WOMAD babyyyy

Not strictly theatre, but when in Adelaide during Festival season, one must surely do at least a day of WOMAD.

We went on the last day, in 38 degree heat. As I had my kids with me, I did have my youth theatre and engagement hat on to some degree. We checked out:

• The Nylon zoo: giant inflated Australian animals that look amazing on the outside, and become venues when you crawl inside. We saw a pretty basic story being told, but the space was so magical it became a special event for the kids.

• Elephant Puppets by Handspring Puppet Company: This was gorgeous to watch - such beautiful puppets created with transparent fabric so you can see the mechanics and the puppeteers. I also absolutely loved their interplay with a band of musicians. Captivating for young and old.

• Les Moutons by CORPUS: I was very excited to finally see this. The performance of the sheep was so meticulous and realistic that grownups found it hilarious, kids found it scary, and teenagers ran away screaming when the ram bolted through the crowd. A simple concept done so exceptionally well. I sure felt for them in those costumes in the heatwave…

• Angels by Born in a Taxi: The power of a great costume and some synchronised movement! This was delightful and inspiring. As a roving event they interacted so beautifully with the crowd - it was so clear when we should watch and when we should participate. They made this look so easy but that kind of wordless communication with a crowd surely isn’t!

• Also, of course, the music was incredible.

• A special moment was watching (and remembering what this was like) my kids and their new friends run around in the fading light on a huge patch of grass, soaking up the festival atmosphere but creating their own joy.