2008/09 Season -    Children's Book Council of Australia

"2008 Early Childhood Book of the Year" Short listed book & "2008 Notable Picture Book"

"The Night Garden" from the book of the same name by Elise Hurst, Published by ABC Books, Adapted and directed by Tony Appleby B.Ed for Tony Bones Entertainment, Music by Tony Appleby, Luke Hunter & Tim Smith

Cost $ 7.70 per student (incl. GST) Minimum show fee $ 770.00

Primary: (Prep - Grade 6) - Duration 40 minutes + Q&A

Key Themes: Imagination, Magic, Adventure

Key Learning Areas: Drama, Dance, Music, SOSE.

.To buy the book. contact the ABC shop on 1300 360 111 or 02 8333 5666, or visit the ABC shop online by clicking here!!!! Alternatively visit "Show & Tell On-line Bookshop" at http://showandtell.seekbooks.com.au

Season dates: For Term 1 & 2, 2009 this show is available on request. Just give us a call on 1300 308 311 & let us know what date you're after.

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About the play:

In the tradition of the sell-out shows "Irving the Magician”, “At The Beach”, “Milli, Jack & the Dancing Cat”, “Bear & Chook”, “The Singing Hat” & “Horrible Harriet”, Tony Bones Entertainment performs this fabulous picture book as a brilliant new musical play for children.  The book comes to life with original song & dance numbers, thrilling drama, puppetry and 40 minutes of hysterical comedy & moving drama. Every 3 to 10 year old will love this performance.

The show is a fully staged musical. It is 40 minutes long with a cast of 2 - 1 male & 1 female. It includes:  

• a low portable stage;
• full sound system with state-of-the-art "Soundcraft Spirit" sound desk, "Shure" radio headset wireless microphones, "Bose" speakers, etc, appropriate for audiences of unlimited numbers (recommended maximum of around 400 students per session);
• stage lighting;
• free standing back drop curtain & set;
• 4 song & dance numbers - Music Theatre, Tango, Rumba, Broadway / Vaudeville, etc.
• a dance class where the kids all stand up & join in;
• a "Dancing with the Stars" style "wolf howling" competition where 3 kids come up on stage to get interviewed & demonstrate their best wolf howl at the moon;
• Lots of puppetry - cat puppet, dragon statue puppet that comes to life & sings, 5 picture frame puppets where portraits come to life & sing;
• Different costume characters - Sally (the lead girl), knight in shining armour, human size cat, bush / shrubbery that comes to life.
• Different drama genre throughout the show - Narrative, Music Theatre, Pantomime, Puppetry, Slow Motion Scene, Dance class, Game Show.

This must see production is booking fast so be quick to secure a date for your school with "The Night Garden".

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From Author & Illustrator Elise Hurst:

"I think your ideas sound fantastic!  ... Your ideas for puppetry and dance elements are just what I would have imagined - although I hadn't thought of the paintings - very nice! I think it would be a very fun experience for the kids.

I spent my whole childhood waiting for an adventure. I like to think that I would have had the courage like Sally to seize the moment if it ever presented itself, but perhaps I would be more like Strange - afraid of the unknown, willing to let the moment pass, out of fear. The two characters are in balance in the book, as Strange gradually warms to the adventure, Sally begins to tire of it (and perhaps realise what Strange had known all along - that the comforts of home are also wonderful). And for timid Strange, he realises that sometimes you have to just let go and live in the moment, because you might have the time of your life. I love dualities - the night for me is equally fascinating and terrifying, beautiful and cold, full of possibilities that might be wonderful or terrible.  I've always been drawn to it - ever since I was a very small child who found frosty windows to gaze out of at 3am. Luckily I never had the adventure and the dreams survived intact. ... Thanks for all of the thought you've already put into it. I think it should be wonderful.  ... One thing though - when they undo the magic of the window by rubbing it clear they miss a bit and that bit of the garden stays as it was in the night-time (you can see it out the window as the sun comes up) - just my way of making sure we know that it all happened and wasn't just a dream. Why do adults always want it to be make-believe? Time enough for humdrum sensible views of the world later! Best, Elise "

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About the book:

One night while Sally is staying at her grandmother's old house, she discovers a mystical garden in the backyard. Transformed from neat hedges and flower beds, to twisted shapes and creatures, the garden is now a place full of hidden surprises and adventure!

TESTIMONIALS FOR 2008's "THE NIGHT GARDEN"

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!"

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"

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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About the author:

Elise Hurst is a successful illustrator and author of more than 40 children's books, as well as a traditional artist. She works in a messy studio at home in Melbourne, near the cemetery and the zoo, where she lives with her husband and cat.

TRADITIONAL ART
- Private portrait commissions, children's art.
- Various awards for water-colour, oils and pastel, including runner up in the Alice Bale $40,000 Traveling Scholarship 2003.

CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATOR
- Illustrator of about 50 children's books for both the trade and educational markets.
- 2008 Shortlisted (CBCA Book of the Year Awards - Early Childhood) for "The Night Garden"
- 2008 Notable Book (CBCA Book of the Year Awards - Early Childhood and Picture book of the Year) for "The Night Garden"
- 2007 Notable Book (CBCA Book of the Year Awards) for "Ali the Bold Heart"
- Shortlisted for the 2003 Crichton Illustrator's Award, (Children's Book Council of Australia).
- Author/illustrator of four picture books and a chapter book.

OTHER
- 2008 May Gibbs Residency - Adelaide
- 2008 Varuna Fellowship
- 2006-2007 Judging committee of the Crichton Illustrator's Award.
- Style File co-creator/committee.
- 2005 Voices on the Coast Festival - Presenter and Demonstrator.
- 2003-4 Australia Council Literature Grant recipient - New Work
- 2003 Judging committee of the Nestle Write Around Australia Competition.

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From the author's website - http://www.elisehurst.com.au/

"I am an illustrator and author of children’s books, as well as a traditional artist. I work in a messy studio at home in Melbourne, near the cemetery and the zoo. I live with my husband, peter, who is working on his doctorate in Linguistics (and who helped me create this site), and a cat which keeps me company while I work. I've illustrated many books over the years - by a range of wonderful authors and also some that I've written myself. There's a full list of books on the Bibliogaphy page. Some of my favourites are "The Night Garden", "Where's God?" by Victor Kelleher (Lothian), “The Elephants’ Big Day Out” and “A Dream of Bunyips Dancing” published with Lothian Books.

The range of work that I do could be described to have a cross-pollinating effect. Traditional art has given me a wide range of skills and influences, which allows me to change styles and techniques all of the time to complement the texts I work on. In return, illustration influences my traditional artwork because it teaches me to remember the essence ofwhat I am looking at and what prompted me to paint something in the first place - the emotion I felt, the atmosphere and to remember the focus of the scene."

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Reviews of the book:

From 'femail.com.au' at http://www.femail.com.au/product_reviews.htm -

"A gorgeous picture book full of imagination and magic.

One night, when the sun had set and the moon was slowly rising, Sally painted a magical garden on the window of her room.

Later on, way past supper and after bed, when the moon rose high over the garden, Sally awoke, tingling. She tiptoed down he stairs and out the door and into the Night Garden, with her cat Strange.

Transformed from neat hedges and flowerbeds into twisted shapes and creatures, the garden was alive with magic and adventure. An enchanting tale about the power of a little girl's imagination, brought to life by Elise Hurst's rich illustrations.

An absolute treasure of a book for children."

From 'Paper Tigers' at http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/ -

"Books Illustrated in Melbourne launched Elise Hurst’s 50th book in 11 years, The Night Garden, with a champagne party and an exhibit of illustrations from the book. A big crowd showed up! Before reading the book to a thrilled and energetically participating audience, Elise explained that two years ago she had only the germ of an idea–a garden “where everything happens, with each picture extraordinary.” A publisher was interested, but, big surprise, wanted a story. It’s an “escape artist” story, Elise discovered, of looking out on a magical garden in the middle of the night. She remembers falling asleep herself at the window as a child, dreamily gazing out the window into a possible magical garden she herself has now escaped into through her young character, Sally.

Elise’s husband, Peter, talked about the hard work of getting the text and the illustrations right. Discussing two particular pages, he explained that “in 40 words, with illustrations, Elise first got across the idea that Sally is adventurous and feels the magic, but her cat, Strange, is reluctant. Then Elise transitions into the mystical world outside, ‘to the edge of here and there.’ The garden is like an opera set, and the whole garden appears on the end papers.”

PaperTigers recognized Elise’s work some time ago with a gallery feature and Elise remembered us when I introduced myself. I’m looking forward to writing more about the vibrant community of illustrators, publishers, and writers that I’ve met through Ann Haddon and Ann James of Books Illustrated. Thanks for a great launch party!

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Book titles performed by Tony Bones Entertainment in the past include:

SHORT LISTED “BOOK OF THE YEAR” PICTURE BOOKS PERFORMED

2007 "Water Witcher" by Jan Ormerod

2006 "Irving the Magician" by Tohby Riddle

2005 "At the Beach - Postcards from Crabby Spit" by Roland Harvey

2004 "Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat" by Stephen Michael King

2003 "Bear and Chook" by Lisa Shanahan & Emma Quay

2002 "Horrible Harriet" by Leigh Hobbs

2001 "The Singing Hat" by Tohby Riddle

SHORT LISTED “BOOK OF THE YEAR” YOUNGER READER’S BOOKS PERFORMED

2007 "Being Bee" by Catherine Bateson

2006 "To The Light" by Pat Flynn

2005 "Billy Mack's War" by James Roy

2004 "Stella by the Sea” by Ruth Starke

2003 "Tom Jones Saves the World" by Steven Herrick

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

2001 "Something's Fishy, Hazel Green!" by Odo Hirsch

2000 "Captain Mack" by James Roy

SHORT LISTED “BOOK OF THE YEAR” OLDER READER’S BOOKS PERFORMED

2002 "When Dogs Cry" by Markus Zusak

2001 "Touch Me" by James Moloney

2000 "Tyro" by David McRobbie

Testimonials for all these shows can be found by clicking here!!

You can visit the CBCA at their website at www.cbc.org.au

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