The Box at the Garden of Unearthly Delights was packed with eager children ready to dance the afternoon away with the cast of SeaStar Rock, a children’s entertainment group who utilise original music, dance, and interactive live performance as media to promote environmental sustainability and positivity.
The South Australian cast and creative team have toured around Australia featuring on stage and screen with their own TV show on Adelaide’s Channel 44, and an imminent new album which will focus on the concepts of Sea (oceans), Star (you and the universe), and Rock (earth). Their music educates children on issues such as the effects of climate change and the war on waste.
Producer Lucy Rasheed, the creator of SeaStar Rock knows how to entertain. She was originally inspired to create the first SeaStar Rock album while producing a performing arts program with orphans in East Coast Sri Lanka, after meeting an independent NGO while performing in the Edinburgh Festival. She then combined her acting training from the London School of Dramatic Arts with her primary school teacher experience, and has collaborated with a fabulous team in Adelaide and the UK.
Her target market of 2 to 10 year old children were delighted throughout the performance. Many children joyfully danced in front of the stage to vibrant music with accompanying choreography led by colourful characters such as Paddy Polar Bear, Cha Cha Crab Claw, Blue Bopping Whale, and Surfing Snapping Starfish. With songs like ‘Vegetable Patch’ which encourages kids to get out in the garden and eat their own food, and ‘Plastic Bag Monsters’ which brings awareness to environmental pollution, Rasheed has successfully combined education and entertainment.
The actors were energetic and warm and the children responded enthusiastically to their storytelling, games, and songs. Unfortunately, the quality of this production was marred by a microphone issue which resulted in intermittent popping and crackling in the latter half of the performance, and on one occasion a fader came up late and an actor’s lines were missed.
Technical issues notwithstanding, this was an excellent interactive, family-friendly performance which I highly recommend for parents with little ones. Their Fringe season has ended but their music can be found on YouTube, Spotify, and Channel 44. My two and a half-year old daughter couldn’t get enough as she danced and laughed the whole way through, and at the end of the performance she hugged me with a huge smile on her face and said “mummy, happy”. I think that says it all.
Rating: ★★★★1/2
Reviewed on 27 February 2022.
