Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival Hosts Plays and Shows during its 8th Edition

The eighth edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival will host a number of shows and plays, with the activities specially designed to give the children attending the opportunity to meet and interact with youngsters from other cultures. 

The stages will witness three performances and three shows, with the idea behind each show being that the children taking part in the programme will get to know each other through their shared love of fun, entertainment and music.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), SCRF 2016’s first play in its special programme is ‘Alice in Dwarfsland,’ which will be performed by an elite group of Kuwaiti artists. Taking place from April 21-23, the play revolves around a child called Alice who plays near a well. After seeing a light ray coming out of it, her curiosity leads her to try and discover what lies inside. Falling into the well, Alice finds herself among a group of dwarves who are living a happy life full of optimism. The story sees Alice helping her new-found little friends build a palace, with the proceedings highlighted by singalong numbers and comedy segments.

The musical ‘Anna’s World … The Magical Mirror’ will be played in Arabic, English and French over the three days. Taking the children on a trip to an imaginative world full of fun and entertainment, the Magic Mirror reflects internal and external human beauty, with the youngsters participating becoming acquainted with the riddles and secrets of a special world. The interactive elements see the children able to transform the world’s red clouds into blue to achieve happiness.

Providing a fresh take on the stories of the world’s most famous author, children at SCRF 2016 will have the opportunity to revisit Shakespeare’s famous plays in the show ‘All the World's a Stage.’ Taking place from April 27-30, the youngsters participating will have the opportunity to express their views of the playwright’s renowned characters and to immerse themselves in the stories of Romeo and Juliet, a Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet. 

Away from storytelling, children at SCRF 2016 will be able to enjoy ‘The Art of Bubbles,’ a fun show presented by ‘Samsam the Bubbleman.’ Samsam started his love affair with bubbles in 1989 after being inspired by one he saw in a field. The enlightening discovery led him to learn all the tricks of ‘bubble art,’ with his passion establishing him as the world’s foremost expert in the field of bubbles. Over the years, Samsam has been able to set 10 bubble-related world records. 

‘Pippa the Ripper,’ AKA Philippa Anne Coram, is participating at SCRF from April 24-27. The talented performer’s vast experience and expertise in the field of musical theatre and circus arts sees her put on amazing shows for children with specialty of ‘Hola Hoops.’ Philippa has presented various performances in Berlin and at New York City’s famous Broadway. She is also a Guinness World Record holder and has appeared on the top UK TV series ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’

On April 28 and 29 children at SCRF will have the opportunity to meet and be entertained by songstress Shahad Al Amairi, who seeks, through her melodic voice and meaningful tunes to convey humanistic messages with noble meanings. Shahad started her artistic journey at the age of six and followed up her successes by presenting a number of Ramadan and national TV commercials. Shahad also participated in the popular and renowned TV series ‘Arabs Got Talent,’ which widened her exposure in the Arab World.