Based (with permission) on the story: Moonbird written by Joyce Dunbar, illustrated by Jane Ray
Created and Directed by Brian Seward

May 19th to June 7th 2008
Alliance Française Theatre, Sarkies Road
Recommended for everyone aged 4 to 84.
Duration – 1 hour 10 minutes without an interval

Moonchild was blowing bubbles.
Big, pearly moon bubbles they were, floating off into outer space.
Some burst upon the spikes of stars.
Some floated all the way to earth and burst wherever they landed.

One bubble pops on an Earth baby - Little Prince Orla - and surrounds him in silence.
He can no longer hear the sounds of the earth.
He doesn't answer when his mother and father call his name.

His parents are devastated when they realize that their baby cannot hear or speak.
But hope comes from the mysterious Moonbird who takes Orla on a mystical journey to the magical Moongarden, where marvellous creatures teach him how to speak with his hands and listen with his eyes.

But will his parents understand him?
What is the secret that opens their hearts and their minds?

Blending Asian aesthetics of mask and movement with western theatre styles, and combining the spoken word with sign and song - this production adapted from Joyce Dunbar’s beautifully written story about deafness will captivate you from the start, whether you are four or eighty-four.

And maybe you too will learn to listen with your eyes…

Moonbird is one of the most challenging and ambitious projects we have undertaken to date. We will be using a number of different puppetry techniques, as well as mask and live acting, blending vocal speech and Signing for the deaf, together with song and live music.

We will be working closely with Singapore Association for the Deaf on this project, as a key aim is to raise awareness of those who have a disability such as deafness. They are kindly providing us with sign interpretation at each performance as well as signing training for our team. During the production, audience members will be taught how to use and understand certain simple Sign notation. They will also ‘Sign–Sing’ at least one song.

What The Critics Say
A beautiful book to share with all children. 
- Carousel

When a book is simple and good by the judgement of children, it is very good indeed. MOONBIRD is just such an extraordinary work, Across pages which have all the splendour of a medieval tapestry, the deaf prince, like a truth telling child from a Wilde fairy tale, teaches the court new and deeper forms of communication. 
- Irish Times

A wonderfully original, imaginative fantasy about deafness by Joyce Dunbar. - Amazon.co.uk

About The Author
Joyce Dunbar is a widely respected author of more than fifty books for children. Her Mouse and Mole series has been very popularly adapted for television and her lyrical re-telling of the Nativity story; This is the Star, received widespread critical acclaim. She has also collaborated with artist Debi Gliori for several picture books for the Doubleday/Picture Corgi list, including Tell Me Something Happy.
Joyce is profoundly deaf.

CATEGORY	FULL PRICE	EARLY BIRD SPECIAL PRICE*
Adult/child	$19.00	$17.00
Family package (4 persons)	$66.00	$62.00
Big Family Package (5 persons)	$80.00	$75.00

*Early Bird Special prices run until April 19^th 2008