For a thoroughly original and enjoyable experience these school holidays, head to the Ipswich Art Gallery for their latest offering – a performance from Bunk Puppets called Bunkasaurus.

Bunkasaurus

This show combines clowning and shadow puppetry to great effect, with clever staging and incredible performances by the two talented actors who are captivating and also create a fun and interactive performance. The simple set and lighting are used very cleverly and elements of this performance are likely to surprise and thrill even experienced theatre-goers. Equally the performers also provide a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere for those at their first production.

The show is held upstairs in the Children’s Gallery space, and there are welcoming cushions on the floor for young audience members to sit on closest to the stage, and then chairs arranged behind for adults.

The Ipswich Art Gallery staff provide a warm welcome and ensure the children know where their adults are and where staff will be positioned should any children require assistance.

The performers play to the audience and frequently break the fourth wall, which adds to the show and helps younger audience members feel at ease while also adding to the mischief of the characters and some of their antics.

During the show we watched, younger audience members were calling out almost pantomime-style and were thrilled to see the actors react to their calls.

Lighting and musical queues are cleverly handled and provide the scene for the shadow puppetry magic to take place before your eyes, with the puppeteers and simple props often visible. Our young reviewer loved the expressive and entertaining actors, who had the audience enthralled from start to finish.

Towards the end of the show the gallery staff pass around cups of 3D glasses and a whole new level of thrilling shadow puppetry magic occurs. There were gasps of surprise and delight throughout the crowd (young and old) during this part of the performance.

The show is recommended for ages 5 and up. Younger children can also attend but it should be noted that even though our 8 year old reviewer loved the performance, she was briefly frightened at one point.

This really is a wonderful school holiday production, and is likely to inspire Brisbane Kids to go home and put on their own performances, perhaps using their own puppets they made at Ipswich Art Gallery and other objects in the home. You never know what you might find inside a cardboard box, after all.

Hands-on activities

When you enter Ipswich Art Gallery, there are shadow puppets displayed in the foyer hall, and puppet making supplies and craft elements at low tables, which immediately invite and inspire kids to create their own puppets, so it’s worth arriving before show time or planning to stay a little while after the show to make your own puppet.

Make a day of it

While there is no café in the gallery itself, there are lots of options for hungry kids when visiting Ipswich Art Gallery. If you don’t feel like walking to one of the nearby cafes listed on their website, you can bring your own lunch that the super friendly gallery staff will store for you in cubby-holes.

Outside the gallery is a mall and rotunda that make a great location for a picnic.

Getting there and parking

Ipswich Art Gallery can be found at D’Arcy Doyle Place, Ipswich.

There is metered street parking on weekdays and free street parking on weekends, and Ipswich CBD parking (access from Bremer Street) is a short walk from the gallery and has 3 hours of free parking on weekdays and all day free parking on weekends. Ipswich Railway Station is also a short walk from Ipswich Art Gallery.

Buying tickets

Bunkasaurus runs from Monday the 27th of June until Friday the 8th of July, 2022, with shows on at 10:30 and 2pm on Monday to Friday for both weeks of these school holidays. Each performance runs for approximately 45 minutes and there’s no intermission.

Tickets are $7 per person and all children must be accompanied by an adult ticket-holder. Entry is free for under 2’s not occupying a seat. Tickets must be booked in advance. For more information and to book your tickets, click here.