Theatre for children coming south

Cultivating an interest in the performing arts from a young age is vital for children, theatre creatives say.

Rollicking Entertainment performers Lizzie Tollemache and David Ladderman are keen to make a stand in the industry, to drive home how important it is for children to have exposure to live entertainment as a young age.

Based out of Christchurch, their company is booked for corporate events all around New Zealand and Tollemache said she wanted to make the most of being in a place, by giving performances to schools

‘‘We see it as being a treat for schools but an absolute necessity for the industry,’’ she said.

Having spoken with teachers during the years, she found schools were often keen to provide live entertainment for schools, but the logistics of getting children to a venue and the cost were often a significant barrier.

The $5 or $10 just for a show at school was sometimes out of the question for some people, she said.

Children needed to be exposed to theatre and drama because it encouraged the next generation of performers and having those free experiences at a young age meant people would be more likely to engage in theatre when they were older.

‘‘It’s crucial that kids have that experience when they’re really young,’’ she said.

‘‘I think we’re in danger of thinking that live entertainment is becoming an elitist product.’’

Theatre, such as Shakespeare plays, could often be considered as ‘‘highbrow’’, when it was originally written just for the people, she said.

‘‘[People were] eating, drinking and having conversations right in the middle of it.’’

Invercargill theatre businessman Jade Gillies supported Tollemache’s new venture, and also had similar schemes in place to encourage the next generation of theatre-goers.

Having developed the House Series to open up the accessibility of theatre to Southland audiences, Gillies also had an interest in bringing theatre to the younger generation.

He had developed a student programme with the House Series where businesses or people could sponsor a student, who had a significant interest in performance, to go to the year’s programme of shows.

‘‘The more we see [theatre] the more we see the chance to become involved as well,’’ he said.

With Angela Newell and Lizzie Dawson, he also runs the Invers Theatre Drama Academy for young people in Southland, which attracted all sorts of students at different skill levels.