Adapting a children’s picture book for the stage must be a daunting task. How do you capture the creativity allowed by the illustrated page? A typical picture book is 32 pages – how do you make a production last a full hour? The age range of your audience may be broad – how do you create something to entertain them all? How do you let the original picture book stand on its own and yet put your own creative stamp on the adaptation?

This task is something that the Patch Theatre Company have made their specialty. They have adapted four of Stephen Michael King’s picture books in a production called Emily Loves to Bounce, which we saw on stage at the Darebin Arts Centre earlier this month. Previously, Patch Theatre has also done two productions of Pamela Allen’s picture books. Most of their productions are geared to children aged four to eight years.

Emily Loves to Bounce uses four of King’s picture books – The Man Who Loved Boxes, Patricia, Emily Loves to Bounce, and Henry and Amy – as inspiration for ideas. It doesn’t retell the narrative from these stories, but instead uses the ideas and messages and creatively adapts them. For example, in the story Emily Loves to Bounce, a little girl called Emily bounces through the book. In the stage production, there is an enormous purple ball, named Emily, who is bounced between the performers.

The production incorporates many different media. Live music and song are important elements, and a violinist and piano accordion player are on-stage and part of the action. There is a sequence of shadow puppetry, which forms an ideal introduction to this medium for young kids. Props are integral, and a magical array of boxes of different sizes, many lit from within, make a visually stunning setting for the opening scene.

Emily Loves to Bounce is currently on an Australian national tour, culminating in November 2008. ACT, NSW, Tassie, Victorian regional and Qld readers might have a chance to catch them. More details available here.

Photo credit: Sarah Long c/o Patch Theatre Company. Pictured are Briohny Campbell, Sarah Brokensha and Nathan O’Keefe.