Last Saturday, we caught the The Ant and the Grasshopper at Jubilee Hall, I Theatre‘s very first production of the year. Based on Aesop’s famed fable, we were told that The Ant and the Grasshopper would be fast-paced, interactive and full of fun, with an unexpected twist.

And so it was what we were promised indeed.

The show was an engaging 55 minutes filled with happy songs and witty dialogues (love those bee puns!) and there was even a segment where the kids had to get up and exercise with Mr Grasshopper! The insects – the two Miss Bees, Miss Ant, Mr Grasshopper and Miss Caterpillar (and a special guest appearance by Miss Ladybird) – chattered, bickered, laughed, sang and danced all through summer, and learned the important lesson of having a balance (not ALL work and not ALL play, yo!) and embracing change through the bitter cold of winter.

The simplicity of the story with colourful characters (we love the bees’ costumes!) was what won Ben and Becks over. They are familiar with the story and the moral behind it, but the kids especially love how the characters all came alive (and there were side stories that were also hilarious and touching at the same time, like the one about Nessa the Caterpillar resisting change but morphing into a beautiful butterfly) which made the story meaningful for them.

They couldn’t help chattering about who their favourite insects were long after the performance was over. Ben tells me that he learned that “there’s a time for work and there’s a time for play” when I asked the kids what they took away from the story, and Becks says, “Mama, if people don’t have food, we must share with them. I like Ant because she shares.”

Who would have thought that we could learn some of life’s valuable lessons from insects?

More details:

• The Ant and the Grasshopper is suitable for children (3 years old and up) and families, and is on till 15 March 2014 at the Jubilee Hall. Tickets from Sistic.
• I Theatre is a non-profit organization which exists to create top quality theatre for children and families. Since April 2008, I Theatre has been a registered charity and an Institute of Public Character. It relies almost entirely on ticket sales to support its work of four quality productions annually. To support ‘Theatre For All’, email team@itheatre.org.

Disclosure: We were given media passes to The Ant and the Grasshopper. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions here are mine.