The performers of ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’, ‘Shrek’, ‘The Snow Queen’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’.
CONFIDENCE and creativity of children as young as four are set to shine in Christmas-themed performances by The Story Book Academy.
To be staged on Dec 11 at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC), 1 Utama shopping centre in Bandar Utama, Selangor, the shows will feature classic tales presented in the morning and afternoon.
The 11am show will combine storybook favourites of Shrek and The Snow Queen.
This segment will display the talents of children aged four to seven.
Leading the cast in Shrek will be five-year-old Thomas Matei Tudor in the titular role while nine-year-old Nouman Ezra Sheikh Mohd Hafiz takes on the role of Donkey.
In The Snow Queen another five-year-old, Agnes Thee Yuan Xin, will step into the role of Gerda and seven-year-old Kara Wong Li-Ning will bring the Snow Queen to life.
Additionally, 11-year-old Diyara Akshita Devulapalli will enchant the audience with her dual role as narrator and singer, performing the heartwarming song A Million Dreams.
The second show, set to begin at 2.30pm, will present performances of The Velveteen Rabbit and A Christmas Carol.
In The Velveteen Rabbit, the spotlight will be on two talented five-year-olds Taika Somrudeethaveekij and Wei Yen who will respectively play the Boy and the Velveteen Rabbit.
For A Christmas Carol, eight-year-old Ayaana Deora will take on the challenging role of Scrooge while 10-year-old narrator Angelina Yong will guide the audience through this timeless holiday classic.
The Story Book Academy is one of the few platforms in Malaysia providing children the chance to perform in public stage plays.
Production roles are filled by academy students, some of whom are preschoolers.
“We are incredibly proud of our young performers, some of whom are stepping onto the public stage for the first time.
“Our aim is to nurture confidence, creativity and a love for stories in these children, and provide them with a platform to shine,” said academy director Jeanisha Wan.
Set up as an offshoot of The Story Book, an organisation known for interactive and roleplay-based storytelling events, the academy has been conducting acting and roleplay classes since September 2020.
Students are selected through an audition process before they are admitted.
The academy has also been helping to empower refugee youths through theatre.
Working with The Peace Education Centre (T-PEC), it has given a few Myanmarese teenagers a chance to assist behind the scenes.
T-PEC is a non-profit, Myanmarese refugee community learning centre based in Kuala Lumpur.
This initiative not only offers the refugee youths valuable exposure to the arts but also provides them with hands-on experience and a source of income.
Audiences of all ages are invited to come and watch the plays.
For details and tickets, visit www.onetix.com.my or www.pjpac.com.my
