapsody
- Non-Verbal
- 40 minutes
- Peru
With a seemingly simple manipulation of the body, without words, with objects, Body Rhapsody is a journey from the classical mime to the bodily puppets, in which Hugo ends up turning his body into a great altarpiece where exotic and graceful alien creatures walk. A parade of whimsical personalities who, borrowing a part of the body and having the illusion of possessing a small soul, try to survive in the mystery of a metaphor or in the heart a laugh. That which offers the dream of a brief existence before dying in the applause of the public.
Carnival of Transfiguro
- Non-Verbal
- 45 minutes
- Switzerland
Combining the miniature perfection of Creeping Carnival with the joyful creativity of Transfiguro, Carnival of Transfiguro is a wonderful stage show that takes the audience into strange new worlds. In this show things are rarely as they seem: a baking whisk desires cleanliness, a patch of hair becomes a magician, a belly tackles weight lifting and a pair of kitchen brushes fall in love! The performance is a skilful combination of physical theatre and puppetry, from the tiny to the large.The shows in the Festival are supported by Swiss Arts Council – Pro Helvetia India.
