Listings

Semianyki: The Family

Date: Oct 20-23 - 7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Comedy Theatre

Price: 80-580 yuan

The Show Semianyki: The Family grew from a smaller sketch the Troupe performed as the end of year creation for the Theatre and Mime School in 2003. Their success at the renowned Festival of Avignon in 2005 catapulted Semianyki: The Family onto the French and international touring circuit. Think of the Addams Family meeting Modern Family "Semianyki: The Family" traces the joys, the craziness, and the survival strategies of a family trapped in its own version of "home sweet home". Love and Chaos paradoxically intertwine the relationships between the pregnant yet flirtatious mother, the caring yet alcoholic father who alternates on the verge of breaking down or leaving, and their four tender yet unruly kids pushing each other and their parents to the limit. Their zany and comedic domestic power struggle extends into the audience and culminates in an emotional uniting of the family complete with a spectacular paper-flinging finale. Semianyki, based in St. Petersburg, is composed of the six original creators of the show bearing the same name. The artists were part of the first graduating class of the School for Theater and Mime founded by the famed Teatr Licedei.

Contact: 010-6655-0000

Handa's Surprise

Date: Oct 22-30 - 10 am

Venue: M Theatre at Beijing's Oriental Media Center

Price: 280 yuan

Adapted from the well known children's book by Eileen Browne. Travel to Kenya and follow Handa's footsteps as she journeys to see her best friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighboring village. Handa decides to take 7 delicious fruits with her and carries the fruit basket on her head. But on her way, various safari creatures sneak the fruit from her one by one! When Handa reaches Akeyo, will she have anything left to offer her friend ...? Come and meet all the animal puppets, smell the juicy fruits and even taste one! With over 50 years of providing high quality puppet theater aimed at family audience, Little Angel Theatre from UK has once again produced a charming and funny show full of African dance and singalong songs. Throughout the production, Handa and your children could meet animals large and small from the Kenyan wild. They come to life through the delightful magic of puppetry. These handmade puppets come in many shapes, sizes, formats and varieties, just like the fruits in Handa's basket - full of colors, lives and entertainment. Selections of different African instruments are played on stage. Audiences are invited to sit around the performance area, to sway to the sweet Swahili beats, to sink into the story and interact with the puppets and performers.