Since its inception in 1974, the Come Out Children’s Festival has seen more than two million kids participate. It’s been an extraordinary time, and this year is no exception. Base yourselves in the luxurious surrounds of The Playford Hotel, and you’ll be in the heart of the festivities. Kick-start your day with a hearty, award-winning buffet breakfast in The Playford Restaurant that will give you the energy you’ll need to tackle this fantastic festival.
Hundreds of shows will make you laugh, cry, stimulate your mind, or entertain. It all happens over nine days, from May 22–30. It’s a brilliant festival that is full of sumptuous delights. There’s theatre, dance, circus, science, puppetry, plays, orchestral works, robot literacy, and astrology. The Festival programme is divided into two categories. There’s the school programme where children can participate in events and performances through their school, and there’s the general public programme.
The program has five hundred and fifty events, performances, exhibitions, workshops, and activities. This year will include twelve South Australian premieres, one Australian premiere, and five world premiere performances. Extraordinary.
The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Building Bridges.’ The opening event is titled ‘A Bridge Across Time’. It portrays a moment in time with three generations engaging in a shared experience—one remembered, one objective, and one imagined. The delightful adventure story of Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s best-selling novel is back to everyone’s delight. This time with the sequel, The 26-Storey Tree House. It’s a brilliant show where children watch the book come to life on stage.
All this action probably means you’re going to need a pick-me-up! Why not grab a delicious Vittoria espresso coffee from The Playford Lounge Bar? Take a weight off your feet while you drink it, or keep on the move with a coffee to go.
Now we know that all the kids adore a circus. And a festival wouldn’t be the same without one. This year, a circus will allow all the kids to take on a big adventure and go on a circus safari through jungles, oceans, and plains when the Circa Carnival arrives with the Carnival of the Animals. It’s a happy tale from the land and the sea. With digital animation and multimedia at play, the language of the circus is there for all to see, and the kids are taken on an exciting, playful, acrobatic safari.
Then there’s Look. It’s an imaginary theatre production that uses physical storytelling to tell an incredible story of resilience and friendship. Argus by Dead Puppet Society will undoubtedly attract some attention. It‘s a whimsical wonderland, using only household objects and four pairs of hands. There’s also a terrific interactive workshop that runs through the festival. It’s called ‘I Think I Can’. It’s where the Tasmanian Puppet Theatre Company, Terrapin, uses puppetry, live video, and active audience participation, and where students choose a miniature puppet as their alter ego and play out their lives on a significant-scale model railway in the Adelaide Railway Station, a mere stone’s throw from The Playford hotel. Toot-toot!
These are, of course, just some of the many incredibly varied things you’ll find at this year’s Come Out Children’s Festival. So come on down. The stage is set. Book in at The Playford Hotel and take it all in. Round out your day with world-class cuisine in The Playford Restaurant, washed down with a glass (or two!) of fine boutique wine. You’ll love staying at The Playford and be delighted with what you see at the festival.
