The Velveteen Rabbit will be reimagined as part of a special performance at the Sydney Fringe Festival.
The new production was created by two Rockdale women, Darina Vassiliev and Svetlana Sidorchuk, who have a long association with the performing arts
Ms Vassiliev said the pair formed a non-for-profit organisation for kids, called Imaducation Inc, and opened Tilkin-Dilkin Studio in 2007.
‘’We were always interested in children’s theatre, and have been involved in theatre in general most of our lives, so when we became mothers the transition into children’s theatre was very natural,’’ she said.
‘’We created a special program of workshops with the aim to help children learn through imagination. Our workshops are based on basic theatre techniques and, also, early developmental principles.’’
Their first production hit the stage just two years later and since then they have produced 16 theatre productions for kids.
Ms Sidorchuk said their version of the famed children’s book would be unique.
‘’These fantastic two actors are playing multiple characters and toys in this version of the production, which is a testament to their craft and hard work,’’ she said.
‘’We are pushing the boundaries with children’s theatre. People should definitely come and see our show, any kid, or ‘kid at heart’ will enjoy it.’’
One of those actors is Amy Fisher who has toured Australia performing for thousands of children.
‘’Our version of the Velveteen Rabbit is unique because it is our own adaptation with a quirky twist on the classic story and includes an original score and lyrics,’’ she said.
‘’The songs are very fun and contagious, you will find yourself humming along to them.
‘’We also have another aspect that is our animated videos which happen throughout the show. We believe using multimedia alongside music and dance makes our show very relevant to the times and keeps it interesting and inspiring for our audience.’’
The group has also performed at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in what has now become a yearly event.
Known as The Rainbow Elephant project the idea was conceived after the son of one of the members of the organisation got seriously ill, and had to spend three months at the hospital.
Fortunately, he is now one of the leading actors in the Tilkin-Dilkin Studio.
The Velveteen Rabbit Musical Show will be performed over four shows from September 23-24.
For more information or to buy tickets click here.