As the temperature drops suddenly, it's a good idea to take your child into a warm theater, watch a special performance, and spend an unforgettable parent-child time together!

Beijing-style children's play "Kitten San Ya Went to the Roof"

"Kitten San Ya Went to the Roof" is adapted from the children's literature trilogy "Mouse Ya Ya" by the famous Beijing writer Ye Guangqin. It tells the heartwarming and interesting childhood memories of a Beijing mouse called Ya Ya.

The hutongs with bricks and tiles carry the unique memories of Beijing people's lives. Adults would drink tea, play chess, and chat, while children would play with cats and dogs, climb onto roofs and remove tiles. This long-lost old Beijing life has been brought onto the stage, bringing laughter and joy to both children and adults, allowing them to relive the carefree happiness of their childhood.

Time: December 15-23, 2023

Location: Nanluo Theater

Beijing-style children's play "Heart and Yummie"

As a children's play that opened at the National Grand Theater in 2008, "Heart and Yummie" tells a simple and touching story of love between a dinosaur father and his son. They are of different species. This play has accompanied three generations of children, becoming the "longest-running touring play of children's art in Beijing." In 2023, Beijing Children's Art Theatre launched a brand-new version after completing 1200 performances of the play.

This children's play, reorganized by the young generation of theater creators, not only comprehensively upgraded the visual design of the stage, scenery, props, and costumes to meet the aesthetic of contemporary audiences, but also interpreted and expressed the script in a contemporary way while retaining the essence of the original work, allowing a dialogue between the contemporary and the classic, and making the classic more vibrant.

Time: December 16-24, 2023

Location: Capital Library of China Theater

Fairy tale puppet show "Mermaid"

The play is adapted from the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The play uses an open stage structure, presenting the audience with a breathtaking picture. To present the climax of the play, the play puts both puppets and the players on stage, transitioning from puppets to real people to portray the characters' thoughts and emotions. Puppets, dolls, and real people perform together, complementing each other and creating a rich and colorful show. In puppet making, the play chooses soft puppets that are suitable for the plots, making the audience see the little mermaid swimming like a real fish in the sea.

Time: December 16-17, 2023

Location: China Puppet Art Theater

Mythical puppet show "True and False Monkey"

The play retains the traditional characteristics of the Chinese puppet show, which is performance by puppets only and fully mobilizes various puppet performance techniques. In the play, there are not only scenes of heaven and sea, the seventy-two transformations of the Monkey, and the martial arts duel between the real and false Monkey, but also the graceful and charming dance of the Dragon Maiden and the illusory underwater world. There are both passionate martial arts scenes and artistic group dance performances. The play advocates punishing evil and promoting goodness through the epitome of justice - Sun Wukong, guiding children to recognize truth, goodness, and beauty while gaining enlightenment in life with the puppetry art.

Time: December 23-24, 2023

Location: China Puppet Art Theater

Children's ethnic instrumental comedy "If Musical Instruments Could Speak"

"If Musical Instruments Could Speak" is the first children's comedy focusing on instruments in China. The story revolves around the instruments of a national chamber music group, each plotting their own little schemes, not wanting to rehearse and wanting to slip away to a party. As a result, a series of stories happen at the party. The play hopes to awaken children's cultural identity towards Chinese traditional musical instruments and make a contribution to promoting the profound cultural heritage of traditional Chinese musical instruments.

Time: December 15-16, 2023

Location: Small Theater, Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center

Translator: LIU Siqi

Reviewer: LIU Jin