Please click 'BUY TICKETS' button above to buy on-line. Alternatively please telephone the Box Office on 029 2077 9511 to reserve your tickets and pay by cheque.

Groups: every tenth ticket is free - please phone the Box Office.

£1.00 card handling fee per booking for all credit and debit cards.

Please allow 10 minutes to stroll through the gardens from the car park to the Theatre Garden.

Entry to Dyffryn Gardens from 10.00am, entry to Theatre Garden half an hour before the show.

About this production . . .
notes for parents, teachers and group leaders.

We’ve all heard of Pinocchio but few of us are familiar with this classic
Italian tale by Carlo Collodi. Writer and composer Tim Riley has cleverly
adapted the story with original music and songs to appeal to the young,
modern ‘I-pod’ generation.

'Pinocchio' is the fast-moving tale of a puppet who magically comes to life.
Because he thinks he is a ‘misfit’ and doesn’t want to go to school, he runs
away. On his journey he has many adventures before he finally discovers
happiness and his place in society . . . and school!

‘The Musical Adventures of Pinocchio’ has primarily been written to engage
and entertain children and introduce them to the pleasures of live theatre.
The show raises a number of social topics which could be used as a starting
point for further discussion in the classroom:

Bullying - Pinocchio is repeatedly teased because he is not the same as
other ‘normal’ children.

Growing up - Pinocchio is told by his father Geppetto that he is “more than
a puppet, but less than a boy". Pinocchio aspires to become a boy (and
eventually does). There are many parallels between this journey and the
transition from childhool into adulthood.

Friendship - in this production we see a number of co-dependent
relationships:

Geppetto the puppet maker and Mrs Cherry the lumberjack are always
calling each other names, but we soon see that there is a close bond
betwen them.

Fox and Cat (two comedy ‘panto’ villains) are not even from the same
species, however, they still have a lot in common (even if it is only
stealing, cheating and plotting Pinocchio's downfall).

The most important friendship to emerge is that between Pinocchio and
the Blue Fairy whom he meets at the beginning of the second act.
Although the Blue Fairy has magical powers she is lonely and looking for a
friend. Her greater maturity sets an example to Pinocchio and the seeds of
friendship are sown.

The 'message' to our audiences
This production promotes knowledge, skills and understanding of

friends and friendships
inclusivity
developing good relationships
identifying and respecting differences and similarities between people,
old and young, and whatever their differences

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Some comments from our previous audiences . . .