The world of Ling and her friends brought the wonders of Science to life in dazzling fashion!
The Esplanade Presents PLAYtime! production of Hello Ling was a musical extravaganza specifically targeted at children between the ages of 2 and 4, held in August 2013. An interactive show that explored the amazing qualities of light, what makes plants grow, and the fascinating aspects of weather, Hello Ling was an educator’s dream come true.
For starters, the play explored concepts such as photosynthesis, rainbows, and other observed natural phenomena. These were communicated to the children through simple but effective literary techniques such as catchy rhythm and rhyme, repetition and hand actions.
Director Chow Keat Yeng was clearly at home in helping children learn through theatre and the arts. Hello Ling incorporated her background experience as an early childhood educator in the field of speech and drama, and this was evident in the way the characters interacted with the audience and each other.
In addition, concepts such as light and darkness were conveyed powerfully through the use of shadow play, and children learnt many other lessons, such as how there was nothing to fear about shadows. In fact, the children ended up having fun playing with their own shadows!
Walking onto the set of Hello Ling, one could not help but be swept away by the lovely garden scenescape that was conjured up by the designers. The computer-generated animation was a delight to the senses. We particularly enjoyed the luscious sunflower blooms, as well as the enchanting firefly night scenes.
Our three-year-old Z was happily in his element. This was the third theatre production that he had watched, and while he was slightly apprehensive during his earlier plays, Hello Ling was a completely disarming experience for him. As he danced to the catchy musical tunes and chimed along with the rhymes, we could not help but be transported back into the magical world of a child ourselves – one where everything was bright, cheery and sweet!
About Hello Ling and PLAYtime! series
Hello Ling is the second instalment in the PLAYtime! “Hello” series by Esplanade Presents. The third production, PLAYtime! Hello Adam, will open in November 2013 and this time, join the star of the show Adam as he runs, rolls, leaps and bounces in his playground. Esplanade Presents’ PLAYtime! Hello Adam promises an exciting rock and roll session, where children also get to learn some verbs and move their bodies in ways they’ll always remember!
