School Shows Testimonials - Here are just some of the glowing reviews we have received at Tony Bones Entertainment...

"Two Peas in a Pod" 2011

“Anything that stirs your emotions will be remembered. The Tony Bones performance "Two Peas in a Pod" will be remembered.” St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie, NSW

“Actors were great!... Very exciting and creative, the kids had a great time... Actors were energetic and engaging. Loved how they (actors) come down to see Kindy artwork.” Charlton Christian College, Fassifern, NSW

“Very enjoyable. The children were engaged the whole time and were eager to participate in the performance. They like the way the original story was expanded upon and teased out to provide shorter stories within the original one. They like the movement of the actors around and through the audience, They LOVED the slow motion slapstick on the beach in W.A. Well done! A hit with teachers and children.” St Joseph's School, Wonthaggi, VIC

“Dear Tony, I just wanted to say how lovely it was to meet you and Bek the other night and to see your BRILLIANT performance of Two Peas in a Pod. I've been raving to everyone about how terrific it was. Bravo! Looking forward very much to seeing what you do next! Best wishes,” Erica - Editor from Allen and Unwin

“Great interpretation of picture story book. Fantastic puppetry and singing and dancing. Very enjoyable, very funny, great audience participation... Sensational performance, the children (and the staff) were enthralled throughout and all were thoroughly entertained!... Fantastic and engaging performance. Very entertaining and it was a buzz amongst the students... Great, engaging, kids loved it. Well directed because it caught the attention and interest of the whole school, kids and teachers... Very entertaining, well-paced and engaging. Great use of text and illustrations to retell story. Good level of student participation, very versatile "gnomes" and a great way of using audience as train carriages. The props were fantastic - especially the dog!” Churchill Primary School, VIC

“Lots of laugh out loud moments for "dinosaur" staff. I liked this better than the book, my kids said it was hilarious... A wonderful and entertaining show. A credit to the two actors for their enthusiasm... The content was suited to all ages. My students thoroughly enjoyed the show... This was a fantastic adaptation of "Two Peas in a Pod". It had me in stitches and the students enthralled. The presenters made the show, their timing was exceptional and they were very equipped to answer any questions the students asked them. Thank you.” Woodburn Public School, NSW

“I liked the way you examined the story's structure. It was also good to discuss the illustration of the "lone" items and how that was used to convey the sense of loneliness and distance. Also, the song you sang was poignant; I loved it. Lots of fun, Thank you... The students enjoyed the performance greatly. Your follow up at the end was excellent. As a teacher of 5 and 6 year olds not all students connected to what the story really told and its hidden messages, after viewing your show they have a greater understanding... A great show. All of my grade loved it and understood the book much better. Thank you for a great performance. Loved the train and the slow motion scene! Loved the way you brought the story alive. Loved all aspects... Another great performance - you made the book come 'alive' and the children really enjoyed the way you told it, lots of music and fun things happening - we would love to have you on our staff... It was a pleasure to watch your show. The way you interact with the audience was great!... Fantastic performance - enjoyed by all students, well explained.” Cobden Primary School, VIC

“Love it! Particularly loved how the props were "childlike" i.e. train/used readily available materials, simple but effective. Students loved the puppets and how the actors did the voices, etc.... The students were very involved and loved being chosen to participate... The sad part made some of our sensitive kids cry! Well performed and dealt with!” Melrose Park Primary School, West Ryde, NSW

“Congratulations on such a great theatre production which you managed in such a tight time frame. It was excellent. All very positive and enthusiastic comments from both staff and students. Kasey and Matt did a fantastic job - well done to you all. We are looking forward to next year now.” Mansfield State School, QLD

“Tony, we all enjoyed the show. Jackie even had tears in her eyes when Marvin is left alone. Congratulate both the performers and thanks! P.S. the editors from Allen and Unwin are going to the Melbourne show tonight” Chris McKimmie - Author of the "Two Peas in a Pod"

“FANTASTIC story - The children were totally engaged. They loved the whole show. The Prep children know the story very well. A great way to portray the book. Props were really exciting! Singing fantastic! Thank you...... Puppets as part narrators and breaks within the story worked really well...Characters very funny and engaging for students...Audio and visual props worked well... Children involved in the train - really fun for them.... Wow! Amazing! Children were totally engaged and involved in the performance. Props were amazing. Thank you!... The puppets were fantastic - the Preps (and all students) LOVED them... Student involvement was great, it kept the children focussed and engaged... The costume changes for each character were very entertaining... WOW! Kids loved it - so did we!... Great bringing all the "background" parts of the picture into prominence. We will do that in looking at stories from now on... Thanks - a super show, one of my boys even cried in the part about Violet leaving.... Fantastic - Kids and teachers loved it... All children were engaged and enthusiastic... Really great - also gave students deeper insight into the book, Thanks" Resurrection PS, Keysborough, VIC.”

“Children really enjoyed the performance... Good adaptation of the book. Songs are well written to include language from the book.” Kersbrook PS, Kersbrook, NSW

“The show was very suitable for our students – fast moving and action packed. It held the attention of the audience.” Newstead School (Southern Support School), Newstead, TAS

“The play was entertaining and the actors were engaging and kept the audience’s attention well. The costumes were good and added to the characters. The music/songs were fitting to the story. Very friendly/approachable attitude to the children during question time, all questions were answered sufficiently.” Highfields Prepatory School, Lindfield, NSW

“Clever and creative staging of this story opened up depths and a breath that reading the book alone did not achieve. Variety kept all ages engaged and entertained. Love the gnomes and the train, slow motion sequence was great. The very emotional song about parents separating, deeply affected some students. The actors and the story line “picked them up” again and they were soon laughing again. Will happily recommend this to other schools.” Mountain District Christian School, Monbulk, VIC

“Once again a fantastic show and the kids loved it. We had read the story to the children beforehand and were very curious about how you would translate it to a stage performance. All the staff commented that they wanted to re-read it and find all the things they hadn’t noticed and only discovered through your performance. It is a great way for the kids (and teachers!) to learn how to delve into a story and discover the writers intentions and at the same time have fun. We also want to promote a love of music & drama as they learn so much from seeing a performance close up.” Pleasant Street P.S., Ballarat, VIC

“Very well done. ALL our students enjoyed the performance, so if all our students got something out of it you have got to be doing something right. Staff enjoyed the show too. I saw a normally “smile less”…just constantly smiling. All good. Thank you.” Lightning Ridge Central School, Lightning Ridge, NSW

“Fantastic show, once again brought the book to life, engaged children and adults. Can’t wait till the next one!" Romaine Park Primary School, Burnie, TAS

“Fantastic presentation, excellent integration of the story & music. Best yet!” ~ (Arts Coordinator)... “Fantastic presentation, loved every moment of it. Well done”. ~ (2/3 class teacher)... “A superb performance. You kept the students spell bound for 60 minutes. A compelling portrayal of friendship family and separation. Humour was cleverly interwoven. Our emotions rode a wave from hilarity to sadness.” ~ (PE/Health Coordinator)... “Wonderful! The students were thoroughly engaged during the entire performance.” ~ (3/4 class teacher)... “Absolutely wonderful and thoroughly entertaining.” ~ .. “Very engaging. One of my favourite activities of the year. I thought that the discussion at the end was really valuable in terms of re-engaging the students with the actual book. Well done.” ~ .. “A magical adventure into a picture story book only Tony Bones Theatre can present. Grade 5/6 children thought it was “awesome”" Mt Pleasant PS, Ballarat, VIC

“A very professional performance, humorous, moving. The children were involved just enough to keep them involved in the narrative. I loved the way that you were not high tech. Thoroughly enjoyable! Thank you!.... Really enjoyed myself and it was obvious the children had a ball! The props are fantastic and engage the children immensely. Thanks for all your hard work.” Rye Park PS, NSW

“Fantastic! Great performance that kept everyone entertained & involved. Very motivating & engaging. We’d love to see another show. Thanks!” Rugby PS, NSW

“We enjoyed it enormously, thank you. It was really professional and kept the children really involved. I loved the way you included them. Plenty of variety. You made the book come to life.” Bigga PS, NSW

“Wonderful- just wonderful. Brought the book to life but added depth to the many messages of the story. Everyone was engaged from beginning until the end, children & adults. Thank you." Reids Flat PS, NSW

“It was very funny, even for Grade 6, and highly informative” ~ (Grade 6 Teacher)... “It was an excellent presentation - engaged a range of emotions in a powerful way. A very clever & creative mixture of humour, music and drama/theatre to bring the book to life. Valuable reflection & explanation at the end. Also valuable for teachers to see possibilities for using aspects of these media to enhance children’s experiences with literature & develop higher order thinking skills.” ~ (Gr 4 Teacher)... “I thought the show was great, there was a bit in it for all age groups. All of the students enjoyed the performance.” ~ (Gr 3 Teacher)... “I loved it” The kids loved it! And, as one of our teacher aides commented the fact that our ASD Asperger’s student stayed for the whole performance, including the discussion at the end, was a compliment indeed to the quality of the performance.” ~ (Prep teacher)... “Once again another brilliant Tony Bones performance. We look forward to seeing you again!” ~   (Arts Co-ordinator)St Philips Christian College, Port Stephens, NSW

“A very engaging performance…a seamless production “~ (Teacher/librarian)... “A fabulous performance- puppetry & props excellent. Feedback from kinder children was amazing after the performance. Brought the book life, music tops!! Thank you.” ~ (Kinder teacher)... “Great, wonderful…I enjoyed it as did the children. Very entertaining & thoughtfully done!” ~ St Patrick's PS, North Parramatta, NSW

“The performance was so entertaining. The kids were enjoying the show... Excellent. Real variety and children were always involved and attentive... Enjoyable. Good audience interaction held the children's interest well... Excellent. Very entertaining. A varied, fun performance that had the children enthralled... The kids really enjoyed the show and were "part" of it and involved, they didn't get restless... Congratulations on a great show. You turned the book into a sensational story and brought the characters alive... Fantastic show. Energetic. Exciting and the children were totally engaged... The children laughed and talked about the show all the way back to class - Well done!... The show was very entertaining, involved the children, loved the train and how you expanded the story. Well done!” Highbury PS, SA

“Fantastic Puppets... Helped children use their imaginations... Great characters and excellent portrayal of book characters... I loved how the children were involved in the performance... Interactive and applicable for all ages. We had 3 year olds to 18 year olds - all enjoyed it... The book came alive - Great!” Goodooga Central School, NSW

“The performance was fantastic. Very entertaining and the kids talked about it for ages after, there were some great innovations on the story and "extra" bits that the kids hadn't picked up on in the story like the dinosaur lady and the songs. Overall, a fantastic show... This was one the best productions that I've seen relating to a dramatization of a book. The performers engaged the Kinder - Grade 2 and special education students by encouraging participating and the children LOVED it. E.g. train carriage. Of particular note was how they dealt with emotion i.e.. the brother and sister having to leave each other - this was related with empathy and professionalism. I'm sure the author would have been pleased. It tapped into my emotion. I loved the puppetry and props. Their slow motion segment was brilliant. Overall, please ask them back! Just great!... Fabulous performance! Students and adults all totally engaged. I loved all the "plays on words" as well as the acting, Thanks!... Excellent and entertaining representation of the book. Enhances and explains the book to children who may be having trouble understanding the meaning. Very talented actors and a script which involved the audience in a fun way. Children and teachers enjoyed every minute.” Evatt PS, ACT

“Introduction engaged children's interest immediately (puppetry). Great songs - appropriate for young children. Lots of "catchy" songs. Plenty of visual experiences adding interest to the performance. Loved the chook and the dog! Slow motion skit was fantastic - really well done. acting - amusing, expressive and engaging. The children were really amused by the characters and related to all the actions and expressions used. Appropriate use of humour. audience participation e.g. train, was really interactive with the children - they loved it! Props are bright and eye catching. Wonderful presentation! Great promotion of the book "Two Peas in a Pod." Thank you... Children extremely engaged, evoked all kinds of emotions. Lots of laughing, some tears, but quickly perked up again. Good for discussion on what makes a good story. Well done!” Templeton PS, Wantirna, VIC

“Congratulations to Matt and Kasey for wonderful performances of these stories. Feedback from teachers was very positive and the children loved all the shows. The library funds these shows each year (since 2010) as part of a literacy program which is funded by Communities for Children (an Australian Government program to support families with children aged 0 - 12 years). I believe this is an important part of our program as it gives all Primary children in our area the opportunity to experience live theatre based on high quality Australian Children's Literature.” Community Outreach Librarian, Greater Taree City Library, NSW

“Very engaging and entertaining. Great referencing back to the physical book. Humorous presentation... Wonderful show - great performances, had the audience in the palm of their hands.” Lansdowne PS, NSW

"Wonderful show, very engaging.... Great show and engaging for all. Good use of comedy... Great show - great presenters and audience engagement... Great show, very enjoyable, children really loved it.... Fantastic - very engaging and funny!... Excellent presentation. Kids loved it. Very funny... Great! Kids really engaged with it... Great! Kids were engaged throughout the show.Good themes." Chatham PS, Taree Area, NSW

"Fantastic show. Very engaging and the children always enjoy participating in the show.... Fantastic show. Great performers. Kids are loving it." Mt George PS, Taree Area, NSW

"Wonderful. Children loved the comedic element. Students were all engaged and could contribute. e.g. voices/singing. Tinonee PS, Taree Area, NSW

"Excellent presentation - enthusiastic performers - terrific amount of audience participation - all spellbound." Cundletown PS, Taree Area, NSW

“Wonderful to see children attentive, laughing and enjoying the show... A great show, good flow, kept all the children interested... Great to join other schools and for kids to see a live performance... Nice to see a story been brought to life. Children enjoyed characters and songs. Great to be with other children and schools... Great interaction. Nice balance between narration and audience participation... Interactive, funny, energetic. Kept children interested and involved... Great show. Love the children interacting. Great props.” St Joseph's PS, Taree, NSW

“A vibrant, humourous and very engaging production... "WOW" a great presentation. It will make all the girls want to read the short listed books. A well-paced presentation that was appealing to all girls from Prep to 6 (and teachers too)... An engaging, energetic production! Both the students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the narrative and performance. Thank you... Just great - Thanks Tony.” Ruyton Girls School, Kew, VIC

“Great performance - wonderful props. Very entertaining. children really enjoyed the experience. Thank you... Terrific use of props - loved T Rex and Wolf!! And the tree in the park. Great song - good for follow up for similes. Children were very keen to participate on the train and with "scary noises". Lots of humour - some of the jokes the children even got!! Loved the songs and slow motion effects. See you next year!... Excellent props and puppets. Good to involve children at times... Very entertaining. Kids were engaged for the whole performance...Great acting, engagement of students and interaction! Really good use of music and props! Enjoyed by all!... Very cleverly paced show. Wonderful voices. Sensational props. Loved by all. Marvellous!... A lovely performance - great voice animation. Children very engaged. Very enjoyable - Thank you!... Great use of puppets. Involved the audience - kept their attention. Sound system was clear. Adaption of story was well done. Music fitted in well with the story... Very well presented and entertaining. Kids were very engaged and enjoyed the performance. I liked the discussion about the book at the end... Good interaction with the audience. Liked combination of music and acting. Interesting themes in book... Sound system fantastic. Great scene changes. Excellent adaption of the story. I liked the use of props. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and I am sure the students did as well.” Wattle Park Primary School, Burwood, VIC

“Just to pass on how much fun my Year 1 students had during the Tony Bones performance. It was entertaining and funny, particularly the slow motion scene. Some said they cried during the scene when he’s expressing how alone he felt when Violet left. I think it was very real for them. We have had two students who have left our class this year, and it was something they could really relate to. They were able to express they felt a bit scared during the ghost scene... It was a great message about using our imaginations and getting off the computers. It was very interactive, and the students were really happy to be able to actually participate in the show. And the end, when Tony came out to talk to the children and answer questions was very beneficial. Thank Tony very much, from all of us... We loved the performance. It was full of energy, brilliantly performed with great variety and entertainment. The singing and dancing was superb. The ‘bringing to life’ of the picture book was so imaginatively and creatively put together. Will be chatting with the students tomorrow about what they learnt and liked about the show during our English lesson.... Would love to have them again, next year... A fabulous production! Congratulations... Thanks for today I thoroughly enjoyed the performances and appreciated how you arrived on time and were so organized” Flinders Christian Community College, Tyabb, VIC

“The Preps were very engaged and enjoyed the performance. It had the right balance of dramatization, singing, talking, dance, humour and sensitivity throughout. All the comments made by the Preps were very positive and they had been given important messages about friendship, play, care for pets, being resilient in sad times, recycling, etc. Thank you for a great experience... As above! Children wrote great pieces about the performance. Thank you... Prep children were very enthusiastic when discussing the performance in the classroom. They related to the aspect of friendship in the story. Very enjoyable! Well done!” St Macartans Parish Primary, Mornington, VIC

“Very engaging and highly entertaining. I loved the sentiment. He is a very skilful actor that has you laughing one minute and tugging at your heart strings the next... Excellent and entertaining. Children from Kinder to Grade 6 enjoyed and were engaged at all times... The children (and teachers) enjoyed every minute! Was an excellent experience!... I really enjoyed it! The children seemed to really enjoy it too! Great afternoon" St Oliver's School, Harris Park, NSW

“Great show. Very positive feedback from our students... very entertaining and humourous.” Caroline Chisholm School, Chisholm, ACT

“Great Production! Kindergarten thoroughly enjoyed it. The audience participation was excellent! The characters emotions were portrayed really well. Loved the slow motion part! Very entertaining! Thank you... As the performance became more involved the students really enjoyed it. Younger kids loved it all... Really energetic performance, witty jokes. Interesting story and good range of characters as performance progressed. Great use of song and kids in carriages – very interactive for all ages! Good explanation of the meaning behind the book. Liked addition of puppets. Fantastic expression from actors – I like how they mingled with kids and involved them. Good variety throughout the performance. Loved the ending sequences and mime. We look forward to seeing what you come up with for next year!” Clarence Valley Anglican School, Clarence Valley, NSW

“A wonderful show that the children enjoyed. Expanded on the previous insights that we had explored prior to the show.” Mount Macedon PS, VIC

“Clever use of puppetry and voice overs to introduce each new scene with jokes. Great music, singing and dance to introduce the characters. Interaction with audience – excellent. Clever props – dog(Wolf) and hen (T Rex). Excellent acting to make the street ‘come alive’. Simple scenery worked well to add atmosphere. Making the games come to life which Violet and Marvin played – excellent involvement with audience. Loved the train! The time lapsed/slow motion scene at the end worked very well.” Mansfield State School, Mansfield, QLD

“Children loved the puppets and music. Good elaboration/expansion on text and illustration. Great energy in presentation... Humorous! Captive audience! Great characters!... Children responded with attention and laughter. Great characters... Excellent characters. Great presentation of characters with lots of energy and engagement. Excellent use of props. The train was great, Woo-woo!!... Good audience involvement. Great variety of experiences.” St James PS, Yamba, NSW

“Kids loved the intro and puppets. Good use of space and seating. Great use of props... Effective props and language. Students enjoyed the musical side. Good link with the book... Very interactive, students are all engaged and are enjoying the props. Great music to accompany the story telling... Held the children enthralled from the very first minute! Great costuming and props... Students were engaged. Great entertainment. Theatre was age appropriate... The students loved the performance from the start right through to the end. The funny costumes and props kept them engaged throughout the performance... Children were engaged from the beginning. Use of costumes and props was great!... Engaging, interactive. Held the children’s attention... The children loved the puppets and being involved. Great use of props, very engaging... Very enjoyable! Puppets were a hit.” St Therese PS, Mascot, NSW

“Excellent in every respect. Nothing to improve on. Girls rapt! Good way to handle separation. Theme well developed." Queenwood Junior School Medway Library, Mosman, NSW

“An entertaining show! Great audience participation... Enjoyed by all children from Kinder – Year 6. Very interactive... A very enjoyable, interactive show... Kids loved the show. An engaging experience for all.  Great actors too!... Great crowd participation... Kids loved the train... Great music – engaging and interactive for all ages.... Great show, loved the interaction with the kids, they were really engaged the whole show, well done.... All kids from ELC – Year 6 engaged – well done – not an easy feat!... Fabulous performance – very engaging for all levels!... A great way to engage children with literature.” Woodleigh School, Frankston South, VIC

“A fantastic performance!! The children were enthralled the whole time and loved the jokes and songs. The two performers were brilliant. Hope to see you back here again... A lovely performance! Great characters with wonderful interpretation of the book. Children were really engrossed. Thanks!... Loved it! Thanks so much! Children were so engaged and entertained. Loved this year, last year and hope to see you again next year." Sandringham East PS, VIC

“Very interactive. Great use of student volunteers. Excellent sound – microphones and music worked perfectly. Exactly right amount of time.” Tintinara Area School, Tintinara, SA

“I liked how the children got involved. Not only being called up to do something, but being told that we were the flowers.... I liked how the characters of the book came alive. I enjoyed this more than reading the book... I enjoyed how they added bits into the story, and the echo box... The puppets were a great way of introducing characters rather than a narrator. The jokes were great too!... I thought the slow motion but was super!... The actors were using fabulous expression and made it more interesting.... The girls thought the production was really funny and enjoyed the humour. They thought the group had put a lot of effort into it and it was fantastic. It really helped the girls realize the importance of using their imagination. They loved the puppets and how they worked." St Catherine’s School, Toorak, VIC

“It was very funny, even for Grade 6, and highly informative.... It was an excellent presentation – engaged a range of emotions in a powerful way. A very clever and creative mixture of humour, music and drama/theatre to bring the book to life. Valuable reflection and explanation at the end. Also valuable for teachers to see possibilities for using aspects of these media to enhance children’s experiences with literature and develop higher order thinking skills.... I thought the show was great there was a bit in it for all age groups. All of the students enjoyed the performance... I loved it! The kids loved it and, as one of our teachers aides commented, the fact that our ASD Aspergers student stayed for the whole performance, including the discussions at the end, was a compliment indeed to the quality of the performance.... Once again another brilliant Tony Bones performance. We look forward to seeing you again!... A very engaging performance, a seamless production.... A fabulous performance – puppetry and props excellent – feedback from kinder children was amazing after the performance. Brought the book to life. The music was tops! Thank you.... Great, wonderful. I enjoyed it as did the children. Very entertaining and thoughtfully done!" Larmenier School, St Leonards, TAS

“Great show. Very engaging. Kids loved the puppets and songs. The props were simple and the children loved getting involved.... Very engaging. Children loved the show and are still singing songs a week later! Pitched perfectly for preps.... One of the best I have seen. Very engaging and easy to follow. Read book later and students understood it so well!... Feedback from students – they like the singing and participation. Thought Marvin and Violet were very funny. Loved the jokes and slapstick (e.g. Slow motion scene). Students were engaged and were able to relate to the characters and plot quite well. Thanks!... It was engaging and the children were keen to participate in the acts. The explanations at the end were good.... A fantastic presentation that the staff and students found engaging and fun! Thank you for the time you took at the end to explain the process and have questions. Fantastic!... A very engaging performance – great adaptation of the story. Good props and held the students attention for a long time. It was great to talk to the students about process and ideas behind the play.” Camberwell South PS, VIC

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"Duck for a Day" 2011

“The show was fantastic and enjoyed immensely by students and teachers alike. It was very entertaining and followed the storyline from the book very accurately and effectively. The characters were brought to life beautifully by the performers. All in all, a very worthwhile experience for the students.... The performance was engaging and thoroughly enjoyed by the students who attended. The children enjoyed the interaction, and the children were able to follow the story through having read the book.” Malek Fahd Islamic School, Greenacre, NSW

“Congratulations on such a great theatre production which you managed in such a tight time frame. It was excellent. All very positive and enthusiastic comments from both staff and students. Kasey and Matt did a fantastic job - well done to you all. We are looking forward to next year now.” Mansfield State School, QLD

“Clever use of puppets and props... Students were very engaged... They really enjoyed the songs... Selected appropriate sections of story to dramatize... Interaction with students was good. They liked being asked to click and call the duck... Clever improvising when school announcement made... Great first performance!... Good explanation of dramatic techniques during question and answer time.... Great diction and expression, props and puppetry excellent... Obviously well-rehearsed, good pace, volume level was good too...Humour was pitched really well. Well done! Would highly recommend your show... Very accurate to the text... Voices audible and captivating for the students... Children’s attention indicates the effectiveness of actors. Their text was also very clear... Mrs Melvino - great character acting... Simple props very effective... Excellent production... Great to talk to audience at the end to explain choice of book and also about acting.... Good use of sound effect and music... Use of puppets was very entertaining... The actors spoke clearly and easy for students to understand... I like the character "Mrs Melvino" because she's funny. When she talks and acts she's got the student's FULL attention... Singing with music was very good... The music, different characters and your great acting helped students to use their imagination and tune in with the story... Wonderful show! I really enjoyed it... Great performance Tony and Rebekah!... A brilliant show which the children absolutely loved! They were engaged the whole time... The props then singing, not just talking made it more enjoyable... The use of comedy was great - for the children who understood, especially when Noah wasn't really knocked out... It was great that the actors moved around the perimeter of the group as it further engaged the audience... we loved the way the characters improvised and used the loud speaker announcement into their performance, it was funny! There was a great laugh from all of us... An ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT SHOW!... Extremely engaging, entertaining and funny, well done!!... Thank you so very much! Keep doing these awesome shows!!!” Grade 3 - Grade 6 Teachers, Resurrection PS, Keysborough, VIC

“Fabulous performance! The students loved the characters, the puppetry and the songs! Mrs Melvino was outrageous. Loved it and will look forward to another production.” (Teacher/Librarian)... “I was as engrossed as the kids. Loved the staging, props, and costumes. The actors were spell binding. Thank you.” (Yr 6 teacher)... “Students totally engrossed in production. Intrigued by the use of props, accents and song.” ~ (Yr 5 teacher)... “Fantastic performance. It was comical, fun, and well executed. I was just as engrossed as the children. I loved the duck. Great prop!! Actors were full of enthusiasm.” ~ (Yr 5 teacher) St Patrick's PS, North Parramatta, NSW

“The kids enjoyed it and I think it would be great to have him back next year. Very entertaining, loved the duck!" Grade 5 & 6 Teachers, Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Shepparton, VIC

“A great performance of the book. Entertaining but remaining true to the book. Very entertaining and fabulous interpretation... Highly engaging. Imaginatively interpreted. Loved the fun improvisation too! The characters were brought to life. "Max" was wonderfully utilised as "Mrs Melvino" used the audience as the cast. The kids were completely absorbed. Sound effects and music added to the atmosphere. Always amazed at what you can achieve with 2 people and a screen!... Totally engaging for the children and the adults. Music pieces were great - really broke up the presentation. Great interpretation of the book. Great acting as usual. I detected a little bit of "little Britain" in Mrs Melvino. Was she modelled on one of the two ladies?... Great use of puppets. Involved the audience – kept their attention. Sound system was clear. Adaption of story was well done. Music fitted in well with the story.... Very well presented and entertaining. Kids were very engaged and enjoyed the performance. I like the discussion about the book at the end.... Sound system fantastic. Great scene changes. Excellent adaption of the story. I liked the use of the props. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and I am sure the students did as well... Good interaction with the audience. I like the combination of music and acting. Interesting themes in book.” Wattle Park PS, Burwood, VIC

“Girls were engaged and captivated by the performance, use of puppets, humour, dance and song fabulous. Sound effects great. Performance from actors excellent. Talk by Tony at end (was) valuable as an educational tool. Staff and students all enjoyed this great show. Would book again and recommend to others. Thank you!” Yr 7 Librarian, Gilmore Girls College, Footscray, VIC

“Well acted, very professional, timed well! Thank you.” Teacher/Librarian, Bossley Park High School, NSW

“Very interactive. Students loved the enthusiasm and energy of the production - and the actors. Clearly you knew your lines well and the change of costumes and your ability to get into character was excellent. Great use of props and nifty changeover of props - great! The performance clearly reflected the book and really made the story come to life. Looking forward to next year’s production! P.S Great interaction with the crowd.” Grade 5 & 6 Unit Leader, Hartwell PS, Camberwell, VIC

"Excellent, students really enjoyed this story. Wonderful props. Well done!... Children absorbed following story line well. Simple props - works well... The children were totally engrossed, the props and storyline resonated with the children's interests and humour." Tinonee PS, Taree Area, NSW

"Great performance... Wonderful, the students loved it... A very talented duo. Children are engrossed and appear to be thoroughly enjoying it." Chatham PS, Taree Area, NSW

"Interesting story, children appeared to really enjoy it.... Well done! Songs added to the performance.... Engaged the children well, they loved interacting with the duck. Well done!!!" Cundletown PS, Taree Area, NSW

"Fantastic. Totally engaging. Very valuable. Well done.... Great show. Children obviously enjoyed it. Good message, loved the puppets... All children were engaged. Both actors were articulate and brought the students into the experience of narrative through drama." Manning Gardens PS, Taree Area, NSW

“The performance was engaging and exciting. It maintained children’s interest and the characters were very entertaining. It was an excellent representation of the book. The set was clever and the kids like the costumes (puppets).” Year 5 teachers, Evatt PS, ACT

“A very enjoyable performance. Well performed and great audience involvement which children enjoyed. I like the props and character changes. Thanks... Children engaged throughout. Good crowd interaction, Cheers.” St Macartans Parish PS, Mornington, VIC

“Very true to the book – using direct speech from the book – well developed characters of Noah and Abbey. Simple props and costumes worked well. “The Duck” was a very effective prop. Audience involvement well done.” Mansfield State School, Mansfield, QLD

“Congratulations to Matt and Kasey for wonderful performances of these stories. Feedback from teachers was very positive and the children loved all the shows. The library funds these shows each year (since 2010) as part of a literacy program which is funded by Communities for Children (an Australian Government program to support families with children aged 0 - 12 years). I believe this is an important part of our program as it gives all Primary children in our area the opportunity to experience live theatre based on high quality Australian Children's Literature.” Community Outreach Librarian, Greater Taree City Library, NSW

“Easy to work with. Co-operative and worked within the schools limitations. Performance engaged children from the start – very engaging... Good to have read the story in previous weeks. Puppets (duck in particular) really effective and engaging, the children loved it. The story choice relates to the children’s own experiences... Very engaging. Students all interested... Lots of fun for all ages... A good variety of resources used to tell the story, very clever... Very interesting with the role play of the different personalities, voices, costumes etc. engaging also with singing and actions. Thanks for organizing this performance... Students enjoyed the interaction. Age appropriate. Great acting and improvisation... Props were funny and inventive. Noah’s legs over the fence were good humour. Coming around to the back of the crowd with Max was excellent – the students were excited... Props and sets worked well, interaction with children was positive. Actors clear, fun and entertaining. Really enjoyable!... Entertaining and engaging for all age ranges. Excellent use of stage area and props. Puppets and Max were very funny... Interesting and entertaining. The children were enthralled to see a book come to life in a live performance... Good variety of props – puppets, change of scenery ease. Good, clear voices. Very funny movements. All students were engaged.” St Therese PS, Mascot, NSW

“Very well presented and great to see logistics of props and costuming to enable scene changes. Excellent too to see close following of the original text." Queenwood Junior School Medway Library, Mosman, NSW

“Fantastic!! Age appropriate!! Children all engaged!... Just wonderful, really a great take off of the story. Both Mrs. Melvino and Abby gave an amazing performance, very true to the book. Grade 3’s loved the story and the performers... Children entertained and the performers were lively and enthusiastic. Great... Entertaining. Nice story. Great duck.... Very smooth scene transitions. Liked the way you involved the children... Fantastic. The children were very engaged,” Sandringham East PS, Sandringham East, VIC

“I had a senior class after the show – they appreciated the preparation involved to stage such a show – they have just completed a major musical production themselves! We enjoyed the songs – very musical. Many thanks!... My children enjoyed the show – was aimed well at middle school age group. Particularly good was the use of props, costumes, set and chat after the show. My children were inspired to create their own plays. Thanks!” Camberwell South PS, Camberwell, VIC

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"Good Things Come in Threes" 2011

"A highly entertaining and informative show leaving the children spellbound. The music, costuming, creative sets and ingenious script added a new dimension to Traditional Fairytales. ‘Fractured Fairytales’ encouraged the children to step away from the norms of storytelling by questioning the characters’ perspectives and plots told in the original stories. This interactive performance gave the children the opportunity to become part of the show. They loved stepping on stage and being involved. The children sat with their eyes glued to the actors from the minute they stepped through the door… Laughter and anticipation filling the room from beginning to end. The questioning session at the conclusion of the show allowed the children to broaden their knowledge of backstage preparation, costume production, and characterisation. The actor’s informative answers to the children’s questions left them wanting to find out more! Thank you for a wonderful performance. ‘Fractures Fairytales’ linked beautifully into our inquiry topic of ‘Stories can be told in many different ways’. The children learnt how to use elements of the stories they know to recreate new ones. Even the most reluctant writers in the class couldn’t wait to get back to the classroom to write their own!" Charmaine Saraci, Year 3 Classroom Teacher, Overnewton Anglican Community College Junior School

"Sensational!" Philippa Piper, Year 3 teacher, Overnewton Anglican Community College Junior School

"The mix of both traditional fairytales, where students had a point of reference, and then the fractured fairytale, was excellent.The fractured fairytale challenged their thinking and was cleverly written and weaved together. Involving students was fabulous. Thank you for taking the time to take questions at the end. I love your philosophy of ‘sharing the secrets’, which I think creates a memorable moment for students. A wonderfully entertaining and well put together production. Thank you." Sharyn Gubbels, Year 3 teacher, Overnewton Anglican Community College Junior School

"Thanks Tony. The kids really enjoyed the show - they loved the puppets and the show kept up a good pace that kept the children interested." St Joseph's School, Numerkah, VIC

"The best thing I've seen in a long time!... The puppets were amazing, really brilliant!... Brilliant voices!" Scotch College, Hawthorn, VIC

"Very fast moving, lots of good costumes and props. easy for children to relate to, good control over audience.... Energetic, fun and easy to follow... Reminded me of "Shrek" in that there was dialogue pitched to all levels - well done. The younger students loved the traditional stories with variety of puppets, and the older students appreciated the "fractured" concept... I really enjoyed the whole programme and the interaction with the presenters and audience. The fairytales and methods of presentation were very effective. Very good production... Thought it was great. Covered fairytales in a fun and enthusiastic way and really engaged the children." Birchip P-12 School, Birchip, VIC

"Great! Kids were really engaged. Our children were fascinated to see how the puppets work. Thank you!" Patterson Lakes PS, Patterson Lakes, VIC

"Absolutely Brilliant! Please, please come again. Great Inspiration for follow up activities." East Launceston PS, East Launceston, TAS

"Production was fast paced and interactive which kept the children interested - the children enjoyed it. They also enjoyed seeing behind the scenes... Children enjoyed the performance. Was kept simple enough for Prep/Grade 1 and children were involved. Thanks for a great performance... The children loved knowing the behind the scenes aspect, your harmonies and parts in the music sounded good... Thank you for a great performance. It has inspired the children to make their own puppets". St  Therese's PS, Kensington, VIC

"Wonderful show. The puppetry was particularly appropriate. All students K-4 were engaged throughout the whole show. The ‘fractured’ story was best suited to our Year 3 & 4 students although all of the children enjoyed this part of the show as well. Kindergarten had been studying Fairytales so they and the Kinder staff were very pleased with it all." St Philips Christian College, Port Stephens, NSW

"Interaction with students was great. Really like how you explained what you were doing and how it works. Puppets beautiful. Loved "Wolf" costume and song. Awareness of children and skills to manage was clear and appreciated. Great. Thanks." Windermere PS, Claremont, TAS

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"Adventurescope" 2010 - 2012

"A wonderful performance that catered for many different age groups. Amazing, funny and awesome!" St John's Lutheran PS. Kingaroy, QLD

"Very funny and entertaining!" (Grade 2 Teacher)... Really enjoyable, kids loved it." (Grade 4 Teacher)... "Wonderful performance! Really enjoyed it. It prompted great maths discussions later." (Grade 1 Teacher)... "Very enjoyable! Hilarious." (Grade 3/4 Teacher)... "Loved it and it just happened to tie in nicely with lots of what we've done." (Grade 3 Teacher)... "I agree! Fantastic." (English Teacher)... "Very innovative. To combine Science and Maths with theatre and film worked very well. e.g. connections and importance of Maths and Science in our world." East Launceston PS, East Launceston, TAS

"Thoroughly engaging and enjoyed by all children from Prep – Y6. The interactive nature of the performance allowed the students to be engaged for the entire time. Staff also found it hilarious! It was well written, energetic and brilliantly performed. Many thanks!" St Mary's PS, St Kilda East, VIC

'”Fantastic, funny, engaging, captivating, enjoyable, entertaining and educational!!” These were both some of the comments mentioned by both staff and students who attended Adventurescope. This is the second Tony Bones performance that I have booked for our school, and I would definitely not hesitate to book another one. High standard, fast paced, superb performance!’ Piangil PS, Piangil, VIC

"Another great show, thank you. I've had feedback from the students, at all year levels, and they thought the show was educational, funny and entertaining. An excellent feature of the show was the interactive element. The show becomes part of the students own personal experience when given the opportunity to participate. Looking forward to your 4th visit to our school." Arkana College, Kingsgrove, NSW

"The show was enjoyed by all. Very entertaining, and concepts were understood well in our follow up discussions in class…Great job and we’re hoping you can come back next year." Manoora PS, Manoora, SA

"Fast paced, great characters and story lines, clever costumes, voices projected…and changed brilliantly with each character…entertaining and very funny…Science concepts embedded cleverly into each scene….Interest of all R – 7 children held continually…Thank you. We thoroughly enjoyed this show and the experience of live performance is beyond compare." Watervale PS, Watervale, SA

"Very appropriate to all year levels – a great show enjoyed by all the students…students were actively involved in the performance, and they related well to the characters you selected." Newstead PS, Newstead, VIC

"The show was excellent. The humour was great...The costumes showed good use of recycling (great example for the children). Incorporating science and maths in a musical and showed the children how it could be done themselves." Farrell Flat PS, Farrell Flat, SA

"What a wonderful way to learn about science! It's great that we can still promote books for finding information. A big thank you to the very enthusiastic actors. Thank you for entertaining us. I would recommend Tony Bones Entertainment." Auburn PS, Auburn, SA

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"Bully Bull Ring" 2007 - 2012

"The performance was excellent. My kids got a lot out of it and the analogies that were used were fantastic - kids could understand and relate well to it! It captivated and held the interest of everyone - waiting for what was going to happen next - which animal, what the animal was going to do etc." (Grade 2 Teacher) "I thought it was a great way to connect Program Achieve (we use in our school) to bullying. The children were engaged and really enjoyed it. Grade 3 were inspired to make posters to put up in classrooms and around the school." (Grade 3 Teacher) "The Bully Bull-Ring performance was great. The children were engrossed in the show and obviously took in a lot of what was highlighted as they will say things like "she should just rise above it" and "he needs to remember to forget!" They also love learning the songs and refer back to what was going on in the performance at the time the song was sung" Larmenier Catholic PS, St Leonards, TAS

"This was an excellent performance. The message was strong. Strategies to apply when managing/dealing with bullying were clearly outlined and reinforced so that they hooked into each child's memory. We look forward to following up with the children so that the strategies remain clear and consistent across the school. A final note - the show was longer than the usual performance length yet held the interest of the students until the end. Many thanks" Highfield Prepatory and Kindergarten, Lindfield, NSW

"Great movement and action catering to a diverse age group, R - 7. Interesting characters to which the children responded readily. Excellent teaching points, summarized over the session, easily cued in for the children to follow. Good idea to get them up and moving when they'd been sitting a while. The show got the points across really well, 3 big ticks, easy to do follow up oral and written work" Kersbrook PS, Kersbrook, SA

"Wonderful show for all ages. Great message for all. Simple, repetitive, catchy phrases that are easy to remember. Fun characters with loads of appeal. Pitched at young and old with dances, jokes and costumes. A very useful performance to get across a very important message. A pro-active approach." Shoalhaven Heads PS, Shoalhaven Heads, NSW

"An entertaining mix of information and fun. Children were given strategies and ideas to deal with bullying without being preached at. Each animal made it easier for the children to remember the advice. The show had a good pace and humour was used effectively. Costumes were very clever and imaginative. Final question session was great. A very enjoyable performance!" New Norfolk PS, New Norfolk, TAS

"Excellent messages and strategies on how to deal with bullies. Good reinforcement of all the strategies. Songs were great and sung really well. Children were engaged and enjoyed being included within the performance. Fit in really well with the You Can Do It! values program we do here at St Paul's. Thanks for a fun and entertaining show :) We're sure it will help with some of the children who find it difficult to be resilient & "rise above it" :)" (Gr 5 Teacher) St Paul's PS, Bentleigh, VIC

"Fast moving, entertaining, involved audience. Loved the song & dance routines. A clever way of getting the message across.... Very impressive way to teach about bullying. Songs are great... 2nd time for me. Best show I've seen. Educational, entertaining and very well thought out. Thanks!... Fantastic. Costumes fantastic and very well done... An awesome show. The language used is extremely accessible to students and easy phrases to remember... Songs and dances fantastic. Love the way after every character is introduced they break down and clarify the lesson/idea so the kids are clear the whole way through. Energy levels were amazing - voices too. Lyrics were well worded. Entertaining, clear and didn't dumb it down for the kids but they still got the message. Strategies were constantly reinforced with audience participation so the kids didn't forget them. Will make it easier for them to recall them when they need to use them... Well presented - great audience participation - stayed entertaining even for the older students. Great voices. Enjoyed the reinforcing of the message throughout... A great show - love the humour! Very entertaining with the animal theme. Kept kids' attention throughout with different characters. Message was clearly delivered and will be easy to follow up back at school" Millicent North PS, Millicent, SA

"Another high quality production on such an important topic. The standard of performance was excellent. Really impressed with the way strategies were revised and reinforced with children... The Grade 2's really loved the whole performance. They were able to recount in great detail the whole story. It was a terrific concept to use the animals to promote the message." St Mary's Catholic School, Bairnsdale, VIC

"Great costumes. Excellent performance. Had involvement from children. Easy to remember slogans that can be taken back to the classroom. Enjoyed by all. Linked to our school values - You Can Do It. The linking of messages to animals - SUPER!! Keep up the jokes for the teachers. The summary at the end linked it and allowed for more discussion back in classroom. Thank you for all your efforts... Great introduction - children instantly engaged, humourous. Great idea having children move - they responded well. Excellent audience participation. Terrific costumes and characters. All that was promised - rehearsed, qualified, interactive, musical - FUN! Great bully message, kids loved it A+. P.S. Hollywood called - Jim Carey's missing!!... Great intro - moving around saying hello. Great songs and music - very entertaining. Wonderful, creative costumes. Good audience participation/involvement. Succinct phrases like "don't make snap decisions" that are memorable and kids can recite. Accents were really well done and authentic. Clear, audible voices. Great how the "You Can Do It" values were included in the presentation. A++... Very engaging - students watched and joined in enthusiastically. Really links well with the student's experiences. Also empathises with a victim's feelings. Music very catchy. Questions to ask are very relevant. You could se the kids thinking about what was suggested" Montrose PS, Montrose, VIC.

"Talented performers....Slick and well rehearsed...A great message delivered in an understandable way. Very entertaining for all ages." Launceston Church Grammar School, East Launceston, TAS

"Thank you for a wonderful show. We all enjoyed your very professional approach and flexibility when faced with an 'interesting' performing space outside. The show portrayed a great message in an easy way for the students to follow and made it an easy concept to grasp. The lyrics linked with musical styles made it a very clever presentation. Your singing voices were amazing and energy levels enviable. Thanks again for the performance of the highest quality. Student feedback has been most positive." Brunswick North PS, Brunswick West, VIC

"Following the great success of our students’ engagement with and their learning through your fantastic Bully Bull Ring performance about a month ago, we would love to experience your Adventurescope Maths and Science show, the next time you are touring SA." Bute PS, Bute, SA

"Excellent - easy strategies with great visual cues for the children to relate to. Children thoroughly enjoyed the show and could relate to the characters. They are already using the strategies at morning tea today...Very impressed with the quality in every aspect of this performance! Well Done!!!! Costumes were spectacular and the talents of performers were excellent. The message was reinforced the whole way through, and was relevant to the children. Both very entertaining and educational. Obviously a lot of effort was put into preparing this musical, and that shows in its presentation."St Anthony's PS, North Rockhampton, QLD

"Very lively...Entertaining presentation...Great message...Wonderful...Fantatstic...Excellent!!! A terrific production that entertained the students while delivering a strong message - Great strategies to encourage and develop resilience. Thank you so much for visiting our school. Your show is wonderful." St Michaels PS, Berwick, VIC

"Just wanted to let you know how good the Tony Bones show was on Friday. It's the best one I've been to in a long time. He must have been a teacher once because he managed the children beautifully, and kept returning to the message. Great teaching! The show was fantastic, well worth the money." John Paul College, Daisy Hill, QLD

"Very entertaining and simple enough for the children to understand....Love the story line and the way in which the ideas were presented. The actors were amazing and developed a rapport with the children very quickly." Killara PS, Killara, NSW

"Dear Tony and Laura, I am writing to convey the thoughts of my Grade 5 class and myself on the performance we viewed this morning. From my point of view I think you have handled the bullying situation very professionally. Even though the children see it as animals, this makes it easier for the children to identify with than other children. It was interesting to hear the children discussing the show afterwards and their own interpretations of it. I asked the children to write a narrative and include a scenario of what they heard this morning but using people instead of animals. They had to tell the story from either the point of view of the bullier or the bullee. The results have been very positive. Only last week I had a meeting with some parents of a child who is constantly being victimised on the playground and it seems has been for a few years. I have been trying to give him strategies to use to counteract the behaviour he has been experiencing and your show "fell into our laps" so to speak and has given him some more useful pointers. I will speak to him in a day or two and see if he has become "Organised" and has a plan of what he can say or do so when a scenario presents itself he is armed with knowledge of what to do. Thank you again for your very enjoyable and inspiring show. Keep up the good work. Lillian Jilbert... Fantastic performance as always. The children enjoyed the animal characters and clever costumes. Tony and his company did a splendid job of keeping the children entertained and the message was very clear. Superb singing, clever acting - a truly wonderful theatrical performance for our children to see. The children were thoroughly looking forward to the event - and it didn't disappoint. Thanks Tony and we will definitely see you again!... Thank you Tony for a very interactive performance. The children were extremely entertained and talked lots following the show. The costumes were really fantastic and memorable to all children. Thanks very much - it was spectacular!" St Peter Apostle Hoppers Crossing, VIC

“Rarely do we have the calibre of performers as we did with Tony and Laura in “Bully Bull-Ring”. Their performance was entertaining, educational and professional.... A superb presentation – truly captivating and very meaningful, portrayed in a fun way... Excellent performance. Very engaging. Would highly recommend to others... Your performance was outstanding. The best we’ve had in years!! The quality of acting performance and character portrayal, combined with a variety of music genres contributed to this excellent show. The messages were clear to all from P – 6 and the humorous ‘asides’ engaged the senior primary students and staff. I would highly recommend this professional performance to others.. Both students and staff responded most enthusiastically to “Bully Bull-Ring”. The performance was very professional – excellent music and singing, tremendous costumes and a strong message which was clearly understood. This was most evident in the post performance discussion I had with my Grade 5/6 students!” Birchip P-12 School, VIC

"The actors/singers were brilliant!  The concepts were presented effectively and in an entertaining way.  Revising methods of avoiding bullying was useful in reinforcing the ideas... The students thoroughly enjoyed the performance.  The actors enthusiasm made the students really get into the performance.  The characters costumes were excellent!  I have been reminding students about each of the animals suggestions as they come to me with bullying problems since the show, e.g.: ‘stand tall like a giraffe'". Pagewood PS, NSW

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"It was great. Very informative and the students seemed to get a lot out of it... Fantastic presentation. Kids were enthusiastic. Great variety + catchy tunes... Really enjoyed the catchy songs. I loved the different characters. The students had a great time and learnt lots! Thanks! :) ... Absolutely fantastic - loved the corny one-liners... The catchy songs taught excellent strategies to stand up to bullying. Students loved the characters - they were funny and had good costumes... Excellent presentation especially with only 2 performers and so many different characters. The kids really enjoyed it... Wonderful! Great songs to teach an important message." Mountain View Adventist College, NSW

"Thank you for presenting such a great show... Relaxed presentation with great jokes. Great singing!! Audience participation was enjoyable. Good use of questioning students throughout the performance. Good costumes (variety of animals)... It was a great performance... It was great. The kids enjoyed it. Excellent... A great way to cover a tricky topic... Entertaining for the children and lots of fun... Bullying strategies were really helpful and clever." Sacred Heart PS, Mt Druitt, NSW

"Awesome practical ideas to implement early on in schooling... The music was enjoyable and the interaction really caught them... Absolutely amazing, funny, sensitive, empowering (the BEST PD I have had on ways to beat bullying), enriching (the music styles and discussion afterwards were great!)... We will definitely be following up with the messages you have presented and look forward eagerly to seeing those songs recorded... Thank you so much for an inspiring afternoon. I look forward to next year!... I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. It was very entertaining, engaging and provided students with practical strategies for dealing with bullying... Performance was wonderful. Focus was on bringing out the best in the 'victim'. Thought this was brilliant. The "what can I do to improve my situation"... Loved the music and comedy. Fantastic!...I would recommend this production to all schools." Maranatha Christian School, Officer, VIC

"I think that the performance was very entertaining and offered the children some really good strategies to help them combat bullying. After having completed a follow-up reflection with my class, the main thing that came-up was the clever way that ‘catchy messages’ and songs were used to send across clear understandings. It was great to hear many of the children singing different parts of the songs throughout the afternoon.... The songs were ‘catchy’ and the children found attaching the ‘moral’ to an animal made it easier to remember... Loved the enthusiasm, music and actions in performance. The ‘You Can Do It’ message was presented in an original and thoughtful way. The after show discussion my 3/4s had was thoughtful as well and reflective. We had a great follow-on activity with our buddies... the post-show discussion Tony did with the kids... focused on ‘how the show was staged’ and not just on the message. Most excellent, I would recommend your performance to all schools... I found this production to be fun and exciting for the children and the concepts included in the show were easy to remember and great to do follow-on activities with. I thought by allocating a different animal to each concept helped the children to remember the strategies. Thanks for a great production!... Our students really enjoyed the performance and found the animal costumes and characters very engaging. It was terrific to be able to connect ideas to particular animals and we have used some of their advice in the classroom, particularly the giraffe. The link to ‘You Can do It’ was also very relevant to our school and program.... I found that the messages complemented our values and the ‘You Can Do It’ program. The students thoroughly enjoyed it and were engaged through the whole session." Timbarra PS, VIC

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“The children really enjoyed the way the message was put across. Very funny, excellent acting, great sound and great use of music and song. Thanks very much... Very professionally presented with great acting, singing and interpersonal skills in dealing with a cross-section of children of varying degrees of attention span. Most valuable and enjoyable. Thank you for a job well done.... Thank you – love the way the message is put across with music as children often are more receptive. Loved the show.” Lakes Entrance Vacation Care, VIC

“I appreciated the self-sufficiency of your presentation (especially as I am the only teacher in the school) – the “no-fuss” setting up, dismantling, etc. The show certainly passed all tests here at Bullengarook as the storm we had while the show was on was spectacular but the children were all engaged and mainly oblivious to the fact the room was almost flooded out (I discovered after you left that the little back room was flooded... Many thanks for a great performance.” Bullengarook PS, VIC

“A really enjoyable and engaging performance. The kids were totally entranced and seemed to understand the messages. The humour was great. Well done!... Excellent way to get across concepts using animals. Great way to incorporate different music styles as well. Fantastic show!... A great show. Our whole school not only enjoyed the performance, they took something away. I will certainly be using your phrases when I discuss certain issues with my children.”Hesket PS, VIC

“The students were engaged and they were easily able to recall the key messages / strategies communicated to them through the play and the music. They loved it!.. It was great! Loved the music – kids were excited – loved the animals. Were able to talk about theme! You are welcome back if I have a say!... By far the best bullying show I have had the pleasure of experiencing. Please come back again. What a great show! Great music and concepts covered in such an entertaining way... Thanks for a wonderful performance. Great messages with a visual representation in each animal. I loved the way you tied in different musical styles into the drama to reflect each animals’ personality. I gained lots of practical ideas to incorporate into my drama sessions... A great approach to arming students against bullying. Thoroughly enjoyable.”St Peter’s Anglican College, NSW

"Hi Tony, I just wanted to let you know that the Bully Bull ring performance was fantastic and the teachers and students thoroughly enjoyed it. Some children even thought it would hit home to the 'bullies' in our school. So the message definitely got across to them. We really appreciated Clint and Emma coming along. They were great performers and the students loved them. I hope they returned home safely after their long day, especially Clint having to drive all the way back to Ballarat. So please thank them again and perhaps we'll be seeing your guys again next year. Fingers crossed!" San Remo PS, VIC

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"Hi Tony... We would also like to say a HUGE thank you to your team for the excellent performance 'Bully Bull Ring' we had at our school, Mater Dei last Thursday. The 'stars' of the show were very kind and flexible with our needs. Mater Dei is a school for students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. I have never seen all the students so captivated for a whole hour. From our kindergarten students, right up to year 12. It was absolutely brilliant! I have heard the students using several of the messages in the performance which is great! Once again, thank you to you and your staff for an entertaining and successful performance!"Mater Dei School, Camden, NSW

“Your show appealed to children from Prep to Grade 6 and adults. Thank you. A great achievement.... A very entertaining show and a fantastic message! Very impressive... I thought it was brilliant. Very worthwhile. The kids have remembered what they have to do. Thanks”.San Remo PS VIC

“Great show, funny, clever and well put together. Brings out practical ideas and ways to deal with bullying... Wonderful message and had children captivated. Good repetition and reinforcement... Fantastic, exciting and good message. Children still talking about it and saying phrases... It was a fantastic show that gave practical strategies children can use. It was very funny and enjoyable to watch for both children and adults”. Leighland Christian School, Burnie, TAS

“Held children’s attention. On Monday they could remember the animals messages. Well done!... Everyone enjoyed the show very much.... Entertaining, engaging and informative. Excellent delivery of strategies to counter bullying. Support material at a high standard... Children enjoyed the interaction. The messages were clearly conveyed. Class follow up to reinforce messages... Students were captivated by costumes and characters. They caught onto the important messages through the stimulating dance styles and lyrics of the songs. A big thanks from me on behalf of the students and staff of Naranga. We look forward to your return during Book Week 2009.” Naranga School, Frankston, VIC

“Both performers showed great enthusiasm. Price was very reasonable..... The little kids really liked the performance. Thank you!” Revesby South PS, NSW

“Rap music relevant to students. Messages very good. Great costumes and songs. Messages well reinforced. Well paced to hold students attention”.Moulamein PS, NSW

“Interactive for students. Clear and articulate. Children interested... Entertaining with a message. Students engaged. Music great... Great fun and a wonderful way to deliver such an important message. Skilled performance. Thank you!!... Entertaining and engaging... Clear and easy for kids to understand. Fun”. St Patrick’s PS, Latrobe, TAS

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"Rudolph's Recruits" 2002-2003/ 2005-2011

"Fantastic show! Wonderful performers who really engaged with audience.  Christmas spirit abounds - great costuming and characters.  After-show question time was also good - encouraging thinking about how a show is actually presented." Clemton Park PS, NSW

"What a wonderful show - great costumes. Every school should see the performance"… "A fantastic show - the children loved it. Would pass details on to any school. Thank you!"… "Good show - versatility of actors was impressive"… "Thank you for a wonderful performance. It was a lively, stimulating play which held the children's attention. Thank you for all your hard work!"… "Lovely singing, lots of energy and action. Engaged the children which is a challenge. Keep up the great work." Viewbank PS, Vic

"The original story line and vocals were sensational!!"… "Lively production with great characters. Children were impressed with song and dance routines…. Just the thing for the end of the year - Thanks!"… "Very entertaining - kept children interested. Great costumes and songs!"… … "Excellent presentation!! The children enjoyed it thoroughly… "Very entertaining. The children enjoyed the show, especially the different characters." St Brendan's PS, Somerville, Vic

"The show was wonderful. The children were engaged in the presentation and were very keen to be involved"… "Students really enjoyed the performance - interaction was good… Cast members coming to children at rear of the audience was well-timed, ensuring that all were involved."… "Very entertaining"… "Kids loved it… I loved the humour." St Monica's PS, Moonee Ponds, VIC

"I thought the show was wonderful and so did the children. You entertained a vast age group from kindergarten to Year 6. The costumes and sound were top quality. I would recommend your Christmas show... Exciting & interesting. I was very impressed with the fact that the performers kept Kinder through to Year 6 entertained. I thought the question time was informative and especially valuable to upper grades... An enjoyable and interesting shop. You caught the children's interest and allowed them to be involved in the show. It was great to see all age groups informed and entertained. Thank you for coming... A fantastic show. I agree with all comments above 100%. The children were all very impressed as too were we. Questions at the end were excellent." St Michael's PS, Heyfield, Vic

"It was a wonderful show that catered for all, well structured, very entertaining, great songs, jokes, at times you wanted to get up and dance. Fantastic!! It is obvious that your crew enjoy what they do, they drew you in. I will be honest in saying that I couldn't believe that all the kids were captivated, even us big kids. In all the other entertainment I have seen there are always kids playing up or losing interest, but not with you. It must be such a hard job to cater for at least 300 people and keep them happy and entertained. Tony, you and your crew deserve a big thank you. A fantastic show!! I wish you all the best. Regards,  Kathy Petras." Heartkids - Royal Children's Hospital, Vic

"Hi Tony, Can you please thank Laura and the team for a great job on Sunday... Thanks again for your professionalism and assistance, Nadine"

Taralye Kinder, Blackburn, Vic

"Hi Tony, I have had great reports on Saturday's show - the staff said it was fantastic. We had an excellent response from the audience. Hope all goes well for the show in Sydney. regards Jo" Jo Casey, Glen Eira Libraries, Vic

“This was a fantastic show that appealed to all our students from Prep to Grade 6. It was multi-levelled and multi-layered. Many of our mums were disappointed their husbands could not make the performance because they felt that it would have appealed to them...It was a musical feast that offered lots of subtle messages. Excellent.” Piangil PS, VIC

“Excellent (Fantastic, very entertaining)…Children’s attention was maintained the entire show. Polished performances. Colourful, talented, very entertaining. High quality performers…Excellent – fun – children were able to interact and were kept in control. Very professional performers. Not only the kids enjoyed it – I did as well!” Bendigo PS, VIC

“I thought ‘Rudolph’s Recruits’ was fantastic! It was perfectly suited to the level of the children, fun and energetic. There was some involvement for the children, which was great. They all loved the performance and spoke highly of the characters. The other staff who attended the performance were also very impressed. We have used Tony Bones before and most certainly will be again. Thank you for a great morning!” Ivanhoe Grammar School, VIC

“Lots of energy, great choreography, songs, convincing characters. Very enjoyable…Very funny… Wonderful”. Cranbourne West PS, VIC

“We really enjoyed the show. It was bright and lively and kept the children’s interest. The humour was great as even the teachers got a laugh out of it!! It was great to see the children’s reactions to live theatre – it really showed how unused to it they are and that we should make more effort to expose them to it!... The show was fantastic – the characters were fun and cleverly done. I think the teachers enjoyed it as much as the children. Hilarious!... It was wonderful! The children had an amazing time. It was great fun. The teachers especially enjoyed all the interaction and jokes. Great way to finish the year.... Great! The children enjoyed the interactions and the fact it had an Australian theme. It was great for the children to also have been given extra information on the “workings” of a play.”Normanhurst West PS, NSW

“Fantastic! The kids were really focused and enjoyed the show. The music was upbeat and focused at the students’ level... Very enjoyable experience for both children and teachers. Full of energy and great costumes... An excellent production for the kids, and teachers loved it as well. The kids were totally immersed in the show. Brilliant!... Great! Most Appropriate for age-group. Good mixture of drama / comedy and singing and dance routines throughout!” St Roberts PS, VIC

“Thank you so much for your support with the Mirabel children’s Christmas Party held in Melbourne last week. For many of the children this annual event is the highlight of their year – for others it was the first time they have experienced Christmas festivities and received presents. We had families travel from all over Victoria to be part of the day and the carers enjoy it as much as the children as it gives them time to catch up with one another and relax while their children are entertained. We have been inundated with messages of thanks from the families who have asked that their messages be passed on to each and every one of you. As the number of children referred to Mirabel increases, our services and events are only made possible due to the incredible goodwill of the community. Your generosity is deeply appreciated and on behalf of everyone at the Foundation and all the Mirabel children, our heartfelt thanks.” Mirabel Foundation

“Really fabulous! Very entertaining. Great costumes – gave children ideas for own performances. Theme appealed to all the children. Thank you!!!" Melrose Park PS, NSW

“Fantastic – children were really engaged throughout the performance!! Great effort – last hour of the day in the last week of school!!! Excellent show – great characters – will absolutely re-book for next year. Thanks heaps” Eltham North PS, VIC

“Lots of audience interaction, kids enthralled whole session. Sort of suits the silly season!” Araluen PS, VIC

“We would have considered re-booking for 2009 for the junior grades if there had been a different show on offer. Great show – good catchy songs and fantastic audience participation" Beaconsfield Upper PS, VIC

“Engaged children quickly and maintained their interest. Lots of laughs, action and excitement... students enjoyed and had fun. Amusing for teachers as well.... Children were very engaged. Humour at the right level. Great characters”. Rolling Hills PS, VIC

“The children thoroughly enjoyed the performance. They were captured from the onset and eagerly anticipated the rest of Rudolph’s Recruits. The songs were appropriate and the children enjoyed singing them.... Question time at end was great! Thank you for an enjoyable performance! Look forward to your next one”.St Peter the Apostle PS, VIC

“The kids really enjoyed it. Loud, energetic, great for the kids”. Syndal South PS, VIC

“It was really good. Had a great time myself”. Boronia West PS, VIC

“We all enjoyed your show very much. The performers were animated and lots of fun. Children enjoyed the interaction which is so lost in today’s entertainment. It catered for all children very well and we look forward (to) booking you for “book Week” activities”. St Margaret’s PS, Maribyrnong, VIC

“Absolutely wonderful performance appropriate to all year levels. Very entertaining and totally amusing. Loved the costumes and characters”. Grasmere Primary School, VIC

“Performance was excellent. Perfect for end of year. Fantastic and funny!.. Great – simple but effective. Kids loved it... Very well done. Fabulous. Children really enjoyed being involved... Full of enthusiasm and at child’s level of fun... Very amusing and entertaining!! Over the top, great!... Entertaining... Very energetic. Fun... Performance was fantastic, children enjoyed it. A nice way to finish the year with... I thought the show was very enjoyable and entertaining. I saw both sessions and from hearing the children’s comments they all seemed to enjoy it”. Holy Name School, Reservoir, VIC

Great engagement of audience. Choreography great. Audience participation well controlled and age appropriate – singing of Rudolph. Costumes and stage – well done... Captured audience’s attention even before the show started as they had a puppet popping up from behind the screen and that prevented any restlessness. Great story line too!... Loved the way the children’s attention was captured right from the beginning. Excellent story and songs. Very captivating. Children all loved it!... Children were engaged and enjoyed the show... Very captivating for all. Children loved it from the start. Engaged and excited. Good story as well... Very appealing to a diverse range of children, including special needs. Fantastic use of minimal costumes.... The children are engaged – so are the teachers! Great idea for end of year treat! Great costumes and interactive songs... Engaging for special needs, kept their attention. One of the better shows we’ve seen... Excellent show. The children loved it. Good songs, great costumes and excellent audience engagement. The show was clever and funny”. Bungendore PS, NSW

“Introduction – great. Kookaburra got everyone’s attention and kept it! Rudolph – fabulous job. On stage all the time and kept show moving. Dingo – great fun. Engaged all children. Blue tongue Lizard – children loved the magic trick. Tiger Snake – children enjoyed this segment. Wedge Tailed Eagle – Fantastic. Children loved this segment – I’ve been everywhere. Emu – very appealing. Platypus – great appeal. Red Kangaroo – fabulous rapport with Rudolph. Costumes were fantastic. Audience participation encouraged – good control. Singing and dancing – appropriate and well received by this age group. A fantastic production – Well done!! Santa was a great surprise.”Wakehurst PS, Belrose, NSW

An excellent show. 9 characters. Great costumes, presentation and dialogue! Aussie animals woven into a Christmas tale – great! Well structured and well paced. The children really loved the show. Congratulations!” Gray’s Point PS, NSW

“Very entertaining. Very energetic. Kept kids interest. Appealed to a wide audience – both children and adults. The message of seeking assistance was well received. Good mixture of song / dance and audience participation. Friendly and engaging delivery. Clear and easily understood. Enthusiasm was infectious. Fantastic costumes – very innovative yet quite simple (easy for me to say)”. Omeo PS, VIC

"Gorgeous, vibrant production. The children really enjoyed singing along and were totally engaged throughout the performance. The performers were fabulous. Very professional. Terrific performance – perfect for end of year treat. Thank you”. Parkdale PS, VIC

"We all really enjoyed your entertaining, colourful show. The children were intrigued by the whole show! There was lots of variety, songs, actions and movement which really engaged the students and the teachers!” St Joachims PS, Carrum Downs, VIC

“A great show that was enjoyed by all the children. Our students with multiple disabilities were engaged throughout the show... Very energetic. The characters / cast adapted well to our students and were very relaxed with them. ... Loved it. Being in the crowd was good. Great costumes.... Jess loved it, especially the beginning and the end when Santa came”. Northern Support School, Newstead, TAS

“An engaging introduction, humorous characters and great singing... Very confident and entertaining! Keeps children engaged and good variety of characters and songs... Excellent – great songs and lyrics. Good involvement of audience. Fabulous fun... Humour which all ages engaged in. Great pace, which allowed children to enjoy without becoming interfering. FANTASTIC!... Fabulous entertainment. Suitable for all ages. Energetic performance... Great songs, students enjoyed being involved... Fantastic. Students were engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the performance”. St Patrick’s School, Latrobe, TAS

"Loved it. It was a fantastic twist on the Christmas story. The music and interactive nature of the performance kept the children engaged all the way... Very entertaining. We all laughed and enjoyed it the entire time. Clever story line... Excellent costumes, lighting and props. Very professional setup. Highly entertaining for the children and also very funny. Great story line and fantastic songs and singing. Kept the children entertained the whole performance. Fantastic and highly recommended”. St Anne’s PS, Sunbury, VIC

"Sound excellent. Children were very engaged. Interesting story. Great costumes. Entertaining. Performers gave their all. Very talented – good voices! Very versatile performers. Good to see different music styles. Polished performance. Good control of students”. Bannockburn PS, VIC

“Very entertaining. Great costumes. Children were very engaged. A great show for the end of year! Great idea to get children moving – they loved being involved in the show”. Birmingham PS, Lilydale, VIC

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"Schumann the Shoeman" 2010

Christine Oughtred, Geelong Book Council

"Hi Tony, I'd like to give the highest possible praise for the standard of Amy and Michael's work presenting 'Schumann the Shoeman' at Geelong on Sunday.

It was absolutely outstanding and was the perfect presentation for the CBCA event - celebrating families reading together.

It was a great 'thank you' to families who know that reading together is important and fun, and a wonderful surprise to those who had not seen your company's work before. As we over heard one child say during the performance 'This is REALLY great!'.Everyone was mesmerised as the attached photo of the audience shows.

I am so very grateful that you were available to accommodate the time and venue and I'd be reluctant to do it again (we are already talking about a repeat next year) without Tony Bones Entertainment.

We had 48 children but of course lots of lovely adults as well. For your interest Melbourne had 153 children and Ballarat 115 and we are discussing the potential for 2012 already.

The invoice has been forwarded to the Vic branch treasurer and should not be long in payment, Thank you so much again"

Peter Butler, Lecturer in Music Education at La Trobe University, VIC

"Hello Tony, Congratulations on such an entertaining and moving show this morning at California Gully Primary School. Pass on my congrats to Amy...The skill and energy of the performance is something to behold. You have clearly mastered the logistics of doing shows with two people doing everything: extraordinary."

Cobden Primary School, Cobden, VIC

"Hi Tony, My students simply adored your performance at Cobden Civic Hall last week. Some of the recounts that emerged from the experience showed the depth of their involvement. We had read the book and done a follow-up activity prior to seeing your presentation but to actually see you work it on stage was delightful. They loved Amy’s cat-walk and her comedy. I liked the way she handled the death of Schumann. It was wonderful. Thank you for providing such enriching moments for us all...A very clever production involving student participation and kept the attention of the audience. The book 'chat' after the show inspired children to want to make their own play/script when they returned to school...A colourful and robust production that both children and teachers enjoyed. The chat after the show was very interesting and thought provoking...Brilliant! Entertaining and enjoyed by all. Great information at the conclusion of the show about the author, illustrator, etc. Thank you and well done."

Maitland City Library Program, Maitland, NSW

"Hi Michael and Jess, We would just like to extend our warmest thanks for your fantastic stage show of Schumann the Shoeman...It was unlike anything I have already seen and as you noticed on the day, the audience was just as impressed. What was especially impressive was the time you took after the show to answer questions about the production and show the kids how they could do it too! Once again, thanks for the tremendous effort you put in to pull off such an amazing show."

St Michaels Parish School, Ashburton, VIC

"It was a wonderful experience for the children. The Q + A was terrific as it allowed for the contrasting of characters and unveiling of themes and issues. Well done!...Brilliant opportunity for the students to connect to these morals on another level. The students loved getting to know (the) characters and becoming personally involved with the storyline...Fantastic production enjoyed by staff and students. Students were engaged with the right mix of actions, songs, listening, etc! THANKS!"

Sandringham East Primary School, Sandgringham East, VIC

"Very engaging, really enjoyable for the kids - and the teachers too! Love the interaction with the children especially the catwalk part. The kids dressing up was great...Very entertaining for children and teachers...Wonderful interpretation/adaption of the story - you brought it to life! Great props and songs. Loved having the kids in the fashion parade...The children were really engaged in the show and loved the interaction with the actors. It was fantastic too and I would love to see another show...Thank you for a wonderfully entertaining performance - a vibrant rendition of a beautiful book...engaged both students and teachers alike...This is a great introduction to devising their own performances from famous picture books. A fabulous performance."

Templeton Primary School, Wantirna South, VIC

"Very entertaining...Great - the children were engaged...Children were entertained. I enjoyed it myself...Outstanding - moved well to keep the children entertained. Great fun! Humour was terific..An entertaining recant/performance of a wonderful story...Children were very entertained and excited. Well done...An amazing performance. The children were engaged for the entire performance. The actors were sensational. Great voices...Great job! Very entertaining for the kids and myself!"

St MacArtans Primary School, Mornington, VIC

"A well presented, professional performance which beautifully told the story. Lots of props, costume changes and interaction with the audience kept the students focussed...Absolutely loved it! Having the book on show and repeatedly referring to it was a good idea. The chat at the end about why you chose that story was great and inspiring also. All children were fully engaged for the entire show...A wonderful performance! The students loved it and were engaged. Great interaction of students. Loved the music; it created a terrific atmosphere...The story was great with many thread-through plots. The visual antics, voices, costumes, etc were very stimulating. Preps enjoyed the student participation opportunities. It was great to see the person behind the mask at the end...Pupils were engaged. We had a good discussion in the classroom about props used to show the setting of different scenes as well as the different voices used by the various characters."

Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill, VIC

"What a fantastic educational opportunity for the students! A wonderful story promoting positive values which comes alive with your outstanding theatrical representation. The great characterisation, comic scriptline and resourceful range of recycled props and costumes truly engaged the students and left them pondering the important issues raised. Truly loved it - can't wait to see you again next year!"

Pleasant St Primary School, Ballarat, VIC

"Great to have some singing/musical aspects in the show. The audience participation was great. The discussion at the end was also very helpful to link back to the book."

Mount Pleasant Primary School, Ballarat, VIC

"Excellent - particularly pointing out that every one is an individual and that we should celebrate that. Great performance, everyone enjoyed it...Amazing! I loved it and so did the children, can't wait for next year...What lovely messages you sent to the children - be individuals, make your mark on the world. I really enjoyed it, well done...The children all loved your show and were full of stories when we returned to the classroom. You were both amazingly funny and talented...Fantastic show - true to the book and it highlighted aspects studied in class. Great audience participation too...Our expectations were well and truly filled. Tony's theatre performance managed to deal with such a difficult concept - death - in such a wonderful 'child-accepting' way!"

Woodport Public School, Erina, NSW

"It was funny. Children loved being involved. Loved the different accents, great humour for children and loved the teacher involvement."

St Mary's Coptic Orthodox College, Coolaroo, VIC

"The play was highly entertaining. We loved the use of the innovative props that brought the characters alive. Both staff and students immensly enjoyed the show."

Charlton Christian College, Fassifern, NSW

"Great book, great performance! Jess and Michael were wonderful to have at our school. The show was very well done...Absolutely loved it! I was so inspired. The kids said it was really, really fantastic [and to] please invite them again."

St Catherine's School, Toorak, VIC

"The girls loved the play and the staff were very impressed with the music and lyrics and how well they fitted the story."

St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie, NSW

"The show was fantastic. It was thoroughly entertaining...so funny and intriguing. The children were captivated by the props and the puppets. It was so well done. There has been so much talk and conversation back in classrooms about the book and its show."

Shoalhaven Heads Primary School, Shoalhaven Heads, NSW

"We loved the show! The presenters worked very hard to present the book in a very enjoyable way. Props were great....The presenters followed the storyline of the book very well...Thank you and well done!"

Churchill Primary School, Churchill, VIC

"We have all enjoyed rave reviews (from the students) about the performance. Thank you!"

Bungendore Primary School, Bungendore, NSW

"Children thoroughly enjoyed the show. The question time at the end was particularly good. The kids loved it!"

MLC, Burwood, NSW

"A very visually attractive and stimulating presentation of a book-week book...A very good job with minimal use of actors and clever use of props and puppetry to tell the story."

Bega Public School, Bega, NSW

"Excellent for all kids from Kindergarten to Grade 6. As far as I could tell everyone really enjoyed (it)..Particularly liked the way you told the kids they could easily make their own similar props. Well done including kids from the audience as well."

Waniassa School (Junior Campus), Waniassa, ACT

"Our students and staff really enjoyed your show. It was entertaining, well paced and well rehearsed, with the right amount of audience participation. A great mix of music, drama and helpful hints regarding the props at the end for budding young actors."

Florey Primary School, Florey, ACT

"A fantastic adaptation!...Well received by students. Loved the music...Great audience involvement and the music was a winner...Fantastic! Children were engaged; well written and very professional production. Inclusion of elements of pop culture to relate to the students was outstanding."

Blaxland East Public School, Blaxland, NSW

"This was an excellent production. The book/storyline was translated into a wonderful piece of live theatre which was great for Kindergarten to Grade 2 students. The use of props/puppets/costumes and dance-moves was terrific. Students were engaged the entire session. Length was good - 40 minutes. The question time/answer time was very helpful and useful. Two very good, talented performers."

Highbury Primary School, Hope Valley, SA

"An entertaining re-telling of the story, the children really enjoyed it....Loved the student interaction and the discussion time at the end...Excellent, engaging performance. Children said it was amazing...Music arrangement was great...Fast moving, incorporated dance, singing, puppetry, storytelling and music. Enjoyed by all."

Caroline Chisholm School, Chisholm ACT

"Excellent adaptation...Engaging and entertaining...I found it very engaging and funny, I really enjoyed it...Professional standard - kids were really lucky to have this opportunity...Reallly entertaining! Kids were really engaged...Fabulous show - all kids were engaged."

Canberra Grammar School, Canberra, ACT

"Great level of audience participation, good length of time, age appropriate - handled the death scene well, good connection with book on stage, question time was great, good mix of song and dialogue, effective props and clever ideas, excellent versatility from performers...Performers were very talented, musical score was great! Question time at the end was useful, a great choice of book and well justified...Great that the props could be made/used by the children after, involvement of audience really added to the show."

Good Shepherd Parish School, Wheelers Hill, VIC

"All the teachers agreed that the show was a huge hit with the children. They were engaged all throughout the performance and there was no need to tell the children to listen, they chose to listen. We discussed how we thought it was explained very well to the children, particularly the question and answer time at the end. We had a great time and would love to see you again."

Kersbrook Primary School, Kersbrook, SA

"Very entertaining,suitable for Prep to Year 7. True to the written story, very enjoyable, great props...Fantastic! Kids loved it. Costumes were great. It told the story in a very new way, made the book come alive. Well done...The kids enjoyed the performance, the music, humour and costumes told the story very well. The complex ideas in the story were handled well, thanks!...Children really enjoyed the performance and liked the way it was presented. Follow up comments and ideas about the book were excellent."

Southern Support School, Howrah, TAS

"An excellent performance suitable for our students. Plenty of colour and action. Audience participation was encouraged...thank you for performing for us."

Bradbury Public School, Bradbury, NSW

Greater Taree City Library, Taree, NSW

"Excellent performance. The children and staff were all enthralled by the terrific production. Recommend it to all schools. Loved the book too!...I like the way they followed the story, using the storybook and the audience participation - very entertaining."

Manning Gardens Public School, Taree, NSW

"Very captivating, allowed students to participate and become involved...Great show!...An excellent show, very entertaining...A wonderful show! Bright and vibrant! Great use of voice - clear and easy to hear.  Stunning singing! Thank you."

Manning Valley Anglican College, Cundletown, NSW

"Great props and costumes made the excellent performances engaging...Excellent choice of costumes, matched the book very well. All kids engaged. Great to see some audience participation as well...Such a wonderful opportunity for the children to see a live performance - and related to a book! Simple, yet very effective costumes and props - the show kept the children very entertained...A great production.  The children loved the opportunity to participate in the show.  Wonderful costumes and excellent use of the book during the show.  Thanks."

Upper Lansdowne Public School, Upper Lansdowne, NSW

"We loved it! Thanks for the opportunity for our children to actively participate. The students were enthralled with the performance....Sound production is great.  Children very involved...Very entertaining and professional...Interactive, educational and enjoyable.  I hope these very professional productions continue."

Tinonee Public School, Tinonee, NSW

"An excellent production.  The children were totally enthralled in the story.  It was wonderful they used the book during the production."

Mount George Public School, Mount George, NSW

"Well done! A great show which made great use of the book.  Great costumes and child participation.  Fantastic show!"

St Joseph's Primary School, Taree, NSW

"Interesting and entertaining.  Had children's full attention!"

Chatham Public School, Taree, NSW

"A good variety in the production.  Held the children's attention...Very enjoyable.  Like the way they use the book during the performance.  Children were attentive - obviously enjoyed it...Loved the humour throughout.  Simple but effective props."

Cundletown Public School, Cundletown, NSW

"A wonderful, entertaining and educational experience for the children to experience.  Schumann the Shoeman came to LIFE!!"

Coopernook Public School, Coopernook, NSW

"Fantastic performance.  We all enjoyed it thoroughly.  Props were great."

East Maitland Public School, East Maitland, NSW

"Fabulous adaptation of the book.  Loved the songs.  Props are clever - simple but effective.  Shows students and teachers that props and settings don't have to be elaborate.  The themes of Schumann the Shoeman are quite complex.  The finale, with the celebration of Schumann's life, and the songs about following your dreams and being unique, really helped explain them at a child level."

Kotara South Public School, Kotara South, NSW

"Fantastic entertainment. Everything you could want in a theatrical performance. Very funny, beautiful singing, dancing, props and costumes."

Mansfield State School, Mansfield, QLD

"Great audience participation - current music and names identifiable! Belching machine very humourous. The book to the side was a great reference point - children had visited the book earlier with librarian. Little puppets - GREAT! Schumann's death handled well. Silence soon led to fun with chicken and audience participation - good fun. Good to revisit characters [from earlier in the show]. Loved all clapping together! "One of a kind kid"- good motto, will use in class. Great ending - all in all very enjoyable. Thank you!...Engaged children very well.  Related well to children's interests - "belching" - but able to put point across. Liked the simple set and the way the book was incorporated into the story. Ending beautifully done. Would recommend this especially years 3-6. Good follow-up about the book."

Mayrung Public School, Mayrung, NSW

"Excellent presentation of the book. Children were engaged at all times. Props were colourful and an integral part of the play...Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the children did too. It's a beautiful book and you played it really well."

Conargo Public School, Conargo, NSW

"Students enjoyed the show and enjoyed all the characters. Their reaction with laughter and applause was spontaneous (without teacher direction). Personally, I enjoyed it and thought it was the best performance I had seen in the last few years...Michael and Jess did an outstanding job explaining techniques, costumes and the book superbly. Discussion of the book prior to the performance was invaluable. Student testimonials: "Really liked the acting. I liked the personality of the people and how they took time to explain things to us...It was awesome and I loved it. I liked the chicken. It was great."

Lightning Ridge Central School, Lightning Ridge, NSW

"Thankyou for coming to Lightning Ridge Central School. Your interpretation of the text "Schumann the Shoeman" gave our students a different way to "see" the story. Looking at students' faces I saw that they enjoyed the performance and the audience participation brought a different pace to keep students interested. All good! Thankyou."

Mt Macedon Primary School, Mt Macedon, VIC

"Great show. All the children were engaged. Plenty of audience participation…Great enthusiasm, excellent costumes and props. Sound excellent…Wonderful show, the kids were all eager to participate. Interesting characters...All were thoroughly engrossed and enthralled. Loved the hidden meaning regarding "always be yourself"....Great fun. Showed the story really well. Children really enjoyed it."

Lake Cargelligo Central School, Lake Cargelligo, NSW

"The show was highly enjoyable and engaging for staff and students. It was well received by all who attended. The costumes and props were great and the performers knew how to engage children. The audience involvement was excellent. Thank you for an enjoyable show. We look forward to next year."

St Catherine's School, Toorak, VIC

"Year 4 students enjoyed the performance greatly. They particularly liked the story you had chosen. They enjoyed the music and thought it was terrific entertainment. I loved the simplicity of your show - no need for amazing props - your performance carried the show...The performance was fantastic. The girls were captured from the moment it began. It was fantastic having the explanation about the book and questions at the end of the play. Well done, it was an amazing performance...The production was highly relevant to our work in classroom about energy and environment. The students really enjoyed the simple use of props, the pace of the play and the audience involvement! You were able to bring the book alive and even 'move' the audience with the poignant life and death of Schumann. The session afterwards was so valuable, I thought it was fabulous that you did not rush the girls' questions and took time to really listen to them. Thanks for a very special afternoon."

Telegraph Point Public School, Telegraph Point, NSW

"Students K-6 from our school attended the performance and all were engaged and appeared to enjoy it thoroughly. Variety of mime, music, dance, puppetry and reference to the text maintained student focus. Segments of student involvement were great - particularly the fashion parade. Underlying themes of quality workmanship vs mass production and profits and environmental degradation, also the place for individual creativity were all treated beautifully. A very lively, professional presentation!"

Cambewarra Primary School, Cambewarra, NSW

"Entertaining, professional, nice moral included, pitched at a good level, appreciated audience involvement, enjoyed the "talking about drama" how-to for the kids.  Great tie-in to Book Week and show how to dramatize from a book. Students were engaged and interested. Thanks. Will keep you in mind for next year or the year after."

Holy Spirit Primary School, Carnes Hill, NSW

"Very entertaining. All the children were engaged. I thought it was great using the children in the performance…Very professional presentation. Well sequenced. Very creative…Catering for all levels - including adults!...Great expression. Clever props and very engaging. Thanks!...It was fantastic!...Great, sensational. The experience of live performance is priceless. The intimacy of the setting allowed the students to feel as though they were part of the performance... Singing, dancing and constant change of clothing was very entertaining...A great show - I could just see the excitement and joy on the children's faces. Thanks for bringing books to life!"

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"Matty Forever" 2010

All Saints Grammar School, Belmore, NSW

"Songs incorporated enhanced the story. Student questions were answered exceptionally well...(the) performers explained (the) behind the scene workings."

St MacArtans Primary School, Mornington. VIC

"Great performance. Excellent story telling that engaged the children with a variety of speech and song. Great story with a great moral...Enjoyed it very much ...Another fantastic performance, a very good book choice...Great book choice with themes that were relevant to the year group. Excellent story telling which engaged students...Great performance. The story was a good choice as the children could relate very well to it, Thank you...What a fantastic storyline to explore with the children. It really touched in on social and emotional learning and different issues facing many children today. A great story to explore further with our students. Thank you."

Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill, VIC

"A fantastic production! An insightful, sensitive interpretation of the story which connected with our students. Themes of friendship, trust and loyalty were conveyed so well via wonderful characterisation and excellent props, costumes and music. Opportunities for interaction with performers provided students with many ideas, encouragement and motivation to develop their own creative talents. Well done Tony! We look forward to seeing you in 2011."

St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie, NSW

"The presentation was excellent. The verbal, visual and imagery was fantastic. The story was told in a way that it could be used in many ways in the future. A good example of recounting a story, book reviews, visual imagery (and) using adjectives to give the reader a picture of the story. The students really enjoyed the presentation."

Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Shepparton, VIC

"Thank you....what an entertaining afternoon the Matty Forever session was...The kids loved it.  I thought the conversation at the end was great: (it) expand(ed) the kids understanding of issues covered in the book….Thanks again - fantastic performance!!"

Bungendore Primary School, Bungendore, NSW

"Children thoroughly enjoyed the show. The question time at the end was particularly good. The kids loved it!"

Richmond Primary School, Richmond, VIC

"Fantastic interaction with the audience!...The actors were wonderful. Their enthusiasm and energy were engaging and entertaining for the students…Brilliant story told through an energetic and exciting performance…Excellent to go over important issues/concepts from the story after the performance...Kids were captivated. Really enjoyable!"

Gilmore Girls College, Footscray, VIC

Greater Taree City Library, Taree, NSW

"Engaging actors, wonderful that it doesn't cost anything. Children can just enjoy the experience. Well worth the visit...Very entertaining, audience was captivated!...Maintained audience engagement without all the accessories.  Well done, as it ensured students were focused on the story and message."

Manning Gardens Public School, Taree, NSW

"Exciting and very entertaining!...Children could relate to story previously read to them - came to life well.  Great acting and it captured their imagination....The changes within the show keep the children's interest."

Tinonee Public School, Tinonee, NSW

"Maintained audience attention; entertaining...Excellent presentation - addressed many issues relevant to children of grade 3-6 age.  They were totally enthralled.  Well done."

Taree West Public School, Taree, NSW

"Very entertaining.  Easy for students to relate to.  Providing lots of opportunities for follow-up discussion of issues."

Manning Valley Anglican College, Cundletown, NSW

"Very good! A great way to cover some difficult issues faced by children this age...Kept the children interested...Highly entertaining and fully engaging."

East Maitland Public School, East Maitland, NSW

"Amazingly the production covered the whole story of Matty Forever. The two actors developed well the characters in the book. The students' attention didn't waver throughout the performance. They were totally involved. Stage, props, costumes, music all added to a wonderful performance. Such a great book - a brilliant adaptation. Thank you."

Mansfield Public School, Mansfield, QLD

"This show was a good experience for children. It was fast-paced and entertaining and followed the book well so children could easily identify with the story. The characters were realistic with great and suitable costumes and wigs. The use of puppets to introduce the characters showed children how they could do this in their own plays. The characters made great use of the performance space and hopefully children will do the same. The discussion at the end was beneficial."

Cecil Hills High School, Cecil Hills, NSW

"Thank you very much. The acting was great and very demanding physically. Loved the songs and Isabelle's character. Bill and Matty were presented just as they are in the book."

Holy Spirit Primary School, Carnes Hill, NSW

"The play related really well to issues and concerns that children in Yrs 5 & 6 deal with.  It was good for the children to see how a problem that the character faced could be resolved, i.e., demonstrating conflict resolution skills (integrating well with curriculum/programs taught in class)...Very appropriate for the age group as they children were very engaged and attentive...Great performance! Well done."

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"Nobody Owns the Moon" 2009

Tohby Riddle, Author & illustrator of "Nobody Owns the Moon"

“Tony - it's wonderful! Funny, moving and really entertaining. I so appreciate how you "get" my books and pick up on details others might miss. Humphrey heads sound great - and right! Can't wait to see it. Good luck with it - have fun - and hope it's a huge hit for you….. I enjoyed it! Congratulations to you and your actors. I thought the actors were really good - funny and lively and kid-friendly - and I was impressed with your various solutions for staging: loved the dancing bear, the lights, the dress-circle seating for Humphrey and Clive during the 'play', and the factory scene. I also appreciated that you picked up on things like the Latin phrase and Walt Whitman's poetry - nice touches.... Hi Tony, I heard many good reports from people I know who made it to the Nobody Owns the Moon school holiday shows (in Penrith, Ryde, Bondi Junction and more). Congratulations to you and your actors…. Cheers, Tohby.”

Tasman District School, Nubeena, TAS

"Hi Tony, Thanks for sending these (lesson plans) to me as we'll use them for follow up activities. The performance was great.  The children and staff really enjoyed it and you could see that the variety of entertainment really engaged the children and they were all eager to participate and interact with the excellent performers."

Berwick Lodge Primary School, Berwick, VIC

"Hi Tony. Many Thanks for the great day. The kids loved it!.... Both performers were excellent and enthusiastic... Good to see the performers got the children and teachers involved out of the audience."

St Mary's School, Alexandra, VIC

"The actors retold the story accurately, as well as adding extra elements to add interest. The actors also engaged the audience by asking for volunteers from the audience."

Lightning Ridge School, NSW

 “Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic. It was so good to see the students, some for the first time, experience live theatre. Thank you so much for including us in your program. We will be booking with you again… Performers were easy to deal with – set up, etc... and friendly nice people”

Araluen Primary School, Sale, VIC
"The junior performance was very engaging. We thought you had chosen a very difficult book to interpret but you made it come alive. Performers did a great job… We will try to get a few local rural schools to book next year at the same time as us.”

Blighty Public School, ACT

"We thoroughly enjoyed the show. I'm sure the tour will be a great success."

Sassafras Primary School, Mt Dandenong, VIC

 “The performance was very good. It engaged the children and gave them the sense of fun that the performers were trying to convey. Thank you.”

The Patch Primary School, The Patch, VIC

"The children really enjoyed the humour and the puppets in particular. As a teacher I liked that you choose a story with a particular message and that you incorporated the actual book into the play. I also liked the audience participation and how you kept the children engaged before and after the show."

Narre Warren North Primary School, Narre Warren North, VIC

"Fantastic performance. Thoroughly enjoyed by all children. Story well captured and understood. Very entertaining. Very suitable for grade 3-5... A worthwhile experience of live theatre for the children."

Good Shepherd Primary School, Amaroo, ACT

"What a wonderful play! Both Jackie and Andrew were wonderful with the children. They held their attention and involved them with their actions and facial expressions. The staff loved the show and enjoyed the adult humour which was included. The children are still talking about the play and the ‘best bits’ whenever they see me (10 days later). Congratulations on a wonderful adaption of the book!"

St James Catholic School, Yamba, NSW

"An excellent show that was enjoyed by ALL students and adults. The play captured the moral of the story very well and the variety of props and characters added to the performance. The performers were excellent and were enthusiastic and highly capable; interacted wonderfully with the students and were very entertaining. Yet again this was a wonderful performance by 'Tony Bones' and I’m sure we will book again next year... Good value for money, very entertaining and well suited to primary students. Interaction great! Great show. Well done!... Excellent – great discussion afterwards... very entertaining – a lot of variety... Great lead in to the performance. Very entertaining. Wonderful use of simple props. Humour just LOVED by children. Tremendous crowd participation. Great singing and acting. Thank you".

Woodburn Public School, Woodburn, NSW

"A very good performance that was well received by both staff and students. It is good for our students to be exposed to singing, dancing, puppets and the variety of props... and that we were able to relate it to Book Week activities was a real bonus... Great performance. Comedy relevant to both teachers and students. Well presented with great props and music. Actors gad clear voices and are great singers.... A great show. My class is still talking about it today. I’d like to commend the actors on their performance... A wonderful experience – entertaining for both students and staff. A great release of endorphins. The kids are looking forward to next year".

St Joseph's Primary School, Wonthaggi, VIC

"Excellent performance – very engaging and entertaining... Lots of laughs from the children and plenty of audience participation... Great effort! Very talented performers and entertaining. Well done!"

Nulkaba Public School, Nulkaba, NSW

"Thank you for a great show! The book was brought to life in a fun and entertaining way and the children really enjoyed it... Excellent show! Presenters were fantastic. Very enthusiastic. Students really enjoyed the show... Totally engaged the students and made a real connection to the story line... Absolutely fabulous! Feel that your additions re songs, etc actually made the story easier to understand!”

MacArtan's Primary School, Mornington, VIC

"Nobody Owns the Moon performance was a great success with Year 3 and 4 students. They loved the silliness of mixed-up words, the ninja turtles and hats thrown in the air.... (the children) thought the music, songs and interactive bits made the story more enjoyable".

Wattle Park Primary School, Burwood, VIC

"A fantastic show which was an excellent, very entertaining celebration of the story. All audience fully engaged - teacher and students alike. Major theme and message of the story clearly explained! Fantastic!!!... A great interpretation of this book. I wondered what this play would be about for 50 minutes. It was fun, entertaining and really passed on the message of this book beautifully. A great celebration of Book Week. Thanks!”

Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill, VIC

"Outstanding introduction! The kids love the hats! Great little ‘celebration’ song and book intro. Fun, catchy songs and actions. Very humorous script. Great characters, costumes and special effects. The involvement of the students on stage was excellent. It made the whole experience more real and lots more fun. The perfect way to kick off our Book Week experience! Thank you."

St Catherine's School, Barbreck Junior Campus, Toorak, VIC

"Bringing to life the book "Nobody Owns the Moon", was done in a very creative way. The girls loved the different mediums of puppets and voice overs to enrich the story. I was teaching Year 3 that day and they were very excited that the children became part of the production. A very clear production. Well done... The student involvement was excellent. It was engaging and funny. Provides the students with another avenue on how to enjoy books. The acting and singing was super!"

Andrew Wright, Public Show, VIC

"Hi Tony, I am writing to convey my appreciation and the enjoyment we received, on the weekend. My wife Fiona and I together with our children James 9, Lily 7, Anna 3, went to see the Friendly Fox on Saturday morning at Halls Gap... Michael (Fox) and Naomi (Humphrey) put on a great show.... It was a great show and a highlight of our Holidays, I just wanted to convey our appreciation to Michael and Naomi they are both very talented, and we will be watching the Melbourne Child for forthcoming plays."

Mary Geracitano, Public Show, NSW

"Hi There, I was fortunate enough to stumble across a write-up on Kidspot.com.au about the above production and took my three children aged 5 - 9 yo on Wednesday. To ensure they knew the storyline, I borrowed the book from our local library and they have read it (several times over). As a lover of live theatre since high school I thought it would be a nice introduction to live theatre for my children - and I was not disappointed! All three, but especially my 5 yo son were totally and utterly enthralled and haven't stopped speaking about the show. I am sure it has been the highlight of the school holidays for them.  
My son was in stitches of laughter throughout the performance and all three cannot wait to go to another show. Given their 150% enjoyment of the show I felt it fitting to drop a note to encourage you to keep up with these wonderful shows and to pass on my gratitude.Your company, along with Michael and Naomi (Clive & Humphrey) have ignited a new area of thought in my children and I am grateful.  
Again, many thanks, and keep up the wonderful work."

Leanne Micallef, Teacher, NSW

"Hi Tony, I am a teacher / respite coordinator for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Wollongong NSW. On the 3rd of October this year i sent a small group of these children to a play which was organised by your company and put on at Oak Flats neighbourhood centre. I would like to thank your staff for an excellent show and how our children were included in audience participation activities they all had a great time. I would like to be informed of any other local performances which you may have planned for this area as these opportunities are not often available for our access. Is it possible to be included for email contact for any future activities which will tour in the Illawarra region… We were so pleased that we took the chance to turn up to see if tickets were available at the door as the experience was great for our children and we look forward to attending future activities in our region. Regards, Leanne Micallef"

Brooklyn Primary School, Burnie, TAS

“The show brought the book to life and gave depth to our understanding of the story”.

St Mary’s School, Cohuna, VIC

“Kids loved the participation... loved the songs – great music and meaning... Great presentation... Our children don’t get to experience many shows and they love this sort of presentation”.

Caroline Chisholm School, ACT

“Excellent performance kids really engaged... Great show... Enjoyed it very much”.

Duffy Primary School, ACT

“We thought the deep message of the book was a bit beyond the understanding of our kinders when we read it to them. However the play helped convey things more obviously. The children enjoyed the performance... I thought the performance was very entertaining and the kids loved it..... It was great to see the kids get into reading with a book coming alive. The kids loved it... funny, clever, enjoyed by students. They would love to see “Audrey of the Outback’ their next production... The children loved it and said they would like to see more of their productions. Very enjoyable.

Kalinda Primary School, Ringwood

Having the children work in the factory was fantastic. Beautiful backing music. Children engaged by variety of presentation. E.g. singing, dancing bear, involvement in factory, conqueror statue. Loved the vocals and music changes. Very Broadway!!! Great costumes / props very true to text. Really helped children understand Humphrey’s feelings as it was acted out.... Fluent providing a great variety of change in order to maintain engagement and focus of children e.g. sitting, marching, factory scene, individual involvement”.

Mater Dei Catholic Primary School

“Introduction – Celebrate very fun. Captivating. Great way to get children to read. Costumes appropriate. Puppets excellent. Great how picture book is displayed. Music / dance very entertaining. Shadow puppetry – sensational. Props fit in with the story. Thank you for doing a wonderful performance and for letting the children have times to interact with the performance. You must be teachers!! Great mime. Thank you for an entertaining performance”.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, Greystanes, NSW

“An energetic show that involved all the students. It was an incredible learning experience. The actors incorporated original songs, poetry, dance, puppetry, mime, voice overs and jokes with the actual story. From the beginning children were engaged in the story through clever use of props, music and excellent presentation. History and culture were well portrayed through costumes, voices and incredible attention to detail. Tony Bones took the original story and extended it into a terrific stage show.”

Iona Public School, Woodville, NSW

“Both shows! Wonderful! Very professional. You certainly made the books come to life. The children were so engaged and mesmerised by your performance. Thank you”.

North Rocks Public School, NSW

‘Lots of fun and very entertaining. Longest we’ve seen the Principal stay still (as the statue on stage). Fabulous voices! Great singing and acting. Very talented folk”.

Dobroyd Point Public School, NSW

“The children at our school very much enjoyed the performances on Monday.... Once again the children looked for funny bits and silliness when they talked about it. They loved the characters and got a lot out of it. I think the teachers all appreciated the effort that your company had gone to in the show. The actors were excellent. So all in all a great experience and I look forward to hearing about next year’s performances”.

St Therese’s Primary School, Mascot, NSW

“Great use of voices and accents. Children seemed to enjoy props and costumes... Performers got all children involved by asking questions and asking for special helpers... Great involvement of students during the show... Interesting use of a variety of puppets to tell the story... Children certainly enjoyed the performance. Interaction with audience worked well... The performers brought the book alive through their ability, singing and story telling. The children were involved and participated very well. I’m sure they’ll want to read the book again and see the illustrations come alive... The performance was very entertaining. It certainly made the book come alive for the children. The children enjoyed all the signing, dancing and acting. It was amazing how many characters from the book were brought alive. Certainly a great experience!... A fabulous way of bringing the picture book to life for students. We will definitely read the story again. The students enjoyed all the different elements of story telling that were used throughout the performance... A very engaging performance especially for very young students. The songs and singing enhanced the familiar story. It was great to see student and teacher participation throughout the performance.... Great use of song and dance. Good balance of humour and seriousness. Excellent performers. They really brought the book alive!... Thank you for a well prepared version of the book. Props and costumes were simple yet effective. Children seemed to really enjoy it and it was very engaging….”

Ariah Park Central School, NSW

“The performance suited K to 6 students – It displayed different types of puppets ; shadow, hand and stick. It told the story of Nobody Owns the Moon through dance, singing and drama so all the styles of the creative arts were covered. The actors showed the students that costumes do not have to be complicated, by using simple items you can tell your story and show your character. Well done! My students thoroughly enjoyed your show... Performance was lively and entertaining. Students thoroughly enjoyed themselves... As above. Excellent! All students loved it... All students thoroughly enjoyed the performance... As above. The students listened and liked it. I enjoyed it as well (acting and humour)... Students all appeared to enjoy the show. Great suggestion to read the book beforehand. We will work through the suggested worksheets. Thank you.”

Flinders Community College, Tyabb, VIC

‘All teachers were very happy with the performance and thought the children were engaged. I particularly liked how the picture book was read along with / during the performance, as although we had read the book before some kids had forgotten. All teachers indicated they would probably like to have the performance again next year”.

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"Audrey of the Outback " 2009

Christine Harris, Author of "Audrey of the Outback"

"Hi Tony, We went to Auburn today to see Michael and Jacqui's performance, as you probably know. Both David and I thought they worked really hard and they cleverly managed to portray varied characters and be their own roadies! Jacqui was Audrey. She was magnificent, and has such a strong singing voice. My only regret is that 'Mr Akbar' was on stage - channelled by Michael - for such a short time. Thank you very much. ....I think what was included was perfect. It related to the theme and the being a man thing fitted psychologically with the missing Dad and the swaggie. Would have done the same myself. Thanks again, Christine."

Cambridge Primary School, Cambridge, TAS

"Entertaining. Lovely singing. Children enjoyed the different characters and costume changes.... puppet idea was good."

The Patch Primary School, The Patch, VIC

"The children LOVED the show! They were engrossed the whole time. No behaviour issues and no lack in concentration at all (and there were a lot of them in the hall!) The female actor was terrific – she had a huge role and great enthusiasm, etc. Lots of factual info contained in the play as well. Well done!... The Grade 6’s were very impressed with the professionalism of the show. They stated that both the actors were brilliant and the music and singing “sounded like a CD” High praise from Grade 6! From a teacher's perspective the show tied in perfectly with our Australian History Integrated Unit and there was plenty of discussion afterwards about swaggies and the colloquial language of the day. Many thanks for a fantastic show".

St Marys School, Alexandra, VIC

"The kids and I were half way through the book when we saw the play. It was fantastic to see it come to life by people who enjoyed the text so much. It was a professional, entertaining and engaging play. All the kids agreed that Audrey was fantastic and a talented performer. Thank you!"

Kalinda Primary School, Ringwood, VIC

"Very animated. Female lead clear voice, engaging, effective... Great story! We’ll be reading this in class.. Great characters and look at our past history. Good reflection and relating the characters to stereotypes in Australian history / male / female roles. Dramatic play using the junior book awards is an excellent way to bring literature to life."

Nulkaba Public School, Nulkaba, NSW

"Tony Bones was an excellent performance and students were engaged the whole time... Entertaining, engaging performance. Very professional presentation... Wonderful performance!! Energetic and fun. Children really enjoyed the show... Great show! Even though I have read the book I couldn’t tell where events had been left out. The action and flow were seamless from one story section to the next!"

Wattle Park Primary School, Burwood, VIC

"A very entertaining presentation. Thoroughly enjoyed by children and teachers! A great addition to our Book Week celebrations."

Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill, VIC

"The two actors had fantastic energy and enthusiasm. Clear line delivery and a great rapport with the kids. Great characterisation and use of simple props/puppets/sounds effects. Love the 2 songs... An interesting text - great to touch upon Australian history / roots... The discussion at the end was very valuable in linking both play to book and to make it relevant for Book Week activities."

St Therese’s Primary School, Mascot, NSW

“An entertaining adaption of the book. Fun, enthusiastic actors held kids attention from beginning to end.... A simple but highly effective adaption of the book. The children clearly enjoyed the production... Use of lighting and sound for the ‘mothers’ character was different and effective. Enthusiasm of actors was great. Students were interested throughout... A great adaption of the book. The main characters were energetic and enthusiastic. The children were entertained... Good characterisation and involvement / interaction with the students. Very entertaining!... Actors did a great job to keep students entertained. Students clearly enjoyed themselves. Thank you... Held the audience’s attention throughout performance! Simple yet effective use of ‘props’ and stage. Thanks for an entertaining performance!... Very entertaining – many laughs from the children throughout! Good use of different props and ways of presenting. Well done... the children really enjoyed the show. The performers versatility – acting, singing, characters kept their interest throughout. Good fun play and great props too”.

Flinders Christian Community College, Tyabb, VIC

"A thoroughly enjoyable show. I loved the portrayal of all the characters. Amelia was very strong as Audrey and came across as a little girl starting to grow up and ask the difficult questions. Matt was great in all the parts. I enjoyed the costumes and the use of the silhouette puppet and the doll. The music was catchy and the words appropriate. Our children seemed to be engaged in and enjoy the performance. The Grade 4’s seemed most involved and asked most of the questions at the end. Thank you”

Iona Public School, Woodville, NSW

“Both shows! Wonderful! Very professional. You certainly made the books come to life. The children were so engaged and mesmerised by your performance. Thank you”.

Dobroyd Point Public School, NSW

“The children at our school very much enjoyed the performances on Monday.... It was very entertaining. The children loved the dunny being blown up and they loved the characters, particularly Mr Akbar, I think. I thought Dougie was done very well and I liked the way you did the mother. It held their attention right through.... I think the teachers all appreciated the effort that your company had gone to in the show. The actors were excellent. So all in all a great experience and I look forward to hearing about next year’s performances”.

Mater Dei Catholic Primary School, Kooringal, NSW

“Excellent, storyline matched the acting. Great how you discuss the story at the end as a narrative – problems, etc. Excellent exposure for the children to see puppetry, shadow puppetry, etc as drama forms. Great singing. Humorous (we all love to laugh). Entertaining. Clear voices / sound. Able to relate to the age group. Great connection with the children. Use of Australian slang. The play fits in with lots of HSIE units on early Australians”.

Araluen Primary School, Sale, VIC

“A great show. A great book... a true representation of how I interpreted the book. The voices harmonised beautifully”.

St Joseph’s Primary School, Wonthaggi, VIC

“Believable, well characterised. Carried the storylines through very well. Singing was fabulous. Used the stage really well. Creative and inspiring”.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, Greystanes, NSW

“The presentation by the 2 actors was well constructed... the singing was the highlight, particularly the harmonies. The story was faithful to the book”.

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"The Night Garden" 2008/2009

St Mary's Primary School, Hastings, VIC

"We were very pleased with the whole experience of our show. The team were on time and well prepared for the show. They adapted really well to our area that the performance was done in. The children, staff and parents were engaged all the time. The amount of participation was perfect and perfect children chosen.... We were extremely pleased and would have no problems recommending this company to any other groups. The adaption of the story "The Night Garden" was quite amazing as I had no idea how you would interpret it. Great job and on behalf of St Mary's thank you very much".

Kendall Public School, NSW

"Great energy. Kids loved participation opportunities (so did teachers)... Real singing and dancing!!! Not technology based (fantastic). I liked the idea of clapping the book... Fantastic show."

St Joseph's School, Benalla, VIC

"Thanks guys for an absolutely enthralling & thoroughly entertaining rendition of "The Night Garden". It's definitely going to stay with the children as an inspiration to them of what creativity and fun can be had through books. We loved the entertainment for the "grown ups" as well. What a fun & lovely way to finish a school day. Thank you - fun, powerful, professional & inspiring."

Highfields Preparatory & Kindergarten School, Lindfield, NSW

"Energetic, bright, good props / costumes. Clear for children to hear / understand. Children enjoyed participation.... Very good. Thank you. Dancing was great for children to join in with. Thank you very much."

Blighty Public School, ACT

"It was fantastic... Singing and dancing was really good.... Very professional. Great lesson in drama."

Caroline Chisholm School, Chisholm, ACT

"Love your props! Great performance - our kids were really engaged... Staff enjoyed it also. Fabulous! Definitely again! Younger students mesmerised by the singing."

Parkes Shire Library, NSW

"The show brought flat pages to life".  "The show included an educational aspect, that covered Book Week and theatre - not just a simple show".

Lake Cargellico Central School, NSW

"Excellent props. Simple and effective.  Performance flowed well, students were engaged all show.  Songs were well written and performed.  As with last year, students and teachers alike enjoyed the show - see you next year!"

Elise Hurst, Author of "The Night Garden"

“Good luck with this year and thanks again - it was a lovely experience to see my book come to life like that. I hope we all get to work together again…. Thank you so much for the dvd of the show - fantastic!! What a talented bunch you have there. Good luck for this year's show. I hope they're all a sell out"

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Trinity Catholic Primary School, Kemps Creek, NSW

"Puppets as part of backdrop were a great idea - Children were engaged from the first minute when they walked into the room.  Great interpretation of story, humour and deconstruction session.  Children enjoyed "the Knight" garden".  "Children enjoyed wolf howling and judges" .  Tempo was good, great range of jokes appealed because of increased maturity of children".

Barnsley Public School, NSW

"Scene setting had all children connected from start.  Props very effective.  Visual demonstration of drawing on window a good impression.  Musical/singing parts clearly telling story - added to total presentation - messages sung were catchy and repetitive.  Costumes and puppets were great.  Very funny for all ages, even teachers!  Very professional.  Loved Sonya Kruger!"

Somersby Public School, NSW

"Wonderful motivation and audience rapport.  Excellent acting.  Clear diction. Great observation of details in the illustrations in "the Night Garden".  A lot of audience participation.  Many elements of theatre used throughout the performance.  Amazed that you were able to use so much comedy with a book like "The Night Garden".  Fantastic show enjoyed by teachers and students".

St Francis Xavier Primary School, Frankston, VIC

"The performance had the children entertained from the beginning.  Fantastic!  Vibrant! Full of energy! A great show!

Children totally engaged in performance.  Great Songs and adaptation of story with clever props and costumes.  Very enjoyable for teachers as well!  My preps didn't stop smiling!  A perfect balance of narrative, humour, music and dance.  A wonderful performance - a great adaptation of the book!  We were all entertained."

Wattle Park Primary School, Burwood, Vic

"This performance of "The Night Garden" was thoroughly entertaining for both children and adults.  I have never laughed so much at a performance and enjoyed the level of adult humour.  The costumes and set were engaging and the performance overall held the children's attention at all times.  Student participation ensured engagement from the students as well.  Also really enjoyed the innovation of the text ie. the talent show part of the performance.  Well done Tony Bones team!"  "An absolutely fantastic show, which brought the book to life.  The children and staff had a great time and were totally engaged throughout the performance.  Wonderful characters and great balance of singing and action!!  The children loved Sally and the amazing, unstoppable, Strange!! Loved the bush - eat your heart out Priscilla! Enthusiastic, comical, engaging with students and staff, great costumes....Explanation about the book and knowledge about the top list/running of book was simplistic and perfect for kids"

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Watsonia Heights Primary School, Vic

"Fantastic.  It was great with the different characters and voices.  Having opportunities for the children to join in was great also, especially the Preps.  Thankyou!  Great... Good interaction with the children. They really enjoyed it. Really enjoyable.  Children thoroughly entertained and loved the interaction!"

Liebler Yavneh College, Elsternwick, Vic

"Very entertaining show that kept the audiences attention throughout.  Moved from one scene to another smoothly - Varied format to keep audience captivated.  Subtle use of humour - suited to the year level.  Both presenters were dynamic and the audience was wanting to see what was going to happen next.  Had some very strong "messages" within the dialogue about values and relationships".

Donvale Primary School, Vic

"Absolutely fabulous! So much fun and a wonderful interpretation of the story.  The actors were great.  Puppets coincidentally, fitted right into our present unit of work and gave children good ideas".  Fantastic! Very funny!  Lots of humor for the adults.  Fantastic, so funny... I was the one at the back crying with laughter!...  Super show again 'Tony Bones".  Sets a high standard each year, and always delivers a well put together and well rehearsed show.  Great at getting the kids involved, too. 10/10 Congrats!  An excellent production.  Great use of music, dance and puppets.  Appreciated the duel text and use of humour too.... "A really great show! Really brought the story to life through the actions, personality and humour of the central characters.  Fabulous interpretation, the kids adored it, so did the adults!  Great music and humour balance."

Nulkaba Public School, NSW

"Brilliant work.  Thoroughly enjoyed by all! Loved the cat!  Students totally engrossed throughout performance.  They talked about it enthusiastically after the performance.  Exceptional delivery - greatly enjoyed by ESI.  Would appreciate its inclusion in 2009.  Excellent show, children really enjoyed the interaction throughout the performance."

St John Vianney's School, Mulgrave, VIC

"Fantastic! The kids enjoyed the whole show - well done!  The kids laughed their heads off and had a great time! The children thoroughly enjoyed the performance."

St Michael's Lutheran School, Hahndorf, SA

"Talking to teachers and students around the school, the performance was greatly enjoyed by all.  Costumes great, performers very skilled and professional, props, lighting, sound all very professional. Good job."

Marantha Christian School, Doveton Campus, Vic

"The children enjoyed the performance which kept them interested from beginning to end.  The humour captured us as the book was brought to life in an exciting and commendable way!!  Well Done - Andy & Emma. The children enjoyed the performance - much excited giggling at many points through the time of the performance.  The kids wrote about Tony Bones before they came.  It was all very positive in writing and they enjoyed it more when they performed.  Great performance.  Thanks for adapting it for our special needs.  The kids loved it and it certainly held their attention."

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"Amelia Dee & the Peacock Lamp" 2008/2009

Wattle Park Primary School, Burwood, Vic

"Most enjoyable; great characters; simple and effective props... We all thoroughly enjoyed it - (as we have in the past!).  I viewed both shows today.  They were both fantastic and enjoyed by us all.  Both books brought to life by two very talented presenters!  They were very entertaining - we are already looking forward to next year!  I love that we can hear the author's voice through the characters.  The masks and great use of props (such as rubbish bins) was inspiring in creating our own mini productions.  The follow up discussion added extra insight... We all loved it!"

Watsonia Heights Primary School, Vic

"I thoroughly enjoyed the show, as did the students.  It was very funny and we loved the individual characters.  The masks and mannerisms were very entertaining as well as the singing.  Great Show!  This was a fantastic performance. The delivery was spot-on and the character traits were incredibly funny!  So refreshing to see that all age groups (young and old) were catered for.  A sensational show.   I thoroughly enjoyed the change of characters and the simple set.  Andrew, you have a tremendous voice, and are a real talent.  I enjoyed Emma's performance too.  I appreciated the humour that was woven into the show."

Donvale Primary School, Vic

"Enjoyable, entertaining, good variation in production techniques demonstrated.  Children's response was positive....positive experience. Thank you.  Fantastic adaptation, thought it was great to incorporate humour to maintain student interest.  The characters were well developed and the props assisted fantastically in understanding a characters history.  The students gave great feedback and seemed to understand the main concepts. Thanks...Thank you, I thought the show was very entertaining.  My class haven't read the book yet, but it was very easy to follow.  The kids could relate to the humour used and all enjoyed the performance.  Excellent show  We really enjoyed the show, even though we hadn't read the book.  The students now want to read it!  Both actors were very clever.". 

Nulkaba Public School, NSW

"Absolutely Fabulous!  Very entertaining! To have year 5 boys stop me in the playground after seeing "Amelia Dee" wanting to know if Tony Bones is coming next year with looks of great anticipation and remarks of "That was awesome!" says it all!!  It was fantastic!  The kids thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was very amusing, the kids were involved as part of the performance.  A great way to involve the children in the book!!  Students engaged and thoroughly enjoyed show.  I received very positive feedback from my students.  They appreciated the humour and quality of performance."

St John Vianney's School, Vic

"I only saw a small part of the performance but stayed longer than I had to because I was enjoying the performance so much.  I was very impressed by the way you set up and packed up and the way you went about your job with little or no assistance.  A very professional approach!

St Michael's Lutheran School, Hahndorf, SA

"The response from teachers and students was very positive.  Production was very professional.  Comments were made on the excellent singing voices of the actors! Most enjoyable."

Maribyrnong College, VIC

"Students enjoyed the play. They laughed & were engaged. The story was well acted and the play followed the story line of the book closely".

Trinity Catholic Primary School, Kemps Creek, NSW

"I liked that it was true to the story and used many of the same words and Odo Hirsch's style.  Stage, lighting, music was very good.  Children like the puppets.  Children enjoyed - elevator, singing, music, Star Wars, accent, sound effects, acted convincingly, made them laugh!"

Maranatha Christian College, Endeavour Hills, Vic

"Excellent show.  The acting was outstanding.  Followed the book very closely with attention to details.  Held the students' attention the whole time.  Humour was great; I laughed as much as the children.  Accents were very clever too.  This was my first "Tony Bones" experience.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The characters were portrayed with humour, the props were simple yet effective, the children's attention was held throughout.  My students particularly enjoyed it when the characters involved the audience.  The props used above the curtain were a hit (the Rulers and Star Wars characters).  The accents were mimicked for the next day by many Grade 4's!   Great show, fantastic acting.  Movement backstage, amazing.  Loved the way you used the space - top, left, right!  Students enjoyed the teacher and one of their own incorporated in the dialogue as well as using the bell and announcements - Fantastic ad lib."

St MacArtan’s Primary School, Mornington, VIC

“Amelia Dee was a really enjoyable play to watch. We liked the relationship between Amelia and the best friend Eugenie. Eugenie was very nosy and the opposite to Amelia but in the end she proved to be a good friend. The play has a happy ending which shows how people can change”.

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"Water Witcher" 2007/2008

From the author Jan Omerod

" Dear Tony,... thank you for the DVD of your delightful performance of Water Witcher. I enjoyed it a lot, thought you expanded it cleverly and thoughtfully, and I LOVE your long legged silly walks! Well done, and thanks again. Very best, Jan"

Flemington Primary School, VIC

“Performance was fantastic! Children were engaged throughout the show...Both my class and I loved the performance. I liked how you pointed out to the students that it is okay for a boy to act the part of a girl and vice-versa. Great story, acting and songs to match. 10/10 for a great performance.”

Westmeadows Primary School, VIC

“Kids loved the show. Getting them moving kept them all interested in story...Great show – lots of interest for the children. Terrific incorporation of the story line and music...Fast moving, enjoyable show. The story chosen was appropriate to Australia’s present water situation.”

The Scotts School, Bathurst, NSW

“The concert was great. The students were completely engaged from Kinder to Year 4. The actors did bring the book alive and it was clever how musical songs were written into the story. Great use of the book in the drama to draw on the students’ previous learning.”

St Francis Xavier, Frankston, VIC

“Very well put together – funny and entertaining.”

St MacArtan's’s Primary School, VIC

“The children were fully engaged in what was happening. It was a delight to watch the various expressions on the children’s faces. The performers did an excellent job, always talking to the audience as well as including them during performance. Clear articulation and good costumes...Excellent show. Meaning behind the story clearly conveyed. Props, costumes good. Children engaged well with story line – post-play discussion was worthwhile. Children loved the music and comedy...The children thoroughly enjoyed the show. The music was superb and the choreography spot on. Children were entertained and learnt some important things about saving water as well. Well done and thank you...Fantastic! Great level of energy. Nice and colourful and the students were engaged for the whole time. Great discussion about drought at the end...I loved it. It was great seeing the story come ‘alive’. I loved the harmonies (great voices) and the dances. You certainly pour your hearts and souls into it. Also loved the humour. The kids? They loved it too!”

Donvale Primary School, VIC

“Loved the musical aspect. Added depth and loved the volume – loud, to keep the kids interested. Costumes were great. Was great how you involved crowd and came into audience, kept them alert. Creative, funny and fantastic performance. A great way to explore such a fabulous story. Good re-cap on the book at question time...Was a great performance. Very engaging. The kids seemed happy. Getting them involved was good...Kids loved the suspense at the beginning. Children were very engaged throughout the entire performance. Songs are great! Choreography great too! Costumes were great and simple. Dream sequence was fabulous! Dougie was excellent. Digging sketch great! Involvement of kids with actions was AWESOME! Very nice ending...Great intro – got attention, fun, children loved it. Songs were great. Audience participation was good – children loved that (me too!). LOVED that chook costume!! Great fun and energy. Loved the adaptation. Great choice of book – topical issue as well as one that affects us all. I love the family aspect too – how families help each other. I really liked the re-cap of the book at the end – beginning, middle and end (what we concentrate on in class) Great rapport with the audience. Question time was really well done too. Thanks a lot – we had a great time.”

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Mt Pleasant Primary School, Ballarat, VIC

“Fantastic. Awesome. Entertaining. Totally engaging. Thought provoking...Children loved it (so did teachers!). Very funny. Stimulated much discussion comparing book to performance...Wonderful show. Engagement of the children was excellent, especially pre-show. Promoted excellent discussion about issues...Tony’s shows are always fantastic. The reach across the ages so that everyone enjoys themselves...Each year the performance is dynamic, all-engrossing and the children leave wanting more and feeling great about things!”

St Catherine’s College, Toorak, VIC

“This was a fantastic production – perfect for the age group! I really liked the way reference was made regularly to the book, and the simple ways in which the book was acted out/portrayed. Discussion at the end of the show was fantastic – the best I have seen! It maintained the focus on the book, highlighting the main features. The Year 2 students loved this production, and I thought it was a very worthwhile presentation. Thank you so much...I loved it! It was very relevant, funny, informative and age-appropriate. Excellent, A+”

Glen Katherine Primary School, Eltham, VIC

"Great way to bring the book alive. A lesson in history, literacy and drama. So practical...Great! Discussion afterwards was valuable – just planned my literacy and art lesson for Wednesday...Fantastic book and relevant. Discussion afterward was wonderful too!...Fantastic show – very educational and enjoyable.”

Abbotsford Primary School, VIC

“Fantastic performance as usual. Kids loved it. Great songs – children engaged the whole time. Talking about it the next day. Most suitable for all ages. Very professional. Good extension i.e. comments re: water saving etc. Holistic performance. Topical. A complete package – dance, music, action etc.”

Frankston Library, VIC

“This show was just fantastic! Very interactive and the music/songs were great – thank you very much...Another excellent performance...Water Witcher - a very worthwhile and educational event.”

Thomastown Primary School, VIC

“A worthwhile performance. The children really enjoyed it and learnt important issues to do with drought! A fantastic performance enjoyed by all...Great performance – students really enjoyed it. Follow-up activities were great!!...Very well performed! Definitely a worthwhile activity!...A great performance – children really enjoyed it and were very eager to talk about it after – we talked about how we could act stories out...Fantastic presentation Tony and Girls. Positive feedback from all concerned. The students in particular loved it. Keep up the great work.”

Corpus Christi Primary School, Cranebrook, NSW

"Both the children and the staff all seemed to enjoy the show. The entertainers were very professional and obviously enjoy what they’re doing...Thanks. The children really enjoyed the show...The show was very entertaining and the children love the songs and actions...Very entertaining. Full of energy. Suited the children. It brought the book to life – thank you...Fantastic. All children enjoyed the show. Enjoyed being able to dance and move around.”

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Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill Campus, VIC

“Appreciated the variety of the performance (story, drama, dance and song). Costumes were well done and explanations at the beginning and end. Also good to have questions at the end. The students were totally absorbed in the performance – very creative. Many thanks. Come again!...The performance was outstanding. The children were so engaged and gauged very well for a young audience. It was really good that the children were involved also. Thank you! Looking forward to your next performance...Absolutely fantastic! The children and I were thoroughly entertained!! We all loved it – so appropriate for young children – lots of movement, variety and songs. Well done, and thanks!...Fabulous. Very engaging and thoroughly well-organised! Would love them to come back...Absolutely outstanding! The standard of performance (acting and singing) was superb and at times very moving. This was a wonderful medium to experience books, drama and music in a live performance. Exactly what we wanted. Thank you!...This is the first time I’ve seen such a production and it was fabulous. Recently, I’ve been taking more interest in children’s books and the possibilities of making them ‘singable’ so this was exactly what I needed! All students were engaged for the entire duration and I could see that they thoroughly enjoyed it too.”

Amsleigh Park Primary School

“Fantastic! Thoroughly enjoyable for both teachers and children. Gave valuable insight to plight of farmers dealing with the drought. Linked beautifully with the Prep classes and German as we are studying ‘The Farm and the needs of Living Things’. The junior grades were engaged and follow-up discussions and activities in class revealed they had absorbed lots and enjoyed the performance. All actors looked like they enjoyed the experience too. Thanks for an enjoyable and valuable performance.”

Overnewton College, Keilor Campus, VIC

“You made the book come alive in a most entertaining manner – it was wonderful! I liked the simplicity of the set and props; it has inspired me to try something similar with children. The question and answer session at the end was not only informative, but extremely well stage-managed. THANK YOU for a truly memorable experience!”

Naranga School, Frankston, VIC

“The performance had something for everyone. Students were captivated with the story and enjoyed participating. Students were informed and entertained. Story was brought to life through catchy songs and costume. Teachers were pleased with the performance and we are happy to have you back next year.”

Woodleigh School, Junior Campus, Frankston, VIC

“The teachers were very impressed by the groups’ performance. They were pleased with the content and thought that the show was very professional. Really liked the Q and A time at the end.”

Nulkaba Public School, NSW

“Fantastic clear presentation of concepts. Loved the presentation of how drama/casting/sets created. Loved the reinforcing of ideas...Brought back lots of childhood memories – of life in a farming district – and water diviners...Outstanding responses from class (drawings etc.) - result of fantastic show...Excellent performance – kept all children absolutely mesmerized. Great incidental learning throughout. Followed literacy terms and structures that children use...Absolutely brilliant! Excellent acting, singing and dancing. Relevant message...Excellent! Children were enthralled the whole time. Very suited to this age group...Amazing! The kids were enthralled and the links to English syllabus were superb – fantastic!...Very entertaining. Children enjoyed it...Very professional presentation. Fantastic...Excellent. Kids got a lot out of it!”

Kew Primary School, Victoria

“We read ‘Water Witcher’ again today - the day after the show, and saw it so differently to the first time we read it.  A huge discussion around the sisters and how they were funny - yet what they were doing wasn't funny at all - it was teasing/bullying Dougie (cheap humour).  Kids absolutely loved the show… They thought the costumes were realistic and they really felt a sense of dryness on the farm.”

Albert Park Library, Victoria

"Very professional! Kept kids' interest throughout show. Many favourable comments!"

Ringwood Heights Primary School, Victoria

"Thanks for last week's performances. Our staff and students loved them. Our older kids have seen your shows now since their Prep years and have learnt so much about the nature of performance as a means of story telling. The question time for all groups is really valuable.   Could you please book us a time for 2008."

Comments from schools in the Wallsend area, NSW

“What an absolutely fabulous show! Congratulations on producing such a professional piece of theatre. Staff and students alike were involved, laughing and mesmerized!”

Araluen Primary School, VIC

“Can I say how well you guys presented the book plays last year. We saw the Water Witcher and the play was both funny and sad and adults and children enjoyed it equally well”.

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"Being Bee" 2007/2008

Flemington Primary School, VIC

“Very enjoyable. Very good performance. Professionally presented and pertinent to certain students living/family situations. The number of tears in the audience was an indication of how well the story touched the students. Students were very engaged...All comments from the children were positive. Students were excited by the characters and were keen to discuss the relationships acted out between each character. Some students were obviously touched by the emotions openly displayed by each of the characters. The visit by Tony Bones Entertainment was timely, as our unit of study this term (3) is theatre.”

Kalinda Primary, Ringwood, VIC

“Really enjoyed the show. Was clear in its representation of some confronting issues. Really enjoyed the duet between the girls. Liked the break-down at the end...Allows us to enter into the issues that every child faces, we read the book and had a fantastic discussion above family structure...The characters had heart and cleverly avoided stereotype but were still clear and “simple” to understand...Great to see dramatization after we had read the book. Wonderful light and shade to engage students. Explanation at end most helpful to understandings.”

St MacArtan’s Primary School, VIC

“Excellent story-telling! I was really enthralled as were the students. Very age-appropriate and relating well to their experiences of families. Students who are in this very position were glowing with the links you make to their situations...Excellent play that captured the attention of the students and told the story very well. The chance for the children to ask questions was also worthwhile and added to the experience...An excellent play that covers many themes. The characters of the story were played/portrayed extremely well. The play generated excellent classroom discussion afterwards. Thank you.”

Glen Katherine Primary School, Eltham, VIC

"Student comment: ‘Your play was amazing! You were amazing! Have you ever thought of going on Australian Idol? You are really good singers.’ Well presented and covered issues sensitively...Fabulous! The play was really good because it showed that everybody has problems of their own. The singing was great and everybody thought ‘Sally’ was funny!...Enjoyed by all. Dealt with real life issues, humourous and great acting...Enjoyed by the whole grade. Harley portrayed really well. The content in the play was relevant to this age group...Some really important issues that our students have to deal with involving families. Children really enjoyed the book and also the portrayal of Harley.”

Greenacre Public School, NSW

"The play was very well done, particularly the balance between the spoken script and song. The message of the book was communicated clearly in a manner that all students could identify with. Giving the students an opportunity to ask questions was fantastic as it allowed them to not only better understand the story, but also the process of how a play is put together...Good interpretation of the text. Songs worked well to break up play.”

Glen Eira College, VIC

“The play explored the themes of grief and mental illness in a light and highly sympathetic manner. The actors were flexible and funny and the students enjoyed the performance. The play was spiced up with entertaining musical items. The actors studied well mannerisms and language of high-school students...Pacy, fast, visually entertaining. Great character performances...Great acting with minimal props. I enjoyed the character portrayals and the singing was fabulous...Excellent transition from character to character, engaging. Well done...Well performed and engaging, good coverage of the issues involved in the story line”

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Caulfield Grammar School, Wheelers Hill Campus, VIC

“This is the fifth year I have seen Tony Bones at various schools and as always, loved it! Both performances were of outstanding quality with brilliant acting and a purposeful message. I appreciate the value in questioning/reflective time at the end and love how my drama students have picked up on some of your theory about characterisation and prop use. Keep up the amazing work and can’t wait to see next year!”

Woodleigh School, Junior Campus, Frankston, VIC

"You handled the issues in the book sensitively and appropriately for the age level. I really think that the children valued the debriefing at the end and again appreciated the Q and A time. Prompted interesting discussion in the classroom. Loved the costumes and the music.”

Westmeadows Primary School, VIC

“Very relevant to family life issues. Children all enjoyed it. Acting and singing was excellent...Some deeper thinking issues dealt with that would be relevant to a number of children. Also many of those themes link well with our ‘Bounce Back’ topics. Good mixture of emotions...Tremendous energy from all actors. Singing was fabulous – really strong voices…Well done!”

Kilbreda College, Mentone, VIC

 “Congratulations and thank you for an entertaining and thought-provoking performance. The feedback from the Year 7 girls was overwhelmingly positive and reflected their enjoyment and involvement in the show. The characters were portrayed strongly and the girls could relate to many of the issues explored in the text. The performance was amusing but sensitive and achieved a great balance. The theme of relationships can be both simple and complex and the students were able to discuss the many and varied friendships that they have with others. Most impressive was the inclusion of the mental health issue. This challenged many of the girls and they identified with some of the problems that can arise when people avoid situations. Many of the girls have been motivated to read the novel and it is fabulous to see the non-readers showing an interest in a particular book. We all loved the energy created by the characters and the combination of dialogue and singing worked effectively. In their Drama classes the girls have been working with minimum props and the concept of playing a variety of characters. Therefore your performance satisfied the VELS interdisciplinary component. Thank you – we all appreciated your work.”

Flinders Christian College, Tyabb,VIC

“I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The balance between humour and drama was excellent. The actors, costumes and sets were great. I enjoyed the way the actors involved the audience. The introduction of songs was an enjoyable surprise. I had read the novel but the production made me focus more clearly on the major themes. I thought Tony was excellent in his discussion of these themes at the end of the performance. He involved the children effortlessly. The College appreciated your sensitivity to the Christian school ethos in the presentation and follow-up discussion. The teams’ setting up and dismantling was very smooth and made it easy for the teachers. The sound microphones were great...The plot was very relevant to today’s society and the values taught were sound. A job well done!”

“The play was very professional and age-appropriate. The ideas presented in the performance are very real in some of our students’ lives. The students understood the content of the play and were able to join in discussion when returning to the classroom. All actors were professional and showed professional understanding of learning outcomes. The students are keen to see another Tony Bones production.”

“Thanks for such a great production. My class and I were really excited to discuss the story when we get back to class. We also discussed the issues raised especially about treating others the way we should. The variation in the production was great. We were impressed by the excellent standard and the professionalism of all the players. The girls’ voices were amazing. The kids said they should try out for “Idol”. Well done and thanks”

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Kew Primary School, Victoria

“The short time spent after the performance talking about the many themes was great - it helped the kids to think about mental illness in our community which was wonderful.  I even heard from a Grade 3 (who had a Grade 6 sibling) that the book was about people with schizophrenia!  Amazing what kids pick to take away from a play and talk about at home!”

Ringwood Heights Primary School, Victoria

“Thanks for last week's performances. Our staff and students loved them. Our older kids have seen your shows now since their Prep years and have learnt so much about the nature of performance as a means of story telling. The question time for all groups is really valuable.”

Comments from schools in the Wallsend area, NSW

“This production was excellent. The students were enthralled and totally involved. I felt the issues in the book were much more powerful when seen on stage…Staff were extremely professional and pleasant. Looking forward to hosting you again!”

Araluen PS, Sale, Victoria

“Excellent, excellent, excellent. The look on the children’s faces said it all. The questions they asked showed some depth too. A lot of children connected with the text in a very personal way that they wanted to share, and it was good for them to consider issues from another points of view/s. Acting etc – fantastic. The summary at the end was very effective – made more so by giving children stretching, movement activities first. A very good choice of text. Congratulations. Come again!”

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"Irving The Magician " 2006/2007

Merriwa Central School, NSW

"I’ve had many observations of children’s performances over the years, but none have come close to yours. The whole staff thought the same. It was energetic, professional and extremely humourous. Please come back again"

Dromana Primary School, VIC

"Absolutely sensational!!"

Maranatha Christian College, VIC

"Outstanding performance – I love the way you bring the story to life...  Fabulous, really inspired the children to act using books and things in the environment... a top production... Tony Bones Entertainment = Quality Entertainment! You had a great mix of acting, songs and story that thoroughly entertained both kids and adults. Top Stuff!!... A very talented team."

St Marys Primary School, Swan Hill, VIC

"Excellent show... Another fantastic performance from a top class group. The children were spell bound... Great songs, dances.  Can’t wait to see next years show.... Fantastic the way the children were involved the whole way through the show... Very slick and credible tricks!"

St Margarets Primary School, VIC

"HILARIOUS!...Fantastic, engaging show... Loved the songs!... wonderful!... great fun!!... Children were totally entertained and engaged....thanks for ‘the Magic’ you bought to St Margarets!"

Mt Pleasant Primary School, VIC

"Fantastic!  Fun and interactive, catered for all levels and linked well with the book... Excellent and entertaining for all ages!  What a wonderful way to present a story!... Really enjoyed Tony Bones - would like to see him every year. Really engages the kids... Teachers and children were captivated by the performance."

Wattle Park Primary School ,VIC

"What a fantastic way to bring a book to life! I would recommend ‘Tony Bones’ to other schools. The children loved the show. It is a great way to really get children to look into books.... Great performance"

Doncaster Gardens Primary School, VIC

"Well prepared. Active and energetic - great! Good involvement for one and all... Thank you for a great show and for adapting to our time schedule."

Serpell Primary School, VIC

“An engaging performance of the book and the humour was appropriate for the age group.... Good control over the group throughout the performance. The children were really able to engage... Children enjoyed the humour and understood the story and the messages it contained”.

Lord Mayor John So, City of Melbourne Moomba Waterfest 2007

"Tony Bones - Irving the Magician, Thank you for your dedication and support of Moomba Waterfest 2007"

Michelle Bell, Project Coordinator, Moomba Waterfest 2007

"Dear Tony, Moomba Waterfest 2007 - Thank you! On behalf of the City of Melbourne I would like to thank yourself and Bree for your involvement in the Moomba Waterfest 2007 Children's Garden Program. The return of Moomba Waterfest after the Commonwealth Games was a resounding success - with huge crowds and fantastic media coverage. Melburnians turned out in their thousands to enjoy all of the Moomba activities over the Labour Day long weekend. Each performer bought a unique sound and energy to the festival and as a result we have had exceptional feedback on all areas of the Children's Garden program. Thank you for your performance and we hope you enjoyed the experience of performing at the 2007 Moomba Waterfest! All the best. Yours sincerely, Michelle Bell"

Tohby Riddle - Author & Illustrator "Irving the Magician"

"Dear Tony, Just writing to thank you for sending a DVD of your"Irving the Magician" show. You've done it again! I really enjoyed it - so did my wife, who watched it with me. The script, the songs and the performances were good and funny. And I liked the way you handled the ideas in the book - keeping a nice balance between lively, witty entertainment and sometimes more reflective narrative and meanings in the book. It must have been a challenge, but I think you nailed it and I thought the result was a rich piece of children's theatre. I also appreciated your presentation of the ideas underpinning the book at the end of the show. Very clear and insightful. It was an education for me too. You're doing a great job - I hope it's all going well for you... Best wishes, Tohby Riddle."

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"To The Light" 2006-2007

Testimonial from the author: "Hi Tony, I received the DVD of "To the Light" yesterday and had a look at the two performances last night. Congratulations, you and the team did a great job. Very professional and I'm particularly impressed with your comic timing as an actor and scriptwriter. Well done with the props also. It wasn't an easy task! Hope we can do it all again in future years.   Cheers   Pat Flynn."

"I thought it was fantastic! The children thoroughly enjoyed it and we followed up with discussions in the class about ‘growth’ of character.... A great show. It highlighted the book very well. Good for the kids to see that you don’t need elaborate sets, costumes etc to produce a quality performance.  Definitely book for 2007... Congratulations – they loved it! The post discussion was particularly relevant in ensuring all the ¾’s understood the plots/sub plots.  Thank you for a great show... We enjoyed the book.  The show was great – simple but effective props, great characters & story.  Very enjoyable." WATTLE PARK PS, VIC

"Really funny and entertaining.  Great to see the way the personalities/characters were changed a little from the book.  The Dad was very funny.  Actors were fantastic – loved the 6 pack on Mal.  Bright and entertaining songs, with a great message/connection to the story line  Set was very effective – great waves." ST MARYS PS, SWAN HILL, VIC

"The students were totally engaged in the story.  It was great to observe a creative way of approaching literacy using drama (particularly as I’m a student teacher of Drama).  Really interesting use of simple sets and props.  Loved the idea of the sound track... A well thought out and executed play.  The play captured the imagination and attention of the students even those who have a reputation of having a short attention span... Excellent production with very effective visual (minimal) clues.  Characterization was spot on.  Students were totally engaged and all comments were very positive.  Thank you." GLEN EIRA SECONDARY COLLEGE, VIC

"Excellent – best incursion I’ve seen.  Valuable at several levels. Debriefing at the end really locked in a lot of understandings... Wonderful : one of the best incursions we have had.  I sincerely hope we see you again next year.... Great entertainment for cost.  Advantage of this group is that they are educators and connected at kids level... Fabulous performance! Well worth the money.  Both children and teachers responded with much enthusiasm and praise.  Thanks for the valuable discussion too...A great show.  Good fun and entertaining." MONTROSE PS, VIC

"Excellent themes, very appropriate for our children who are moving to high school.  Fantastic ability to connect with and manage audience.  Question time was great... The children thoroughly enjoyed it as did the teachers.  Actions and expressions of characters were depicted very well.  Props and costumes suited the characters very well.  Followed the novel ‘to a tea’ as we have read it." QUEEN OF PEACE PARISH PS, ALTONA MEADOWS, VIC

"Fantastic effort! There was so much meaning throughout the story line that different personalities of children will get so much out of it.  Lots of discussion and activities will come out of this.  The children could relate so well to the story line  Your enthusiasm was great!"

DROMANA PS, VIC

"This was another great show that held the children’s attention throughout.  The story delivered a strong message of self worth in an amusing but very realistic context.  The characters were easily identifiable with the audience and it was great to see them grow through the story.  The show demonstrated the versatility of the actors and gave the children an enjoyable worthwhile experience.  Thank you" WATSONIA HEIGHTS PS, VIC

"Enjoyed the characters.  Kept children engaged.  Great message, Thanks." KEW PS, VIC

"The performance was excellent – book messages were clear.  Students were engaged at their own level of understanding.  Great to see song being included... Great really hit the spot... The performance was excellent – Presentation, character presentation and messages were all in keeping with the book.  A great time was had by all.  Great for the children to see the story ‘come alive’." ST SCHOLASTICA’S PS, BURWOOD EAST, VIC

"Excellent standard, Kids were enthralled.  Lots of ‘messages’ put across very well.  Great fun.  Great changeover of characters. Big wave was very clever!!  Also paddling on surfboards at beginning – great props." ST JUDES PS, SCORESBY, VIC

"Very engaging and a worthwhile experience, which has initiated much discussion within the class... My class thoroughly enjoyed the performance, particularly the talented actors!!... My grade enjoyed the fact that the show portrayed the story extremely well... An entreating performance, thoroughly enjoyed by all! Thank you" FLEMINGTON PS, VIC

"Thank you for two wonderful performances on ‘Bring a Bloke Day’.  You certainly had all the children and blokes thoroughly engaged by your performances.  Mornington Primary School appreciated and enjoyed your performances." MORNINGTON PS, VIC

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"Our Greatest Australian - Federation / Commonwealth Games Show" 2001/2006

Heathdale Christian College

"The Grade 5's and 6's thought it was "the best excursion ever!"... Parents have already spoken to me about how much Students enjoyed the performance. The Staff were very happy with the learning that was part of your very professional show."

Brentwood Park Primary
"Great - entertaining and educational!... Excellent!... The Children were very engaged. It was a terrific way to integrate history with humour. Audience participation was very successful...Excellent - The children and I really enjoyed it. It provided great stimulus for lots of discussion and follow up work. Thanks for your efforts. Great Voices!... Very Good - It was relevant and understandable for this age group. The kids loved it. Thank you... The Children thoroughly enjoyed the performance. They were very interested to do follow up work and asked if we could have more people like that come and perform"

Templeton Primary
"Talented performance - well pitched at the topic relevance, and the children's level of understanding and humour... Very entertaining. The students enjoyed every minute... Great performance. Very funny and appropriate for the year levels in the audience... Kids loved it and so did the staff. Fitted in well with the unit on Federation"

Millwarra Primary
"Excellent Show. Lots of movement, colour, music. Very funny too... Lots of positives from the children... Well done - most enjoyable"

Colac South West Primary
"Very good content - broadened children's knowledge of some 'famous' Australians - children found it VERY entertaining... FANTASTIC! The children's reaction positive. They loved the characters and music. WELL DONE!!!... Excellent, entertaining, energetic... Terrific, great fun, very educational... It was a great representation of Australian characters, and the children loved it... Fantastic - one of the best performances to come to CSW - Very entertaining and well presented... Great show. The children's reactions and really positive comments after, showed that this was equal to anything that we have had at this school"

Rosewood Downs Primary

"Age appropriate (Years 3-6). Very enjoyable, children responded to the performance and joined in with the songs. Very energetic! Thanks.... Very entertaining. A good introduction for the young children. You kept them involved when they got restless. Tied in well with our Commonwealth Games unit. Fun! Thank you."

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"AT THE BEACH - POSTCARDS FROM CRABBY SPIT " 2005 - 2006

"Very entertaining. Children from prep to Grade 6 thoroughly enjoyed the show (and adults). It was simple and easy to follow. Children knew what kind of things to expect e.g. the bike rider (Roland), writing a postcard, posting it. The involvement of the children was great. They were able to move around and so were not made to sit still for the entire session. Question time was very good: informative and interesting. Tony was able to talk to the children in an easy manner, answering questions in a way that the children could understand. Was well worth having at school. Would book this company again and would recommend them to other schools." - Coimadai Primary

"Very entertaining performance. You certainly brought the book to life. Acting, singing, props all excellent... Great performance - kept all children engaged P-6 (and teachers). Well done... Very energetic. Love the way you involved the children. Great show... Animated performance. Upper students appeared interested... Possibly gave students a focus for their drama sessions? ... The children had a great time and were really engaged. It was great to have children moving about regularly. You really brought the book to life. Well performed... Plenty of energy. Well orchestrated. Very relatable. Very clearly delivered... Your energy was full-on from beginning to end and kept the kids entertained and focussed. Even the Grade 6 boys were doing the sheriff's dance! ... I specifically like the way you spoke to the kids at the end of the performance and related it to them. Makes it relevant... You certainly allowed the children to make "connections" to authentic experiences and the world of the imagination. Thanks, I have picked up some inspirational ideas to add / include when sharing stories / books with the children." - Nichols Point Primary

"Wonderful performance yet again! I really appreciated your adaptation of the book and the excellent staging. Let's hope letter writing is a wonderful spin-off from Book Day reading! ... Well done again! The kids said on their evaluation forms that the best parts were: the 'kissing' scene and the 'Rock Pool' scene. It was so good to see the children's faces as they watched - they were really enjoying it. The audience participation was excellent too. The performance really brings the book to life and enhances the desire to read that book and books in general (which is exactly what we want!). Thank you... Outstanding performances!! Really brought the story and the characters to life. Loved all the levels of humour addressed by the script! ... Always look forward to your visit. Once again, an absolutely magnificent performance!! May God continue to bless your talents in this area." Maranatha Christian School

"Very energetic and fast moving. Involved the students. Colourful and kept children engaged throughout performances. Good how they kept referring to book page. Brought in many environmental elements - pollution, recreation at the beach. I laughed and laughed. Just so well presented for both students and adults. Fantastic. Explanation at the end by Tony was a real benefit - could tell he was very emotive about the book and the subject. Projected voice and interacted with students to give a thorough explanation about the book. Showed props and how they were made and explained they could be made by students themselves... A very worthwhile show. Lots of action for the children. Lots of laughs!! Also educational. Well done! Great end of session interaction with the children." - Cann River Primary

"Excellent - Great to involve the children so much. Explanations of questions very good. Humour related well to year level... Fantastic performance - Children all enjoyed it - great follow up activities - well done... Thanks again for another wonderful performance. All who have attended have been wonderfully entertained" - Swan Hill Primary

"We loved your performance! All students and staff thought it was wonderful. As the children had previously read the book, they were able to identify the characters and scenes. Involvement of the students was great" - Mentone Boy's Grammar

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"Fabulous as always! Loved the songs and humour. Great student involvement. The kids absolutely LOVED it! I also loved the way you explained elements of the story afterwards (i.e.: dreams). Congrats and keep up the great work! ... Every year you put on an outstanding production. The students loved participating and you've encouraged kids to enjoy and read books! ... Great music and beat. Slow-mo part fantastic. Great control of children. I'd love to see the Grade 5/6 production... Fantastic - very interactive, involving children in all aspects of the text. High energy and engaging performance. Music, jokes, opportunity for individual students to perform on stage - excellent!! Too funny and jokes for adults appreciated! ... It was great!! The children were engaged for the whole show and it was very evident how much they enjoyed it. The music, acting, and jokes were fantastic. Looking forward to next year's!!!... Very entertaining! for both the children and adults, fast paced, opportunity for children to join in and a wonderful message of friendship and having fun on holiday... Our class loved it - they had read the story and it was wonderful to see a story transformed into such an entertaining and imaginative show... Congratulations for a fun and interactive show. The children were fully engaged and loved watching, listening, singing and joining in the various activities. The feedback from the children was very positive and they loved the opportunity to focus on their own dreams" - Roberts McCubbin Primary, Box Hill South

"Tony & crew - I thought you were all fantastically brilliant. I had the best laugh plus all the other teachers did too! We were all so entertained for that hour and we all spoke very highly of you. The children were equally entertained and including them in your performance was a great way to keep their attention. They thought you were very funny and animated. The children all had special parts of the story they liked best. Well Tony, we will definitely have you back at our school again - no doubt about that!" - Chelsea Primary

"Congratulations on a great show. Highly entertaining - kept children fascinated. Their laughter and enthusiasm was evident throughout. We raced to the library to get the book straight after the show - the children "argue" over whose turn it is to look at it!! An excellent activity for Book Week as has certainly helped to immerse the children in books. Highly recommended!! Thanks... A joyful experience for both children and teachers. I particularly liked the simplicity of the props and the use of the postcards. Opportunity for children participation was excellent. Congratulations on a great job. I will buy the book for my personal library. P.S. Children enjoyed writing about a shared experience... I thought it was a very novel and enjoyable way of introducing a storybook to the children. They all enjoyed it immensely and wrote at length about it when we returned to school. The acting was very professional and the singing voices were great. On the whole a great effort by all concerned. Would be very interested in seeing next year's performance - You made the book come to life. All the children are anxious to read it now to see the similarities and differences from the performance. Hats off to you all and especially Ange who came in at the last minute - Well done!"- St Peter Apostle School, Hoppers Crossing

"The best children's theatre I've ever seen. I have seen and organised many visiting entertainments and Tony Bones was by far the best. Quality of acting and the effectiveness of their production was perfectly geared to the age groups for which they were arranged.... I was only able to see a little of both performances, but was impressed with the quality of the productions. Children and staff both reported most favourably. We look forward to seeing you in 2006... The show was very bright and exciting... Great loved the dolphins. Very very amusing!! Lots of time to answer questions - good!" Fairfield Primary

"Response from everyone has been very positive. You engaged all of our children and we have some difficult ones. The most popular scene was "the kiss". I like the way you stuck closely to the book - it made it very meaningful for the children. Music - fabulous. A great show, hope we can see you again in the future. Many thanks for working around our timetable." Morang South Primary

"Very funny performance. Children enjoyed and were engaged throughout the session. It was great to involve the children in the performance. Discussion at the end was insightful and encouraged children to develop an understanding of the 'behind the scenes' action of a theatrical performance. A great performance!!!... Children were positive and able to discuss the performance after the show." - Flemington Primary

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"Once again the children were fully engaged. They loved it... I thought it was excellent - funny, creative and I loved the pace! ... Very enjoyable, funny and creative. Great.... Great, entertaining and interactive. Thanks for a well produced show... Well done, the children were really looking forward to the production and I'm sure they weren't disappointed - Great show!... Well done. All of the audience (Prep to 6) were fully entertained... Enjoyed by all! Lots of energy. Thank you... My kids were glued to the show. Well done" - Holy Eucharist Primary, East Malvern

"Excellent to use the characters and postcards from the book. The music was really well done, especially the Rock Pool. Great to have children join in. Good use of humour and "kid" language. You were on time and had really good equipment and props. Very good to have book on display. Good use of Roland Harvey between scenes. Well done." - St John's Primary, Clifton Hill

"Great funny, enlightening, fabulous characters that seem so lively and real. Relating the play to a book gives the production a longer life in children's minds. A great opportunity for country children to experience live theatre. Pink dress was a great touch, many comments afterwards. Great costumes all around. We admire your stamina in doing 3 back to back performances. We appreciate your commitment - trying to adapt to each group." - Alexandra Library

"The whole show was great. The children were very engaged throughout the whole show. The songs were terrific. I loved the way you included the children. The children loved the show and definitely got the 3 messages from the book, as you discussed at the end. Thanks for a top show. Hope to see you back next year. (I thought last year was good but this show was even better!)" - St Mary's Primary, Swan Hill

"Extremely entertaining and wonderful how the audience was involved throughout the show... Entertainment plus. Kids loved the corny reappearance of the bike, dog, etc. Characterisations were very appropriate - kids identified with them. A very clever dramatisation of the book. You guys always come up with great ideas... Great show that was entertaining, fast moving and visually appealing. The characters were energetic, and the children appreciated the athleticism... Very entertaining and amusing show. Great enthusiasm by the actors. Students loved the dog popping up with the objects that went missing. Terrific show... Excellent performance and good follow up activities provided... Terrific depiction of the "structure" of the book - including the "author" as "character". Difficult to involve the senior primary children, but you managed it beautifully! ... More than just an excellent show of entertainment. The discussion of the book and themes gave teachers and children an extended appreciation of the book" - Watsonia Heights Primary

"The P-4 children and staff thoroughly enjoyed "At The Beach". In fact they are still talking about it. Must have been good as many staff also provided feedback - which certainly says a lot. Thanks once again. I look forward to next year's shows... Really enjoyed the performance. It was very funny. 10/10... Fantastic. The kids loved it and so did I! ... Excellent performance... Congratulations on ensuring children from Prep to Grade 4 were wonderfully engaged. They adored it! ... The children enjoyed the performance, were well engaged and all participated! ... Thoroughly enjoyable - children loved it. So did the teachers... The preps thoroughly "LOVED it". They especially liked the dog puppet. Teachers enjoyed it too! ... Very entertaining for both children and adults. Well done... It was very entertaining for all. Fantastic!" - Wattle Park Primary

Doncaster Gardens Primary School, VIC

“Great show. Great energy.... Excellent organisation. Well thought out”.

Sassafras Primary School, VIC

“I thought the play was lots of fun and very good to cater for such a wide age group. Everyone including the adults had a fantastic time. Thank you very much... A great production. You kept the children engaged and the humour was well received. Well done... Well done for keeping such a wide age range interested and laughing. Also enjoyed the look behind the scenes at the how to of the performance... Once again a great performance. All the children enjoyed the performance, even the grown-ups. Thank you for talking to the children about how they can take on different characters and what they can do. Well done”.

Pyalong Primary School, VIC

“Absolutely love the show. This is the second show I have seen and I can’t wait for the third!!! The students were totally engaged and were involved with the production which will be something they will always remember. The teachers and parents always enjoy the show!!! 10 STARS... Fantastic show. Draws the kids and adults in from the word go. Really funny, engaging and the kids love joining in. Well done!”

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"BILLY MACK'S WAR" 2005 - 2006

"Hi Tony, I received the DVD today and watched it all the way through. I was really impressed with the way you trimmed down the script, and the acting was really good. It's weird watching your own story acted out, and I actually found myself being very moved by the scene with Mrs Teirney in particular. Thanks again for representing my books so well. Cheers". - James Roy, Author, "Billy Mack's War" (TBE also performed James Roy's first installment of this story "Captain Mack" in 2000-2001)

"The best children's theatre I've ever seen. I have seen and organised many visiting entertainments and Tony Bones was by far the best. Quality of acting and the effectiveness of their production was perfectly geared to the age groups for which they were arranged.... A wonder enactment - I've not read the book but was caught up in it. The students loved it too - they don't sit that still for so long if they weren't engaged - well done, keep it up!... I agree with 'above' comment. The songs were great. Really embellished the story.... I was only able to see a little of both performances, but was impressed with the quality of the productions. Children and staff both reported most favourably. We look forward to seeing you in 2006." - Fairfield Primary

"Students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Our students have not had much exposure to drama / live performances, so they were really captivated by the acting and singing. The actors did a fantastic job. The students were amazed that there were only 3 actors playing all those characters! Many of the students are now interested in reading the book, which is great. Many thanks for a great performance." - Simonds Catholic College, West Melbourne

"Another fabulous performance - the first dramatic one I've seen. It was terrific, engaged the children who appeared captivated throughout. You captured the essence of the story well and made us feel a whole gamut of emotions. The scenes you selected to portray were well chosen (the children were happy for the fight scene with Barry!!)... All in all - a wonderful show. Thanks so much.... Thank you all again. Great development evident in your program. Especially the question time. Students appreciate your patience and generosity... Fantastic performance of a very good book. The question time at the end was very useful and allowed students to consider and think about the book and the important parts that make up the story. Fabulous acting, very believable characters. Extremely entertaining. Thanks.... Excellent performance. Dramatic, emotional and intense. Very well choreographed. Explain issues in the book a bit more clearly. Look forward to next year's show! ... Loved the drama of the book... As always a fantastic production... Thanks for bringing alive a book that was difficult for the children of Year 4 to comprehend. The way the children enjoyed the play is a credit to you. A very meaningful insight to history and life for the children. The introduction that Tony gave and the follow up is excellent. It allows the children to reflect on the book and play together... Thank you for such an engaging and enjoyable show. The story line was easy for all the children to understand and each character was portrayed perfectly. It was great that I have read the book to my class as I feel it made it easier for them to follow the story line The costumes, songs, voices were great. I could tell the kids loved it because they were engaged the whole time! Well done for keeping them quiet for an hour. Look forward to seeing you next time! ... Congrats on presenting a wonderful show based on "Billy Mack's War". The story based pre-war was really well structured, with some fantastic acting that was able to captivate the audience. The singing and props complimented the theatre show. It was also great to have a show not based on a picture story book for a change. Well done!"  - Warranwood Primary

"Tony, both performances were fantastic! The grade 5/6's are planning to read "Captain Mack" as a class serial. They were very inspired. ... Thanks once again. I look forward to next year's shows... Enjoyed by all - appropriate for today... We enjoyed the performance... Well done." - Wattle Park Primary

"Children enjoyed characterisation of people in the story, they thought the musical numbers were great. Many are now inspired to read the book. A moving performance.... A great performance" - St Peter Apostle School, Hoppers Crossing

"Staff and students were impressed by the performance. The boys were quite intrigued by the cow. Many said they would have not had any problem killing it. (The guns appealed to quite a few). I suggested that maybe it would have been more difficult than they thought. The boys were amazed at how you managed to have a number of different characters with only 3 cast. Some thought you had more." - Mentone Boy's Grammar

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"Great for children to see a visual representation of the book. Perfect length of time. Crucial scenes were included. Extremely high standard (especially the singing) Fantastic manner during interaction with the children. Once again, brilliant presentation. We look forward to next year's! Thanks heaps." - Roberts McCubbin Primary, Box Hill South

"Very professional and most entertaining. Well organised, well paced. Dramatic. Brave. Follow up questions very useful in relating to the book. The costumes for this show were spot on and created the right atmosphere straight away. It was exceptional to see the depth of drama, the children were initially stunned and a bit embarrassed as they probably hadn't experienced that much emotion in public. Your adaptations of stories into music and drama were fabulous and have given the books new life. We are sure it will start a reading wave." - Alexandra Library

"Great singing and music - very dramatic (i.e. shot the cow). Encouraged you to use your imagination... Enjoyed the songs. Great singing in character" - St Mary's Primary, Swan Hill

"An excellent performance, it really engaged the grade 3/4's attention.... lot's of discussion from the children!" - Flemington Primary

"Grade 5/6's was great for them to see the seriousness of the play. It was very engaging and was a good introduction to theatrical productions" - Chelsea Primary

"Children really enjoyed the show. A lot of the children were moved by certain parts and it led to a really good discussion about war, the Victoria Cross, parents, etc. A great show. Thank you... The children found the story very touching and some nearly cried. They were interested that three people played the parts and props were minimal. The show was very enjoyable. Thanks... Well done! The children were very impressed with the variety of roles played. It really entertained them. A thoroughly enjoyable show. Thanks... Thank you for an interesting and insightful performance. You certainly held the children's interest... Well as you can see your show was a great success. Thank you all for a fantastic morning of entertainment" - St Michael's Grammar, St Kilda.

"Excellent performance. 200 Year 8 students were attentive and entertained while learning something about P.O.W.s in WWII. Performers were set up and ready to start on time. Tony understood the desirability of question time lasting until the time students needed to be dismissed, thereby avoiding a short but potentially difficult time back in the classroom. He kept up the question . answer discussion very well." Whittlesea Secondary

TESTIMONIALS FROM STUDENTS FOR THE PLAY

"It was cool!! I almost cried but it was still cool! ... It was the most interesting I have ever seen!!!... It was very good and interesting. I loved it!!! p.s. I learnt a lot about war... I loved it - good jobs - I like the music! ... I've read "Billy Mack's War" and I really want to read the first (Captain Mack). I thought your play was great, so I really enjoyed it thanks!!!!... I thought it was happy, sad and angry... I liked your show very much, guys and it was great" - Flemington Primary - Grade 3/4

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"MILLI, JACK AND THE DANCING CAT" 2004 - 2005

“A fantastic show, thoroughly enjoyed by students and teachers!…The children loved it and they listened to the message behind the book – ‘Be Yourself’. Very talented group of performers. Great show!”
Swan Hill Primary

“Fantastic full performance. You covered it all… Loved whole package… (You) had them enthralled from the start by ‘over the top’ – ‘kid friendly’ humour and silly, funny stuff they immediately related to…Great partner comedy. Such versatile performers!!... Fantastic voices and characterization…Colourful costumes and props and music. Fun choreography. The book came alive building a colourful set piece by piece. A completely captivating performance”.
Kalinda Primary

“Outstanding for both teachers and children. Totally enjoyed by my whole class. Fantastic. All the different components were excellent and everyone had a great time. Thank you… Loved the combination of storybook, acting, singing, dancing and audience participation. Congratulations on a very uplifting performance”
Mt Pleasant Primary

“Great choice of book to dramatise. It was excellent… Had an important message… The message of ‘You Can Do It!’ was also clear. Terrific!... Wonderful to see the children actively involved… Dancing was lots of fun…Most appropriate performance, obvious by the children’s excitement and involvement throughout the show. Loved the personalities that shone through in this production – the more gregarious ‘Jack’ and the quiet achiever ‘Milli’. Great show, great fun.”
The Peninsula School

“Fantastic, animated performance – the children were entranced from the first moment…you appealed to all age groups.... It is wonderful to see and hear P-6 laughing from their bellies. They just loved it, and I did too! … Excellent! Interesting! Can see you have put a lot of time and effort into your presentation. You enjoy what you’re doing. Keep it up. Really brought the book to life. Great experience to celebrate Book Week.”
St Margaret’s Primary, Maribyrnong

“Fantastic as always. Entertaining for both adults and kids... Very talented couple. Very impressed with the songs. Well done!”
Tylden Primary

 “A show much enjoyed by all the children… they were unanimous in their appreciation of the humour, all finding it interesting as well… Thanks for an enjoyable and worthwhile learning experience.”
St Jude Primary, Scoresby

“Fantastic... I thought it was great. Children loved it – Book again for next year”.
Geelong Grammar, Glamorgan Campus

“Great performance, slick yet interactive. We enjoyed the start and discussed why it was introduced that way making the performance a colourful, surprising event! Both the performances were fabulous. The kids really enjoyed them and have constantly mentioned them in the library”.
Cheltenham Primary School

“Fabulous! The children clearly understood the message of the performance. Their drawings were beautiful and indicated pleasure and understanding. Thanks very much. Excellent. Entertaining. Colourful performance.”
Good Shepherd Lutheran Primary School, Croydon

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“Can I join you? I had a fabulous time and the kids just loved it. Tony’s expressions were just so animated. Casey was delightfully sweet. After the performance the dancing went on and so did the praises for a job well done. I especially appreciated the time you spent explaining and answering the children’s questions. I feel the children did as well. Thank you for your time and again very well done Thank you!”
Western Port Christian College

"Show was great, all children enjoyed it very much. You held their attention for the whole performance."
Craigieburn South Primary School

“Our children really enjoyed the performance. They enjoyed the humour which permeated the whole performance.”
Toolangi Primary School

“A lively performance that did justice to the book!... Great Actors... Was entertaining, moved quickly, kept all the kids entertained.”
Middle King Lake Primary School

“It was magical, colourful and very entertaining. I liked the way the kids were invited to be an active audience from the start... An excellent way to share a story. The amusement of the show kept the students well entertained – the overall effect was terrific. You really brought the book to life.”
Hughesdale Primary School

“Tony and Casey made the story come alive. There was a strong sense of fun and humour. The story was well chosen because of its characters and plot. The underlying message came through. The children gained a huge insight into behind the scenes details in question time as well. A fantastic show!!”
Ringwood Heights Primary School

"Very professionally handled from initial contact through to presentation...Students loved it – evident by their faces. Best part is that the students have extra enthusiasm to borrow from the library."
Glenroy Specialist School

Cranbourne South Primary School, VIC

“What a wonderful experience for children of all ages. You were able to bring the book ‘alive’. One child said they “laughed so hard my tonsils hurt”. You had all the audience in the palm of your hand. They were held captive for all the show. The music, dancing, facial expressions, body movement and interaction with the audience was fabulous. Thank you for a ‘high-class’ valuable experience of real theatre. Well done – musicals are the best!”

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"STELLA BY THE SEA" 2004 - 2005

“Tony Bones brings a professional yet fun approach to the production which balances the serious aspects of the novel really well with the humour of some of the characters. The production is well structured, well produced and well presented and covers music, dialogue and action really well. The following discussion makes the actors even more ‘human’ and ties the work to the book. Really valuable and valued"
Ringwood Heights Primary

"Lots of humour which engaged the children… Great themes about community…An engaging, vibrant production. An outstanding leading lady… Fantastic! Moved along at a great pace. All characters were very good… Question time- great explanations… Fantastic! Very enjoyable for Years 4-6 – funny but also tells a story. The people and format changes hold the audience’s attention...An engaging, vibrant production.”
The Peninsula School

“Students very interested… Audience participation was excellent… Excellent production… Fantastic presentation of book… Worthwhile incursion… Actors relate well with the students… Very professional… Good price… Thank you for a wonderful production”.
Endeavour Hills Campus – Maranatha Christian College

“Engaging performance. Humorous, energetic, entertaining. All students were totally engrossed, even the reluctant ones! Thank you for this positive experience… Very entertaining. Held our attention throughout. Wonderful portrayal of characters. Was inspirational. Great stuff!... Our students were engaged in the fast, energetic performance of “Stella By The Sea”. Very good – the students were very involved... Good interaction – story well suited for age group. The acting talent was very good and it all flowed. Enjoyable performance for both staff and students!”
Glen Eira Secondary College

“Thoroughly enjoyable… Very professional script, props, costumes… Good values teaching through the presentation… Great music… Excellent timing of all aspects. Cast members very much enjoyed what they were doing – It showed. Was able to see last years performance also – Looking forward to 2005”.
Croydon North Primary

“Great delivery - all characters terrific, especially facial movements and acting. Loved movement all around audience area and how some kids were bought into play."
Kalinda Primary School, Ringwood North

"Great show, very good interpretation of the book...Another dynamic performance."
Hughesdale Primary School, VIC

“Excellent production. It was great to see how closely you stuck to the story text, but at the same time bought an extra dimension to it! I loved the way the characters popped in, out and above the action. Actors presented the personalities of the story really well. Engaged the audience and kept them tuned in. Fantastic. Well look forward to having you perform for us again in the future... Great to include the children (they love it). Children love the overacting (especially of the mother and Jeffrey). Humorous characters.... Fantastic entertaining performance...  Actors had excellent rapport with the audience. Great characterisations. Altogether a great production! Good to see the text followed through in such an entertaining presentation! Humour appreciated by the audience. Enjoyed the addition of song into story... Script very similar to text – great! Characters speak very clearly and kept children’s attention for whole duration. Very funny... Professional acting. Appeals to this age group. Most entertaining. Appealed to drama lovers. Helps students appreciate musicals. Songs add variety to the spoken content. Good choice of material – backyard pet theme children can relate to. Good contrast of sound – quiet voices / loud voices, sound effects from P. A. System (microphone) helped for students concentration. Use of space – stage excellent. Variety added by characters performing above the screen. Variety in accents / voices / props.... Inspiration for drama in class... Comedy and music are always good for the students. Audience participation is the best way for an enjoyable show. Most students were able to read the story before viewing the show which made it more effective. The props were very good, music / sound effects were excellent and all actors could be heard easily”.

Narre Warren North Primary School, VIC

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"BEAR AND CHOOK" 2003 - 2004

"Best performance I have seen... The children of all ages enjoyed it... Interaction with children with dancing and singing encouraged participation... Catered for all age groups, including teachers.... Performers just fantastic - so much energy, so clearly presented... Easy to see it was prepared by teachers - so appropriate... Fantastic, lively, informative... very entertaining...... Engaging interpretation of the book... Just wonderful... Will be booking the company again next year."
Wangaratta Primary

"A song, dance and action routine that kept all the children's attention. The audience interaction was great and coming off stage amongst the children as all part of the magic of live performance. Props were good, singing and dancing great and the costumes were excellent."
Murrindindi Library Service

"Enjoyable, fast paced, bright and lively... I was impressed by the amount the children were able to recall, explain and discuss the following day, even some of the smaller parts.... I thought some of it would be 'lost' on these students but was pleasantly surprised."
Milgate Primary School

"Fantastic performance! Witty, lively, interactive. The children were engaged throughout the performance. The laughs and smiles on their faces said it all! Highly recommended for all age groups."
Holy Eucharist Primary

"Racy... entertaining... captured children's attention... changes of pace interested kids... captured children's attention... entertaining songs... children laughed at gags... interaction with audience great for stopping children becoming restless... chance to yell is especially good for older children... Easily interpreted by all ages with simple but effective costuming... Audience participation and movement throughout was well controlled and appreciated. Movement a great idea. Great simple acting that students can emulate....Well structured and pitched for our children (Prep - Year 6)... Excellent idea to involve kids and allow them to wriggle. Followed story and extras were very well suited. Fantastic!!... What more can I say - you were both absolutely brilliant! The children will remember this performance! Thank you!"
Clayton North Primary

"Excellent. Children were enthralled. Enjoyment from start to finish. Quality of songs was excellent."
St Finbar's Primary

"Brilliant, engaging, the children loved Bear and Chook... Just terrific - entertaining, very cleverly constructed, lively and humorous... Very entertaining for both the children and the teachers... You have brought the characters to life... Excellent, humorous, the children loved it!"
Croydon North Primary

"It was fantastic... Very entertaining... Very well acted. Fast and furious performance. Kept children interested and involved... The children loved it as did the teachers... Very dynamic. Question time at the end was valuable and informative."
Watsonia Heights Primary School

"A fabulous show - our children and staff loved your interpretation of Bear and Chook's characters. Lots of action, music, singing and dancing and very creative props made for a fantastic performance."
Ringwood Heights Primary School

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"Great performance once again. Singing was exceptionally good this year. Props were cleverly done... Engaged the children so well. It was great to see them laughing spontaneously... Thanks for an excellent show."
Maranatha Christian College

"Fantastic, fun and the kids just loved it - this teacher did too!... Age appropriate - I love seeing children improvise play and this was a great model for this. The children's faces were a delight to watch... Excellent show. Children very much involved and loved it. Keep up the good work... I was very familiar with the text and loved how you interpreted it. Your presentation was most professional and thoroughly enjoyable. All the students enjoyed it and I think the 'breaks' were introduced in such a way that the children thought they were the performers. Thanks."
Hughesdale Primary

"Great costumes and the kids loved the slapstick humour... Very funny, I liked the way they extended the story and used suggestions from the children... Very creative and good use of imagination."
Kingsville Primary

"The performance was entertaining and relevant for both students and adults."
Barnawartha Primary School

"Engaging performance. Entertaining , lively and relevant. Keep up the great work.
Literature Live!! Roberts McCubbin Primary

"All of the students thoroughly enjoyed the show 'Bear and Chook' They laughed, sand, danced AND enjoyed the book."
The Basin Primary School

"Energetic, engaging... Brilliant!! Great way they very originally acted out story with music and song... My group thoroughly enjoyed Bear and Chook."
Geelong Grammar School Glamorgan Campus

Mt Dandenong Primary School, VIC

“It was an involving, funny play that entertained the children the WHOLE time. Great idea to get them up and moving. Super acting. Thank you. We all loved it... Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! Bear and Chook was funny, entertaining and educational. Well done!... You were wonderful! Thanks for a fabulous show and for sharing your great skills with us... Thank you for a wonderful production. The kids raved about it, even the tough Grade 2’s!... thank you for a wonderful performance. You certainly brought the story to life. Audience participation was fantastic and kept the interest of everyone including teachers. Come again!”

Watsonia Heights Primary School, VIC

“Very well acted, fast and furious performance. Kept children interested and involved.... Thought it was very entertaining. The children loved it as did the teachers... The children thought it was funny and it showed the characters emotions very well... Entertaining and covered the story very well... Very entertaining. Stayed close to the story. Very dynamic... It was fantastic, the children thought it was really good... Very entertaining. Question time at the end was valuable and informative”.

Christian College, Highton, VIC

“We all thoroughly enjoyed the show and will look forward to more entertainment in the future”.

Abbotsford Primary School, VIC

“A very enjoyable performance that was well received by the students in my class. They made comments about the costumes and music when they went back to class and showed interest in learning the dance. It was very appropriate for their level of understanding... Good performing. Very entertaining. I liked the bear’s costume.... Songs and dance are also very good... I thought your performance was extremely entertaining. It was very interactive and engaging. I think you catered for all levels well and all the children thought it was fantastic. I look forward to seeing you next week... Interesting and entertaining. They really got the audience involved which is very hard to do (especially with the older students). This show should definitely be something we participate in annually... a very amusing performance of “Bear & Chook”. Most enjoyable... Hopefully we will see you next year”.

Tootgarook Primary School, VIC

“It was great!! We loved it and so did all of the kids. It captured their attention and engaged them. The feedback during the follow up in the room was fantastic. Well done!”

Wonga Park Primary School, VIC

“A well rehearsed and written performance. Very funny and enjoyable for everyone!... Well suited material for this age group with a good balance of humour and drama. The music was interesting and engaged the children. It was enjoyed by all... Well set out. Loved the songs! Very entertaining!... Acting excellent. Costume great. Very funny using the book in conjunction with acting. Good play. Music great... Everyone enjoyed the humour as mentioned in their ‘reviews’... Children really enjoyed when they could physically participate with songs. Great songs and movement. It was enjoyable”.

Newham Primary School, VIC

“The show was fabulous. All  ages from prep to Grandma were entranced... Again excellent. Well paced... The looks of the faces of the audience spoke volumes. Level of questioning at end indicated good connection with and understanding of the story line and the presentation style. Great... Totally involved the children and adults. Liked the breaks of activity. A terrific presentation enjoyed by all age groups. They especially enjoy the discussion time at the end of the session”.

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"TOM JONES SAVES THE WORLD" 2003 - 2004

“A fantastic show, thoroughly enjoyed by students and teachers! The children loved it and they enjoyed the performance and listened to the message behind the book (be yourself). Very talented group of performers. Great show!”
M. Blake, Swan Hill Primary School.

“I thought it was great. Children loved it – Book again for next year”.
Sue H, Geelong Grammar Glamorgan Campus.

“Outstanding for both teachers and children. It was great how you included the audience into your performance. Totally enjoyed by my whole class. Thank you”.
Kate, Mt Pleasant Primary School.

“Fantastic full performance. You covered it all… Loved whole package… Tony & Jodi had them enthralled from the start by ‘over the top’ – ‘kid friendly’ humour and silly, funny stuff they immediately related to…. Such versatile performers!!... Fantastic voices and characterization… a completely captivating performance”.
L. McClintock, Kalinda Primary School.

"Excellent...Wonderfully acted... Portrayed the idiosyncrasies of a young boy so well... Audience were captivated and I'm sure it would have given them many avenues to explore in class discussion... Congratulations to all cast members. Coming down amongst the audience was a good way to bring the play and character right home to them and gave the play another dimension."
Murrindindi Library Service

"My grade finished the book the morning of the performance. We loved both the book and the show. The students were engaged throughout the entire performance, and were able to make links between what we had and hadn't read and your version. We've looked through the teacher's notes and have some great ideas for follow-ups. Thank you and well done."
Yea Primary School

"An outstanding production. Very entertaining for both students and teachers... Laughed till I cried! It was fabulous the children loved it and continued to talk about it afterwards with great enthusiasm... Excellent production - the children were entertained for the entire show and all enjoyed it. Well-presented - funny... music... dance... great story line - it had everything. Thank you... Great presentation - kept the kids very engaged. The simplicity of production allowed for more focussed attention on the story line Incredibly funny - really enjoyed it. Thanks!"
Croydon North Primary

"A brilliant performance, which totally engaged our Level 4 students and staff....Witty, fast moving, engaging, thoughtful and sensitive. Dealt with some big issues in a very realistic way. Great interpretation of book."
Ringwood Heights Primary School, VIC

"Highly entertaining, slick performance, funny, well suited to audience. Well done, encore!... Excellent. Really amusing - kids loved it (as did the adults)... Fun, energy filled performance. Script very close to original story. The children responded very well to the antics - well done and thank you!"
Hughesdale Primary School, VIC

"Very creative and well presented....Enjoyed the music and singing....Students could really relate to contextual themes, characters and setting... Perfect timing re: song, dance and action... Actors involved the children periodically in the script - this kept them focussed and involved with the humour....The script was age appropriate for 5/6 children...The humorous antics were received with laughter... Great depiction of characters. Very true to storyline...Engaged children beautifully."
Kingsville Primary, VIC

"First class dramatisation of an excellent story - students were still singing the song and laughing over incidents next week in the library... Entertaining, funny, thought provoking...This was a very enjoyable performance and the feedback from the students was very positive... I thought the play was terrific! Very thought provoking and wonderfully performed. My students came back totally energised and excited... a great message and performed so cleverly. One of my students was almost wetting himself over the moves Tom was capable of. Thank you!... The students of 5G thought it was an excellent show. They found that there were messages within the performance that made them think and consider their own lives and the way they behave. A very funny and clever performance overall... Had the students completely engaged. Enjoyable, well-performed, great starting-point for classroom discussion"
Christian College Middle School, VIC

Dromana Primary School, VIC

“A well written and presented play which perfectly targeted our middle years students. Entertaining, humourous and thought provoking. The children were captivated throughout. It was great to follow up in the classroom about issues involving change, communication, generations, connections, family, etc. Interesting discussion initiated by students about the title ‘Tom Jones Saves the World’ until we focused on ‘What’s the most important thing in your world?’ Thanks and well done”.

Tootgarook Primary School, VIC

“Children were very impressed with the performance and found it very funny. I found the quality high and enjoyable. It was great as an incentive to read a book the children otherwise may not have read”.

Wonga Park Primary School, VIC

“Very entertaining. The acting and singing was fabulous! The children could relate to the characters and some of the emotions they were feeling. Fantastic show!... Funny, excellent drama, great music...  Hysterically amusing! I thought it was extremely well done with fantastic acting. Thanks a lot!”

Warranwood Primary School, VIC

“Fantastic! Loved it! We had read all the book which really helped. Brought it to life and will now help with follow up. Sense of humour was terrific. Keep up the great work!... An excellent performance! We all loved your adaptation of the book and it cemented the children’s ideas of the story. We enjoyed your sense of humour and the ad libbing! Look forward to seeing you next year!”

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"Horrible Harriet" 2002-2003

Abbotsford Primary
"Your presentation was brilliant, the music, the acting and the singing were all outstanding… engaging and educational. The students learnt different ways to deal with bullies at school…extremely imaginative, entertaining and creative. You focussed on some really good messages of bullying"

Warranwood Primary
"Meaningful story that gave good examples of how children can react when being bullied so that they are not a victim…Had children totally engaged, terrific audience participation and timely activities…A great performance."

Colac West Primary
"A great show that appealed to Prep to Grade 6."

Hallam Primary
"Fabulous. The students were captivated by the exciting characters (and) did some great follow-up activities…The characterisations were not only amusing, but carried a very important moral theme. Great production."

Holy Eucharist Primary, East Malvern
"EXCELLENT! …Great activity, marvellous music/ singing - a real delight."

St Judes Primary, Scoresby
"Excellent performance. Great improvisation, great audience interaction. Amazing acting. Good discussion points… The children were watching with great interest and were thoroughly engaged (and) were humming the songs for the rest of the day!"

Ringwood Library
"The feedback from all parents was very positive and enthusiastic, and reports were heard from near and far, as parents visited other libraries raving about it"

Watsonia Heights Primary
"Brilliant acting by both players - excellent characterisations and terrific depiction of anti-bullying strategies…A fantastic performance…The children were captivated and completely engrossed by the story line and characters…Teachers and students alike were enthralled…I believe that this group of performers are excellent."

Monbulk Primary
"Tremendous…Fantastic. The faces of the kids said it all! They were absolutely absorbed throughout the whole performance…Absolutely brilliant!"

Scotch College Junior School
"Loved 'Horrible Harriet'. It was entertaining, funny and educational. There were so many potential discussion topics raised. ..The performance was fantastic and they portrayed the story and the different characters very well."

Clyde Primary
"Kids haven't stopped talking about the show. Really showed the meaning and understanding of bullying and ways to combat it. Great show!!!…Fantastic. .. You really made the book come alive…If only we could do that for every book."

Roberts McCubbin Primary
"FANTASTIC. Story well acted/ performed, children engaged, well pitched for age group, good wriggle session in middle, great rapport with children, easy to follow, moved well. Crowd control good…good follow-up activity…definitely value for money."

Maranatha School - Doveton Campus
"Excellent production! An inspiring way of presenting a children's book. … I'm sure they'll remember the lesson taught on bullying and hopefully be more aware of this problem. …Lively and entertaining. Good to see the positives about changing the behaviour of a bully coming out at the end. …Absolutely Fantastic!! Your performance was not only thoroughly educational - in that children were exposed to the reasons underlying bullying behaviour and how to respond to bullies - but also extremely entertaining from start to finish. The dramatic styles used engaged children and teachers alike. One of my students told his Mum on the morning of the performance, "I can't be late to school today because Tom Jones is coming"… Well, be assured that no-one was disappointed. Keep up the BRILLIANT job. I always look forward to your visit."

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"My Story - A Different Sort of Real, The Diary of Charlotte McKenzie, Melbourne, 1918" 2002 - 2003

Christine Trimnell - Teacher/ Librarian, Narre Warren North Primary
"Best performance ever! I've been a teacher for over 20 years and witnessed many performances, but this production was simply the best - totally professional, true to the book, thought provoking, everything."

Malvern Valley Primary
"Thank you for an excellent interpretation of a book with difficult concepts. Charlotte had a huge role and performed it with expertise and the necessary anxiety of the character…the actors portrayed events extremely well. The songs were beautifully sung. Thanks for allowing the children a reasonable question time."

Maranatha School - Endeavour Hills Campus
"Excellent performance by the cast. Story lines easy to follow, good pace to follow. Charlotte outstanding! All three excellent. Entertaining performance that largely held the attention of all students. Lots of good questions showed the high interest level of the children. 'My Story - A Different Sort of Real' allowed the children to have a glimpse into an era they know nothing about! Songs/ singing excellent, good contribution to the presentation! Welcome back anytime! 10/10 A+."

Holy Eucharist Primary, East Malvern
"Many of the children are looking forward to reading the book."

Scotch College Junior School
"The performance was very interesting and portrayed what life was like after W.W.I. very well. The play covered some delicate subjects which at times are hard to talk about and yet they spoke and acted them very well. After the performance we talked about this in class. From what the boys said, I could tell they thoroughly enjoyed the play and freely talked about war, it's affects and what life was like in Melbourne in the 1920's. It also motivated some boys to buy the book at the "Book Fair" and read it!"

Narre Warren North Primary
"Fantastic performance of the book. It really brought the characters and the reality of the times to life. The songs fitted in really well and were performed so professionally. A real bonus! Even though it was abridged, all the essential elements of the story were drawn together and allowed the children to have a fantastic understanding of the themes in the book."

Warranwood Primary
"Very topical for the children considering our past topic studied was related to this theme of conflict/ resolution. This prior knowledge would enable children to make valuable connections with what they studied. Well performed and captured everyone's attention…Great content and excellent acting. Kept the audience's attention….Great performances by actors. Students were engaged (and) had good questions which showed their interest."

Roberts McCubbin Primary
"Excellent program. Appropriately pitched for students, children involved, production related closely with text, lots offered as a discussion follow up, characterisation / setting / depiction of times / comparisons with today. Professionally presented and delivered. Valuable as a vehicle for literacy as well as drama."

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"When Dogs Cry" 2002 - 2003

Nhill College
"Very well performed. The material was very relevant to the students. A measure of its success was the fact that almost all the boys were riveted to the performance. Several teachers commented on how attentive the students were, especially the boys…I was very impressed with your professionalism and your handling of questions from the audience. I haven't seen as many of our students willing to ask questions of visitors as they did after this performance."

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"The Singing Hat" 2001 - 2002

Tohby Riddle - Author of 'The Singing Hat'
"Congratulations to you and Scott on your wonderful script and performance of 'The Singing Hat.'… I'd like to say that I thought you and Scott were terrific! I really enjoyed the show. It was a thrill to see the book come to life like this. I appreciated your clever and thoughtful interpretation (funny but meaningful) of the story; the way you very skillfully tailored it to your audience; and what you added to the story with your admirable acting and writing talents - you have put your stamp on it in a really nice way - some catchy tunes too! Congratulations to both you and Scott!
I wish you and your company every success with this and your other shows - I think you're onto a good thing…. All the best, Tohby"

Melbourne Museum - 2001 Victorian Launch of Book Week
"Congratulations on a very successful show…… The children obviously loved every minute and we received lots of excellent feedback from all the staff involved."

Children's Book Council Of Australia - 2001 Victorian Launch of Book Week
"Yours was the most talked about show of the programme. Everybody commented on it on their way out about how good it was … looking forward to working with you again in the future."

Williamstown Primary
"Thank you. Your show was absolutely brilliant (a 2-tissue job - laughed so much I cried)... It was the best I'd experienced. All bases covered: content, interpretation and elaboration, humour, song, dance, movement, characterisation, costume, props, awareness of children….. I couldn't fault it!... Thank you for a truly wonderful experience. Would love to be informed of future shows."

Maranatha Christian College
"Absolutely FANTASTIC guys!! I was entertained as much as the students were. Keep up the terrific job. See you next year... Clever! Great blend of story and fun. You were most entertaining. Great voices too - both of you. Roll on - Tony Bones! Rolling Bones gather no moss... Age appropriate. It kept all children interested from Prep - 4 which is quite remarkable... Really enjoyable show. I loved the enthusiasm and talent of the two actors. It helped the students get a much better understanding of the book. Thanks... Very entertaining. The children and teachers really enjoyed it"

Wesley College
"Both the children and the staff here loved the performances and it was wonderful to see short-listed books performed. Also thank you for the lesson plans!... The students wouldn't stop talking about how much they loved the show and the characters in it"

Altona Library / Seaholme Primary
"Both adults and children alike really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really enjoyed it, and I don't exaggerate... Children loved the use of costumes and voices. They also enjoyed the way that you both took turns being the bird, etc... They enjoyed the music... Teachers appreciated the lesson plans... We would definitely be interested in hiring you to perform at our school (again)"

St Anthony's Coptic Orthodox College
"Very entertaining. Relevant to the students and the book that they knew. Humour and improvisation added to the performance. Children really enjoyed it.... The presenters were very talented and entertaining... Some of the staff now want to join your company"

Albanvale Primary
"Quality performance. Good interaction with children and high expectations of them. Good humour, even for adults. Great price - makes it affordable for our children... Loved the show. Students were totally engaged... Great way to communicate an excellent book... Fantastic! The children enjoyed it all. Great interaction with the children, especially in "spur of the moment" situations... The children were all talking about it... The children loved it... Performers were talented. It was great that the humour was geared to the children's level... Excellent rapport with students. Able to engage and modify with the group. Ability to read their audience was great... Very entertaining. All the children were enthralled and entertained... The children were captivated... Looking forward to next year... The students were caught sneaking off from class to see the show again. We particularly liked the way you were able to deal with students we have trouble with everyday"

Cranbourne West Primary
"Very professional. Most entertaining. Variety of Arts medium presented.... Great show! One of the best I have seen - suited Prep/ 1 age group. The children sat engrossed for an hour... Fantastic!! Had a real laugh. Managed to keep Preps and Ones entertained for the whole hour - no mean feat!!... Fantastic show - kept the children's attention. The children enjoyed it and haven't stopped talking about it. Great job!!... The children are still talking about it days later. We all loved it!"

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"Something's Fishy, Hazel Green!" 2001 - 2002

St Albans East Primary
"An excellent live production that presented an important and relevant message in an entertaining and engaging format.... The use of character and the actors' ability to play different roles showed the students confidence and clarity in performance.... The drama involved the audience and entertained them. During follow up work the kids were willing to try different accents and mannerisms.... An excellent and entertaining performance!! Hope to see you next year during Book Week."

Maranatha Christian College
"Totally awesome. Very professional, the students enjoyed every minute. Inspired the students to get more involved in their own reading. Very funny and entertaining... A brilliant performance. The children were captivated by your humour and talent. It certainly inspired the children to read the story"

Toorak Library
"It was a huge step for that child to admit that he also couldn't read, just like the character in the play. Obviously the theme of illiteracy and bravery struck a particular chord with him"

Cheltenham Primary
"Fabulous show! Everybody understood the messages in the play and loved the performance... Funny! Very funny! I don't think I've seen the students laugh so hard... Great use of a variety of dramatic styles. Kept students interest while teaching valuable drama theory"

Geelong Regional Libraries
"Everyone loved the show. We will definitely be booking you again"

Williamstown Primary
"Great characterisation by the actors. Children and teachers loved the "gawky" comedy which was very clever, real and hilarious... Our follow up work was a fantastic discussion and character profiles of each of the main players, particularly focussing on the evidence in the play of personality traits. The children had very clear insight into these... The theme was very well delivered without being preachy. Congratulations and well done!... Many of the children are now reading Odo Hirsch works so they've been inspired"

Cranbourne West Primary
"Very amusing! Children absolutely enjoyed whole performance... Excellent performance. The students and I could not stop laughing - especially at the 'floppy hair do.' Got the message across, especially about relationships.... Great fun - just what we needed.... Terrific!! Kids commented that it was 'great.'... The children's faces said it all. Very creative and inspiring!"

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"Touch Me" 2001 - 2002

James Moloney - Author of 'Touch Me'
"Can take a few minutes to congratulate you once more on your adaptation of "Touch Me" to the stage. Sometimes, when a novel becomes a stage play or a film, the author is tempted to sit back and count the number of changes and omissions to his original story. Not on this occasion. I was completely absorbed by the performance and thoroughly entertained, let me add. You brought the story to life for the audience in a new and exciting way, using all the advantages that stage has over text on the page. The song and dance routines could have been way over the top but they managed instead to add another dimension to the relationship between Xavier and Nuala. Wonderful stuff! More pleasing though, was the way you were able to retain the deeper themes I was trying to explore in my story and through the characters of Xavier, Nuala and Alex. To do so with only three actors was an amazing feat. Thanks again for inviting me to St Catherine's and congratulations on a fabulous performance. Cheers, James Moloney"

St Albans Secondary
"The kids were engaged for the whole time and didn't lose interest... All students and teachers had positive comments... Staff said it was great - lots of laughs and some well thought out scenes to make key points... Themes were relevant and provoked interest... We a certainly interested in having you out again next year!"

Stonnington Library
"The students raved, loved the honest language, actors' directness to audience and the choice of story"

Kilbreda College
"Very entertaining. Good representation of the book. Good interaction with the audience. A good mix of serious and fun scenes to maintain the students' interest. Enjoyed by students who are now keen to read the book. Liked ad-libbing. Pitched well to age group"

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"Captain Mack" 2000 - 2001

James Roy, Author of 'Captain Mack"
"I liked the play a great deal…. And I thought the actors were all terrific…. It was a very well adapted version. Excellent job….. Cheers, James."

St Albans Secondary
"Well presented, engaging, funny...Kids certainly responded well.. We are certainly interested in having you out again next year!"

Newcombe Library
"Excellent performance! We'll have to get you out to do more shows like this"

Cranbourne Christian College
"Amazing reaction by the students and fabulous interpretation of a meaningful book. Everyone loved it"

The Basin Primary
"Our children were entertained and challenged by your performance. All of us thoroughly enjoyed the show"

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"Tyro" 2000 - 2001

Croydon Secondary
"Your performance was most impressive. It struck a comfortable balance between education and entertainment. So skilful was this that it satisfied what I consider to be a 'nightmare' audience, Year 10 in an average secondary school environment, bells, announcements and all.... The play was well adapted from the novel, allowing for themes and character interaction to be both well developed and accessible. The interpretation allows for follow-up discussion in class... The actors skills were appreciated by the entire audience; they brought the characters to life. The shades/ development of Andrew Kinnear's character was a highlight for me.... Performances like this allow students to access text in a different way. For our students it is also an important avenue to show them that acting is not confined to a screen, whatever it's size.... The performance was very useful for the students. Some who had said that they found the book boring, enjoyed the play very much. Some of the students a). had not completed reading the novel, b). have literacy problems. Having the novel presented in this manner gave them access to the work. Thanks!"

Berengarra School
"We've never seen the students so transfixed by a performance, so attentive and entertained... The play related to the students on a personal level, effectively identifying issues in their everyday lives, then showing solutions"

Scotch College
"The boys absolutely loved the show in every way. We would be more than happy to provide a reference to any school for your work"

Maribyrnong Secondary
"You immediately captured the attention of a rowdy and excitable crowd. They loved every minute"

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"Tony Bones 2000"

Geelong Grammar
"Everybody loved the ideas and practical elements in the show. Great use of a variety of curriculum areas... Fabulous musical elements, both by the performers and their integration with the students... Students were very positive in their feedback on the show... Great themes explored, relevant to the students and their lives"

St Clement of Rome Primary
"Students made several requests to meet the performers afterwards... You certainly stirred an interest in puppetry amongst the children"

The Grange College
"Extremely engaging show for the students. They loved the audience interaction, use of music, art and puppetry.. Our class talked about it for days afterwards. Obviously a big impact was made on them"

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"Book Week 1999"

Korowa Anglican Girls' School
"Both girls and staff thoroughly enjoyed your performance... The students were in complete awe of you... A triumph in Children's Theatre"

Mentone Girls' Grammar
"The presenters were excellent and had the girls and boys riveted with the play. A most humorous, entertaining, but important story about bullying (both overt and covert), conflict, resolution, and reconciliation... Staff feedback was amazing. They talked about it for weeks... I've never seen the students so focussed and entertained by education"

Heany Park Primary
"Very good for our children. Great dramatic performance! Thanks... Children responded well to the dramatization. Enjoyed the variety of character changes and wanted to discuss the underlying "Bullying" message... Many of the kids could relate to the drama as the bullying is real and is happening in the school yard... I was busting my sides with laughter… 10 out of 10... Excellent acting and relevant topic which was followed by class discussion... The children thoroughly enjoyed the presentation which was an excellent dramatisation on a sound theme... Children were attentive for the whole performance so a strong indication of successful presentation... They were able to identify with characters/ motives/ key problem and solution...The acting was superb and the story well presented. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done!"

Mentone Boys' Grammar
"Thank you once again for your performance in your play. Both of you were wonderful. The staff comments were very favourable, to say the least, and many students came to me after the performance and said how much they had enjoyed it. I would highly recommend you to other schools, in particular at library in-services"

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