Get ready for a wild ride these school holidays as Nelson Youth Theatre brings the jungle to the Theatre Royal stage with their production of Madagascar Jr.
Running from 24 – 27 September, it features more than 100 young performers aged between five and 18 years old, who have been split into two rotating casts.
There will be shows daily at 2pm and 6pm, with a runtime of just one hour.
Based on the hit DreamWorks animated movie, the musical features all the favourite characters – Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip-hip Hippo, and the scheming, scene-stealing penguins.
As they break free from the Central Park Zoo and find themselves in the wacky world of King Julien, audiences can expect plenty of laughs and catchy songs.
The hit film is being brought to life on stage by director Caren Shrubshall.
“She’s pulled out all the stops,” says Richard Carruthers, founder of Nelson Youth Theatre.
“Caren’s getting a lot of detailed acting out of these kids, and she has a masterful crew of parents designing costumes and the set.”
Nelson Youth Theatre has one more production lined up for 2025 – Sister Act, coming in mid-November.
And with planning already underway for next year, Richard says the future of the theatre in Nelson is bright.
“There are always new people coming through, the next layer of youth is getting older – it’s always exciting to see them all develop.”
Tickets are available now at https://www.theatreroyalnelson.co.nz/show/madagascar-jr/
