EMILY EYEFINGER

Multi-award winning children’s author, Duncan Ball, along with theatre company Monkey Baa have adapted the much loved series Emily Eyefinger for the stage. Emily is not your average girl. In fact, she has an extraordinary gift – an eye at the end of her finger. So for Emily, there’s an adventure around every corner and no one enjoys adventure more than Emily and her pal Malcolm. Their latest task is to solve the mystery of Tomb Tutenkamouse. I spoke with Douglas Hansell who plays baddie, Arthur Crim. “Bad guys are fun,” he tells me. “Usually the villain is the complex character and so you can add to that as a performer.” This 55-minute show is aimed at children aged five plus but Douglas says adults will really enjoy the piece too. “It’s very musical and it’s got a bit of pantomime, a bit of melodrama and a beautiful message about being different and embracing it. Monkey Baa is doing its bit to bring new generations to the theatre. It’s both off the wall and wholesome and overall it’s a really good piece of theatre.”

Jul 11-16, Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre, cnr City Rd & Cleveland St, $21, 9351 7940, sydney.edu.au/seymour