Sydney Festival 2014 | Family

image: Joshua Morris

Ok - we have been busy so this is my first chance to go through the Sydney Festival 2014 program in detail.  The festival starts this week and is a great way to fill in the last few weeks of the school holidays.

There is a lot to choose from this year -  a wonderful selection of performances and activities for families - and if you still want more, it is also fun to beyond the family strand (especially if you have older children) to discover some interesting finds.

If you are a family of four - the festival also has family packages for some performances. For families on a budget these holidays but still want their children to be involved in the festival -  check out the free performances and activities on offer.

We love everything in the program but we are looking into these performances:

Othello - The remix: My eldest son (15) would love it if this is how Shakespeare is taught in school.
Band of Magicians: Magic is extremely popular in our house at the moment with my youngest son (9) and this performance is number one on his list!
Ockham's Razor: Looks absolutely amazing - Circus meets storytelling.
The Piper: Limited tickets to be involved and on stage of this intriguing retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin.  The Piper incorporates multimedia, puppetry and stagecraft.
Tom Thum: Beating the Habit: I caught Tom at Tedx Sydney in 2013. Kids of all ages will love Tom Thum.
Jazzamatazz!: Cabaret singer Ali McGregor does jazzy beats for kids.
Lao Qiang: Expand the music your children are listening to with ancient Rock'n'Roll from the East.

To  browse the full family program visit: http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2014/Family/

Circus Oz | Steam Powered

Over the holidays we jumped on a bus that led us to  Darling Harbour to catch the  latest production of  Circus Oz - Steam Powered.    This circus is not as shiny as Cirque Du Soleil  but it is  the raw qualities and boldness that wins over the audience.

The voluptuous ring mistress, Boss Lady (Sarah Ward)  attempts to keep  her family of misfits in control  whilst  the live band (my teens favourite element of the show) provides the perfect soundtrack for this rambicious crew.  Circus Oz does a wonderful job of showcasing the skills of the whole troupe.  Expect slapstick, physical performance, acrobactics, dangerous feats (we wanted more danger!) and the best magic act they could afford, The Hammond Brothers (my favourite).   Our other favourite,  Flip Kammerer stole the show as fitness instructor "Fantasia."

It is not very often you see a performance with such an eclectic audience. In front of us were 10 teen girls celebrating a birthday dressed to the nines,  young and old couples and families with excitable kids.
To pull off successfully entertaining a broad audience for two hours is a feat in itself!

Extras

• The show runs for 2 hours with a 20 minute interval
• The show features strobe lighting
• All animals are 100% human
• Drinks and snacks available (popcorn is the  best value at $3.50 but I would  avoid the ice creams at $5.00 each)
• After the show let the kids have a run around at the new Darling Quarter playground.

Bookings and tour info

Until 29th January 2012 | Darling Harbour - Sydney

http://www.circusoz.com