The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
CHILD-ish inspired by Sunny Drake

When & Where October 15, 2021, 8pm | Live Stream Performance only

Reviewer Christian Steckler


It’s always refreshing to hear from our kids. It helps us put things into perspective, and clears away the distractions and distortions that adult responsibilities and concerns fog our minds and spirits with.

Child-ish is a live-streamed presentation of four episodes that offer a lively, at times exuberant presentation of children’s ideas about various topics. Adults act out and use the actual words that children have presented in interviews and conversations in pondering questions concerning company and companionship, relationships and marriage, getting along in the world, and how the world could get along better.

This intergenerational project involves children in the entire process, from encouraging their opinions on topics presented, to using their production ideas, and giving them experience in the performing arts world. It is a web series at present that was accessed at: https://vimeo.com/605191428/9e751a625. It can likely be accessed at other times by reaching Sunny Drake’s website at https://www.sunnydrake.com. Plans are to create a podcast soon, and eventually to move into live theatre.

The presentation was just under an hour long, with lively, at times exuberant vignettes. There are some real chuckles, and some insightful comments from the children, coming from perspectives of profound innocence and uncomplicated common sense.

The only difficulty this reviewer had (likely resulting from a stubborn ignorance of technology) was finding the way into the show. A reported “technical glitch” took a while to sort out, and then, magically, the program appeared, and ran smoothly after that.

Child-ish is light entertainment, a fun interlude offering sunshine to a blustery autumn day.

© 2021 Christian Steckler