Call it big entertainment for some little people. With A Bunch of Munsch, Listowel’s Theatre Three-Eleven has harnessed the manic energy of a beloved children’s author and put it on stage.
Anyone who has seen Robert Munsch read aloud from his books knows his stories are meant to be presented with dramatic flair – funny faces, voices and wild gesturing are commonplace in his readings. Having a group of performers run through dialogue, acting out the characters while a narrator keeps the story moving along seemed like a perfectly obvious combination
for director Stefanie Webster.
“It’s a very high-energy show, that’s for sure,” she laughed. “Munsch is suited for this – the play is taken right from the stories, read and acted.”
Now on stage, with shows this weekend, A Bunch of Munsch presents classics such as Mud Puddle, Thomas’ Snowsuit, Mortimer and many more.
Using a simple set and a few costume changes, the five actors keep a manic pace, moving the stories along in keeping with the attention span of the young audience – last weekend’s opening saw kids ranging in age from two to 10 or 11.
A children’s show is a first for Theatre Three-Eleven, though it’s been under consideration for some time.
“We’ve had a lot of people ask us over the years to do something for the kids. It just seemed like the time was right,” said Webster.
Two half-hour sets broken up by an intermission is just the right fit for the audience, she added.
A Bunch of Munsch runs Saturday (1 and 3:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.). Tickets are $10, available by phoning 519-291-2033 or 1-877-455-0552 or by emailing info@theatre311.com. The theatre is located at 311 Main St. E., Listowel.
