Splash Theatre Company’s Book Safari is beautiful in its simplicity. The travelling production adopts minimalist stage conventions and uses vibrant performances to allow its magical tales to shine through.

Book Safari brings to life five lovable children’s stories: Aziz the Storyteller by Vi Hughes, Sanji and the Baker by Robin Tzannes, Safari Diary by Hudson Talbott, Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andrae and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Understanding the challenge of holding younger audience’s interest, Splash made the smart decision to seamlessly combine the rich Arabian tales of Hughes and Tzannes, as well as the African adventures of Talbott and Andrae. This provides their audience with three definitive tales that spread far across the globe but share a basic passion for storytelling.

Our literary journey began in an Arabian marketplace, where dreamer Aziz, tired of struggling to sell his mother’s quality Persian rugs, sets out to make his living telling stories. After disobeying his boisterous mother, running into strife with a dour baker, and finding himself before a rather unconventional judge, Aziz is finally able to harness his gift of storytelling and succeed in providing for his aging Mama.

We were then transported to the African wilderness where a young boy and his Prada-toting aunty (Gentle, doing a hilarious ‘Ab-Fab on Safari’ impersonation) meet all the famous faces of the jungle. Strong rhymes, slapstick and a commendable performance by Nathan Porteus as the animal menagerie had the children (and myself) in hysterics, while the diary-writing element continued the theme.

Our safari finished off with the poignant tale of the Little Prince—a visitor to Earth whose bewilderment and bemusement at various displays of typical human behaviour makes us take stock of those things we take for granted and assume to be sensible, which may not be the case.

Andrew Crupi, Renee Gentle and Nathan Porteus, Splash’s talented trio, drew us in with their boundless energy and impeccable theatre skills. They were able to capture the attention of the young kindergarteners, all fidgeting energy and wide-eyed interest, through a simple rhythmic clapping game. This small bit of audience participation was a fantastic way of getting the performance underway, enabling the children to get involved and getting the energy flowing.

Considering Book Safari involved little audience interaction and could be a tad wordy at times Crupi, Gentle and Porteus’ theatrical talents and pure unbridled energy did an impressive job of keeping the children engrossed in the story. Though there were a few words here and there that I doubt the kids would have understood, they seemed enthralled by the characters themselves, giggling hysterically at Aziz’s outrageously dramatic Mama, staring wide-eyed at Porteus’ rampaging rhinoceros and singing gleefully along with the Hippopotamus Song. The trio also displayed a high level of focus when, at one stage, the kids took to yelling ‘the shops!’ to answer a long-past question, and were able to adjust when focus began to slip towards the end of the hour-long show.

On the day I viewed the performance, the Noarlunga Library’s function room was to play host to our adventures.

With nothing but a small wooden platform, a pastel mat, a luxurious midnight blue silk curtain forming a backdrop (also doubling as backstage for the actors) and a treasure trove of small props the actors were able to give our imaginations just enough to envisage the bustling bazaars and dangerous wilderness where their tales were set.

Everyday items were magically transformed into inventive props, keeping with the theatre group’s no-frills philosophy. A giraffe wearing a Crows scarf was an amusing touch, while a top hat and cane-toting Fox was a quirky interpretation.

The audience sat cross-legged on the floor either side of the performance area, just a breath away from all the action taking place. This proximity helped the kids connect with the actors, as well as making sure that everything was visible at all times.

Working in small theatre spaces can sometimes make it difficult to immerse your audience in a story, as the lack of space calls for simplistic set design and lighting. Yet Splash’s creative approach enabled their raw talents to shine through. In addition, careful direction by Chris Johns allowed for premium use of the small space provided, as well as making it clear where one story finished and the next began.

This production was created to compliment National Children’s Book week and it’s theme of ‘safari’. Each of the stories brought to life by Splash Theatre Co share with us inspiring morals and a genuine love for storytelling. The Little Prince in particular tackles philosophical themes that can be appreciated by audiences far older than the recommended primary age group, while the inclusion of Swahili words means everyone can learn something new.

Distinctly enjoyable and educational to boot, Book Safari is a journey worth taking.

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